Buffalo Springs Lake aims to make ADA, family-friendly improvements

LUBBOCK COUNTY, TX (KCBD) - Ahead of a busy season for Buffalo Springs Lake, crews are busy making improvements to the lake, to make it more welcoming for families and people with disabilities.

“We are just trying to keep it safe for everybody and make it beautiful in the process,” Lake Manager Brandon Powell said.

Powell told KCBD that making the lake ADA compliant has been a top priority, starting with the bathrooms around the Marina and then going throughout the lake property.

“The maintenance of the lake has been a top priority, as well,” Powell said. “The marina boat dock, we’ve recently redone the vinyl on that, the little bumpers for the boats.”

Other improvements have been made to the campgrounds. Campground B has been covered with one-inch rock ahead of paving the roadways. Powell, who has spent one year in this management position, said Campground S will also be leveled and covered with the same rock.

“The direction that we’ve started going, well since the day I got here, is directing this lake toward families,” Powell said. “We want more families to come out here. The only way to get them out here is to make it fun, clean and safe. That way the parents want to have their kids out here. They don’t have to worry about them getting hurt around our area.”

Powell told KCBD that the ADA upgrades to bathrooms will cost $250,000. He said this improvement, along with others, is funded with admission fees, which were increased last year.

“We understand that they think it’s overpriced but our revenue comes from those gates,” Powell said. “Every improvement we are able to do out here is coming from the gate fees that we collect throughout the summer. We only have April until September to collect those gate fees. That’s what gets us through. That’s how we pay for improvements.”

Powell hopes folks will visit Buffalo Springs Lake and enjoy themselves, which includes being responsible and safe.

Upcoming Buffalo Springs Lake events:

• Spring Mud Fling with APEX Off-Road on Sunday, April 14. Racing begins at 12 p.m.
• Easter at the Lake on Saturday, April 20 at 1 p.m.
• Buffalo Springs Lake Car Show on Saturday, May 4

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