New facility goes in at Weber Lake

By RICHARD JENKINS

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UPSON, Wis. — Although it won’t be used until next camping season, the Iron County Forestry and Parks Department installed a new bathroom-shower facility at the Weber Lake campground last week.

“It’s been long-awaited,” Iron County Forestry and Parks Administrator Eric Peterson said. “It’s been requested (that) flush toilets and showers were brought to Weber Lake (for many years), and just with all the other things that have been going on in the county in the past four or five years, we’re just now getting to it. But it will be a good improvement to that little facility.”

The pre-cast structure was delivered from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, in two pieces — one weighing 70,000 pounds and the other weighing 50,000 pounds — with all the fixtures and everything already installed.

“All we have to do is hook the power and the water up to it and it’s done,” Peterson said.

Along with the new bathroom-shower facility, Peterson said improvements to the Weber Lake facility included holding tanks, sidewalks and paths, adding an RV dump station and plans to build a new pavilion by the beach area.

Although some work will need to be completed in spring, Peterson said he hopes the project wraps up and the campground reopens in time for the Fourth of July holiday at the latest.

“It will be a good little project to finish up next spring and get people back in there to see it,” Peterson said.

The work, which brings Weber Lake in line with the other county facilities, began the day after the park closed on Labor Day.

The $160,000 was largely funded through a state grant, which covered 80% of the costs and the county providing the rest as matching funds.

The campground currently has 11 sites, according to Peterson, and will have around 14 when the work is complete.