Atchison County Lake to host family celebration, reopen spillway access

Atchison County Lake drew families Saturday as the Lake Committee used a midday celebration to present the lake as a place for walking, gathering and summer recreation again. The event ran from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 4764 326th Rd. in Horton, and it included a ribbon-cutting for the reopening of the spillway for pedestrian access.

The celebration came as county leaders continue to push the lake beyond a maintenance project and toward regular public use. The Atchison County Board of County Commissioners authorized the Atchison County Lake Committee to oversee the lake beginning in January 2026, and the county says the committee will roll out improvements in phases under a long-term strategic plan. The message behind Saturday’s event was clear: the lake is meant to be a shared county asset, not just a property managed behind the scenes.

That broader plan is already visible in several places around the lake. Phase one of new walking trails is complete, and a disc golf course is being installed in phases. Work is also underway on spillway improvements, east pillar repairs and restoration at the old ball field site, where county officials have said an apple orchard is planned. Commissioners are also weighing mowing options through a bid process and discussing trail cameras for security, signs that day-to-day upkeep and public access are being built into the lake’s next chapter.

The push to reopen and improve the site has been shaped by public debate over the lake’s future. In April 2025, dozens of residents urged county commissioners not to sell Atchison County Lake, citing its New Deal-era origins, the public value of recreation and concerns about spillway safety. A history video created to highlight the lake’s history, wildlife and people was part of that effort to keep the property in county hands.

A related fundraising effort through the Friends of the Atchison County Lake Fund and the Atchison Foundation has also been tied to preserving and improving the lake, with future amenities such as RV camping spots among the goals. Saturday’s celebration was more than a ribbon-cutting: it was a public sign that Atchison County is trying to turn the lake into a place residents use more often, and a place they continue to claim as their own.