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Project would improve Agate Lake Photo by Jim Craven A proposal to give Agate Lake a face-lift will help fix problems such as trash dumped at the reservoir east of White City. Plans include a walking trail, interpretive kiosks, a new dock and a residence for an on-site manager. Combines conservation, day-use boost By PAUL FATTIG WHITE CITY -- Agate Lake, a small irrigation reservoir cherished by some but abused by others since it was built in the mid-60s, may get a little more respect in the next millennium. The federal Bureau of Reclamation, in cooperation with Jackson County, is calling for enhancing the 212-acre lake's natural resources while creating moderate recreation development in a 10-year resource management plan. In a draft environmental assessment (EA) of the plan, the preferred alternative calls for installing a moderate number of day-use facilities that would be developed based on user demand. It would also protect and conserve natural resources while creating interpretative sites at the lake. The management plan is needed to halt abuse such as littering and vandalism while stopping resource degradation, according to a spokeswoman for the Bureau. The lake, fed by Dry Creek, is off Highway 140 about 11 miles northeast of Medford. The goal is to upgrade Agate Lake in a fashion similar to what was done at Emigrant Lake in recent years, said Jackson County Parks Director Paul Korbulic. "The idea was to take a look at the area and find out what the potential is," Korbulic said of the EA. "The preferred alternative is actually pretty conservative, but it's good for the resource and the public." The other two alternatives are making no changes or creating maximum recreation development at the site. A public meeting to gather comments on the EA will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 9 in the Roads and Parks Auditorium, 400 Antelope Road, White City. The county signed a 50-year lease with Uncle Sam in 1968 to administer the lake for recreational activity. However, in the spring of 1995, the park was locked and gated to overnight visitors because of increased illegal activity such as trash dumping, drug use, vandalism and underage drinking. Yet the small lake has also been a favorite spot for canoers, crappie anglers and bird watchers. Agate Lake was built in 1966 by the burea to store water for the Rogue River Valley Irrigation District. The lake's warmwater fisheries are managed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; the county parks department controls recreation, and sheriff's deputies handle law enforcement. Under the preferred alternative, only 2 1/2 miles of the 10 1/2 miles of roads for off-highway vehicles around the lake would be open for use. Eight miles of those roads would be restored to their natural state. A 17,694-foot nonpaved multiple use trail closed to motorized vehicles would be built around the lake. Other projects include an on-site manager's residence, four interpretive kiosks, a dock, restrooms, a picnic site and parking areas. The bureau, which is taking the lead in the project, is expected to make a final decision on the proposal in February. An estimated cost of the proposed improvements is not yet available, according to a bureau spokeswoman. Public comments on the environmental assessment should be submitted by Dec. 27 to Robert Black (D-8580), Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Federal Center, P.O. Box 25007, Denver, CO 80225-0007. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA