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Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve

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Coordinates: 42°07′29″N 84°08′08″W / 42.1247256°N 84.1356345°W / 42.1247256; -84.1356345
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Watkins Lake State Park
and County Preserve
Watkins Lake from Arnold Road
Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve is located in Michigan
Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve
Location in Michigan
Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve is located in the United States
Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve
Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve (the United States)
TypeMichigan state park
LocationJackson & Washtenaw counties, Michigan, United States
Nearest cityManchester, Michigan
Coordinates42°07′29″N 84°08′08″W / 42.1247256°N 84.1356345°W / 42.1247256; -84.1356345[1]
Area1,122 acres (454 ha)
Elevation974 feet (297 m) [1]
Established2016[2]
Administered byMichigan Department of Natural Resources and Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission
WebsiteWatkins Lake State Park
and County Preserve

Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve is a combination public recreation area and nature preserve located five miles west of Manchester in Jackson and Washtenaw counties, Michigan.[3] The area occupies a total of 1,122 acres (454 ha), with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources owning 717 acres (290 ha) in Norvell Township, Jackson County, and Washtenaw County owning 405 acres (164 ha) in Manchester Township.[4] Dedicated in 2017, it is under the joint management of the Michigan DNR and the Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission.[5] A five-mile former rail corridor runs through the park and into grasslands in the eastern portion of the preserve.[4]

History

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The park bears the name of Royal and Sally Carpenter Watkins, the first settlers to farm the area, who are known to have participated in the Underground Railroad in the years leading up to the Civil War. In 2016, the state acquired a portion of their former lands in Norvell Township using $2.9 million from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund. The Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission purchased 405 acres from property owner Gary Trolz in 2015; Trolz subsequently sold an adjoining 717 acres to the MDNR in 2016, which opened the way to the creation the park and preserve.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Watkins Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ "When were Michigan state parks and recreation areas established?" (PDF). Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  3. ^ "Watkins Lake State Park". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Watkins Lake State Park & County Preserve". Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  5. ^ Swanson, Sara (October 31, 2016). "Watkins Lake State Park & County Preserve dedicated in ribbon-cutting ceremony". The Manchester Mirror. Manchester, Michigan. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  6. ^ "General Management Plan: Watkins Lake State Park & County Preserve" (PDF). Michigan Department of Natural Resources. 2018. p. 51. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
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