ASHLAND, Neb. (KMTV) — A $2.7 million renovation at Carol Joy Holling Camp in Ashland has restored its lake just in time for summer camp sessions to begin on May 31.
Over the last 10 years, the lake's condition deteriorated. In October, crews drained the water and removed sediment that had built up at the bottom over time.
"It actually smells like a lake now and not raw sewage," Nebraska Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Director of Programs Korey Breutzmann joked during the ribbon cutting.
The Ashland community celebrated the brand new look with a ribbon cutting before summer camps start. With brand new paddleboats, ziplines, and more room overall, the camp will now be able to add hours of programming on the water for campers this summer.
"To have this project be reclaimed and to get this lake back to what we know its full potential is will only open up who we're able to serve," Nebraska Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Executive Director Jason Gerdes said.
I walked down memory lane with Ashland Mayor Jim Anderson, who remembers grilling hotdogs and marshmallows around Ashland as a Cub Scout. Anderson hopes this can give kids today similar outdoor experiences.
It is not just the water that is going to be as clear as it first was in the 1980s. The trails around the lake were also renovated.
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