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Love to explore the great outdoors under the starlit sky near a gorgeous reservoir? The Bureau of Reclamation Upper Colorado Basin’s Provo Area Office is helping build or restore campsites so quality amenities are available for those experiences! Reclamation has participated in several ribbon cuttings this summer to celebrate either the groundbreaking or completion of state campgrounds.

Red Fleet State Park recently had its groundbreaking to kick off construction for a new renovation project. The Provo Area Office did the full redesign of this project which will consist of construction and renovation of the day-use areas, as well as a complete redesign and reconstruction of the campground and will manage construction until completion, slated for summer 2024.  As the parks popularity has continued to increase, these renovations and improvements will accommodate more visitors comfortably and elevate guest experiences.

“Red Fleet was the third state park we have redesigned and created the ‘floor plan’ for,” said Provo Area Office’s Engineering Division Manager Jeremy Fowler. “These projects require collaboration between State Parks, Provo’s engineers, local health departments, and building officials. The best part is seeing the design come to fruition to give the customer what they want.”

Rockport, Echo, and Deer Creek also finished their restoration projects this year and kicked-off the summer season opening the new areas to the public.

Echo State Park had their ribbon cutting this month for completion of phase II of the Echo State Recreation Project. The first phase was construction of the new Dry Hollow Campground (complete in 2020) and the second phase was updating the day-use area and marina. The Provo Area Office completed the National Environmental Policy Act process to assess the environmental considerations for planning, designing, and construction of this project. This project also required renegotiation of the 11-park agreement to add Echo State Park, which is the authority that allows state parks to occupy and manage recreation on Reclamation land. Provo designed and managed construction for both the Dry Hollow Campground and the Red Rock Marina. The construction management was done in unison with Utah State Parks and the Utah Division of Facilities Construction and Management (DFCM) who solicits the contract.

Rockport’s new day-use area and Deer Creek’s new addition called Fox Den campground are now open for the public to take advantage of the new sites and enjoy the lake front and cool water. Both areas were designed by Meridian, hired by DFCM. The Provo Area Office provided expert advice and high-level input at construction meetings and offered liaison support for these projects.

“It has been a pleasure to work with DFCM and Utah State Parks and see the level of detail and thoughtfulness that has been put into the Rockport and Deer Creek facilities,” said Provo Area Office’s Resident Engineer Tyler Remund. “I think every effort has been made to ensure users have the best experience possible.”

Echo, Deer Creek, and Red Fleet were part of cost-share agreements, which allowed Reclamation to provide Federal funds. Rockport was almost entirely state funded.

Recreational activities at all of these areas are managed by the Utah Division of State Parks through an agreement with Reclamation.