Groundbreaking on Friday for playground at Kaw Lake

A groundbreaking for a new playground is set for 11 a.m. Friday, July 14, at Coon Creek Cove at Kaw Lake.

The project will be the first new playground at Kaw Lake in 40 years.

It will include a play structure with two slides, a springy turtle, a spinner and a swing set that includes a traditional swing, a toddler swing and a handicapped-accessible swing.

The project includes ground cover and a covered picnic table.

This project is a partnership between Phillips 66, the Kaw Lake Army Corps of Engineers, Kaw City, the Kaw Lake Association and the Kaw Lake Educational Foundation. Colonel Hussin will attend the groundbreaking.

A community build day will begin at 8 a.m. Friday, July 21, and  the public is invited to come work on the playground. There will be jobs for all skill levels and physical abilities. Especially needed are any Phillips 66 employees, spouses or ConocoPhillips retirees. Work is expected to take all day.

Lake Manager Peat V. Robinson, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said Kaw Lake is a significant contributor to the local economy and brings in more than 500,000 visits annually to the public use areas.

He said the two playground facilities currently at the lake were installed during the original construction more than 40  years ago and are outdated and showing signs of deterioration.

“Our desire is to provide our visitors with optimum facilities for their enjoyment,” Robinson said. “Limited funding prohibits major upgrades to our facilities. One of our highest visited areas, Coon Creek Cove, does not currently have a playground. At only 12 miles from the heart of Ponca City to the entry of Coon Creek Cove, this public use area is our second highest in visitation and revenues collected.

“We feel like a new playground in this campground would be extremely beneficial to our visitors and would provide a safe place for their children to play while at the lake,” he said.