TOPEKA — The hopes and dreams of local outdoor enthusiasts and those who see how its preservation can be an economic boon were validated on Thursday by state officials and representatives.
About a dozen testified before the Kansas House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee for designating Iola’s old quarry and neighboring trails as a new state park. The 360-acre parcel is a gift from Iola Industries to the state in anticipation it be developed into Lehigh Portland State Park by 2024.
The scope of the project was described by Linda Lanterman, director of Kansas State Parks.
If approved, Lanterman said the 138-acre lake and surrounding property would be open for fishing, swimming, camping, hiking, biking, scuba diving, paddleboarding and canoeing. Large watercraft would not be allowed but small trolling boats for fishing, most likely will be.
She envisions a boat dock, cabins, yurts and a visitor’s center to be in the mix.
Lanterman said she will request $5 million to $7 million for the park’s development.
The timing of the park’s approval is critical, Lanterman said, in order to take advantage of SPARK funds, “which have to be spent in the next couple of years.”
SPARK stands for Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas whose funds come from the federal government’s response to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic through the CARES Act. The lake is absolutely stunning. When I first stood on those bluffs and looked out across the water my mind went 100 miles an hour thinking about its possibilities. Linda Lanterman,
KDWP director
SPARK projects, which are to address health and education, economic revitalization, connectivity and efficiency and modernization. Throughout Thursday’s presentations, all four topics were addressed, intentionally or not.
Lanterman said that if she were not successful in securing SPARK funds she would apply for funds through other means, and ticked off an alphabet of federal programs with which she is familiar.
FROM AN economic standpoint, Kansas state parks generate $287 million a year.
“That’s a pretty good investment,” she said. 
“I think this is a good prospect for a Kansas state park,” Lanterman said. “It’s a beautiful area and the lake is absolutely stunning. When I first stood on those bluffs and looked out across the water my mind went 100 miles an hour thinking about its possibilities.”
Lanterman said Iola’s development of the 13 miles of trails around the spring-fed lake already is a big draw, adding that Iola was named “Trail Town of the Year,” in 2017 by the Kansas Trail Guide.
