KEYSTONE LAKE — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is asking area residents to weigh in on a proposed update to the long-range plan that guides how Keystone Lake is managed.
The proposal would reclassify 30 acres near Appalachia Bay as environmentally sensitive land and officially remove “swimming beach” designations from several long-time recreation areas.
The Tulsa District of the Corps recently released a draft Environmental Assessment and a draft Finding of No Significant Impact for a supplement to the lake’s 2016 Master Plan. Those documents are now open for public review, and comments will be accepted through Feb. 23.
At the heart of the plan is a small piece of Corps-owned property just north of the Appalachia Bay Recreation Area in Osage County. The 30-acre tract is currently listed as “High Density Recreation” land, but officials say that label never really fit.
According to the Corps, the property was mistakenly left in that category during the last master plan update in 2016, even though the land is regularly flooded and isn’t suitable for developed recreation.
Under the new proposal, the acreage would be reclassified as an “Environmentally Sensitive Area,” a designation meant to protect natural habitat and limit future development.
“The acreage consists of frequently flooded forested habitat immediately adjacent to Keystone Reservoir,” the Corps said in its public notice. “The proposed reclassification more accurately defines the management objectives for this area, as it is limited to low-impact recreational activities due to reoccurring flooding and considered sensitive habitat.”
Because the land often goes underwater when lake levels rise, it isn’t practical for campsites, parking lots, or other intensive recreational uses, officials said.
If approved, the change would increase Keystone Lake’s total environmentally sensitive acreage from 166 acres to 196 acres. Land classified for high-density recreation would drop from 3,943 acres to 3,913 acres. The overall size of the lake project — 59,087 acres — would remain the same.
Swimming beaches formally removed
Along with the land reclassification, the supplement would make a number of housekeeping changes to the master plan. The most noticeable for lake visitors is the formal removal of designated swimming beaches.
The Corps proposes to officially drop swimming beach designations at three locations:
• Appalachia Bay
• Walnut Creek Park
• Washington Irving South
Those areas have not functioned as managed swimming beaches for years, but the old master plan still referred to them that way. The update is intended to clean up “verbiage and indication of swim beaches on all future project brochures, maps and other documents.”
Corps officials have gradually stepped away from maintaining official swimming beaches at many lakes in Oklahoma due to changing water quality standards, staffing limits, and liability concerns. The update simply brings Keystone Lake’s paperwork in line with how the areas are already being used.
Park names and management details updated
The supplement also updates information about who operates several Keystone Lake parks and recreation areas.
Since 2016, some facilities have changed hands or operating structures, and the revised plan brings those listings up to date.
Among the updates:
• New Mannford Recreation Area is leased and operated by the City of Mannford.
• Case Community Park is leased to the City of Sand Springs.
• Feyodi Creek Park is leased to the City of Cleveland.
• Keystone State Park is leased to the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation.
• Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park is leased to the City of Mannford and subleased to Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp Resorts.
The New Mannford Ramp Recreation Area includes three boat ramps, RV and tent campsites, picnic tables, a covered group shelter, and restrooms with showers.
Case Community Park features a trail system, a concrete skateboard park, disc golf, horseshoe pits, picnic areas and restrooms. It is one of Sand Springs’ busiest parks, hosting youth baseball, soccer, BMX events and community celebrations such as the Fourth of July fireworks and the Mayor’s Cup.
Feyodi Creek Park near Cleveland offers full RV hookups, tent camping, showers, hiking trails, disc golf, a playground, picnic shelters, a boat ramp and an amphitheater.
Keystone State Park continues to be one of the lake’s most popular destinations, with cabins, RV sites, tent camping, boat ramps, picnic areas and Pier 51 Marina with fuel, rentals and a floating restaurant.
Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park, formerly known as Salt Creek Cove North, provides camping, boat ramps, docks and family-oriented recreation on the east side of Mannford.
The updated plan also clarifies which areas are directly maintained by the Corps and which are operated by cities or private marinas such as Salt Creek Cove Marina, Pier 51 Marina and Westport Marina.
Flood damage and resiliency
The document also takes a look back at the historic 2019 floods that heavily damaged recreation facilities around Keystone Lake.
“Recreation areas on Keystone Lake experienced extensive damage during the record flooding of 2019; numerous roads, campsites, and facilities were damaged,” the review memorandum states.
Since then, the Corps has received additional federal funding to repair and rebuild many of those areas. Officials say future projects will focus on making campgrounds and amenities more floodresistant.
Recreation maps will be updated again in future reviews as those improvements are completed.
Updated visitation figures
Another part of the update includes fresh attendance numbers for Keystone Lake, which had not been formally revised since 2016.
The new visitation totals included in the supplement show how use of the lake has fluctuated over the last decade: 2016: 1,776,006 visitors 2017: 3,160,373 2018: 1,822,814 2019: 1,785,925 2020: 2,522,985 2021: 2,841,652 2022: 2,453,197 2023: 3,204,722 2024: 2,589,190 The numbers reflect the ups and downs caused by flooding years and the surge in outdoor recreation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Environmental review
According to the Corps, the draft Environmental Assessment found that the proposed land change would have no significant environmental impact.
Because the plan does not involve construction or ground disturbance, officials say there would be no effect on water quality, wildlife habitat, wetlands, cultural resources, or endangered species.
The area proposed for reclassification includes typical Keystone Lake wildlife habitat such as upland hardwood forests and bottomland timber. Common species include squirrels, raccoons, whitetailed deer, songbirds and waterfowl.
How to comment
Anyone interested in the proposal can submit comments through Feb. 23.
Written comments can be mailed to: Craig Hilburn, Wildlife Biologist U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 700 W. Capitol Ave. Little Rock, AR 72201 Comments may also be emailed to David.C.Hilburn@usace. army.mil.
Copies of the draft Environmental Assessment and related documents are available on the Tulsa District Corps of Engineers website.