Discover Beaver Lake State Park

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1 Country KEM KEM Electric Cooperative, Linton, N.D. LINES MAY 2013 Discover Beaver Lake State Park Learn more about this local treasure inside MAY 2013 IN THIS ISSUE Attend your annual meeting! Safety for all ages Board highlights And more KEM ELECTRIC NEWS, MAY 2013 C1

2 Discover Beaver Lake State Park PHOTOS AND GRAPHICS COURTESY N.D. PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT L Park Manager James Loken says the number of campers visiting Beaver Lake State Park has increased significantly. C2 M AY , K E M E LEC TRIC NEWS ocated on the west shore of Beaver Lake, Beaver Lake State Park s gently rolling prairie provides scenic views for leisurely walks. In the summer, the lake attracts visitors for boating, canoeing, water skiing and fishing. The park, which is served by KEM Electric Cooperative 17 miles southeast of Napoleon, has a colorful and historic background relating to the early settlers of Logan, McIntosh and Emmons counties. The first organized gathering to promote a state park occurred July 14, 1929, at Shepherd s Pavilion, south of the present park site. In August 1930, the land for the park was purchased. Park improvements came slowly during the drought and depression of the 1930s. Beaver Creek was dammed in 1933, raising the level of the lake. In 1935, a Works Progress Administration (WPA) crew was assigned to the park to build roads and pathways, construct an earthen dock, and to terrace the picnic area. Beaver Lake State Park, which celebrated its 80th anniversary last year, is the second oldest state park in North Dakota, according to Park Manager James Loken. Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park near Mandan is the state s oldest park. Today, Beaver Lake State Park is staffed year-round, with camping, picnicking and water-based activities available from mid-may through the end of September. While Beaver Lake State Park is one of the state s smaller parks, it includes all the activities and amenities of

3 park directly at Camping cabins Beaver Lake State Park has three cabins available for rent. These camping cabins each sleep five, bunkbed-style, and each includes a loft area. Each is equipped with lights, heat, fan and a deck. No cooking is allowed inside, but a grill and picnic table are located outside of each cabin. The cabins do include a refrigerator and microwave. The cabins do not have showers, sinks or toilets, but most are within a short walk to a campground comfort station. Camping cabins are generally available from the weekend before Memorial Day weekend to the end of October. Check with the park for possible off-season availability. Two small picnic shelters, each equipped with six picnic tables, may be reserved in advance, also. Three cabins with bunkbeds and lofts are available for rent at Beaver Lake State Park. other North Dakota parks, Loken points out. Visitation to Beaver Lake State Park is estimated at 18,000 to 19,000 each year, and the number of campers has increased dramatically in recent years, Loken says. Park improvements began to attract more campers, but flooding in Bismarck drew even more campers in 2011, Loken says. Many of those campers returned last year, bumping camping numbers from approximately 300 to more than 1,000 in the last four years. That s a trend nearly all of North Dakota s state parks have witnessed, Loken says. There has been record attendance at all state parks, he says. People are wanting to have more connections with their families. People are looking for a place to get away and have peace and quiet and fish and enjoy nature. Fishing at Beaver Lake State Park is good until mid- to late-july when the shallow lake warms up, Loken says. But in early summer, northern pike and perch fishing draws fishing enthusiasts to the park. The park has also improved its amphitheater area and holds nature-based programs there each Friday and Saturday night. The park includes 33 modern campsites with electricity, which includes sites at three group camping sites. Campsite and cabin reservations may be made online at or by calling the 24-hour Call Center at Shelter and meeting facility reservations can be made by calling the Enjoy nature This 283-acre prairie park is managed as a natural and scenic area. It is listed in the Bird Watchers Guide Book as an area in North Dakota for bird watching. Species found in the park include grebes, pelicans, cormorants, whistling swans, hawks, herons, bitterns, sandpipers, gulls, terns, kingbirds, warblers and goldfinches. In the spring and fall, migratory birds pass through the park. Fox, coyote, deer and smaller animals can be sighted. The wooded lakeshore supports boxelder, chokecherry, hawthorne and Juneberry. Trails Beaver Lake State Park s non-motorized trail system covers 5.34 miles in a series of loops and several connecting segment trails that are open for hiking and biking. The Beaver Lake Nature Trail is a self-guided nature trail open to hiking, biking or running only. Most of the trail system surface is either grass, dirt or hard-packed single-track, with manageable grades with only a few steeper sections. Motorized vehicles and horses are not allowed on the trails, Loken shares. Beaver Lake Nature Trail: This is a 0.32-mile loop trail (continued on C4) 283 acres Campground Electrical hookups Reservations RV dump station Showers Amenities Sleeping cabins Boat ramp Swim beach Fishing Playground Picnic shelters Contact th St. S.E. Wishek, ND Phone: blsp@nd.gov KEM ELECTRIC NEWS, MAY 2013 C3

4 (continued from C3) designated for hiking only. This self-guided interpretive trail begins and ends at the swimming area. The nature trail winds through woodlands, skirts the lake shoreline and meanders through the rolling prairie. A trail guide is available that interprets area geology, wildlife, vegetation and ecology. The trail guide is available at the trailhead, park headquarters and the entrance station. Old Settlers Trails: A 0.49-mile trail segment open to bikers and hikers. It starts just south of the amphitheater and winds its way along the lake shoreline, passing the tent campground, park cabins, picnic area and shelters, coming to an end just north of the park entrance. The trail provides scenic overlooks of the lake. The stone cairn bearing an inscription naming the park founders and park dedication date of July 24, 1932, can be seen from the trail. In addition, from the trail one can glimpse the old stone cabin, which was used by the park caretaker as a residence. Woodland Trail: A 0.67-mile trail starting south of the west campground comfort station. The biking-hiking trail meanders in and out of grasslands and woodland areas providing habitat for a variety of bird species. Common summer bird species to look for include kingbirds, meadowlarks, woodpeckers, chickadees and yellow warblers. Moraine Loop Trail: This is the park s longest trail at 2.28 miles open to hiking and biking. It starts at the entrance road looping through native prairie then meets the Lake View Trail at a signed junction. Hikers can easily see the shape of the landscape carved out by the glacier as they travel up and over the rocky moraine. The trail offers some excellent views of Beaver Lake and offers good bird and butterfly watching opportunities. Lake View Loop Trail: The short 0.36 mile trail is located between the Moraine Loop and Rolling Prairie Loop in the southern portion of the park. Access can only be gained by traveling along the Morraine Loop. A short 0.09-mile trail segment provides a link from the Lake View Trail to the southernmost, secluded Rolling Prairie Loop Trail. The trail skirts several green ash-american elm woody draws that provide important food and cover for game and non-game species such as birds, beaver, raccoons, rabbits, deer and squirrels. Rolling Prairie Loop Trail: This 1.02-mile biking-hiking trail explores rolling prairie and wooded ravines in the most secluded area of the park. The scenic trail displays an array of prairie wildflowers and native grasses. Prairie wildflowers include Missouri goldenrod, scarlet gaura, silver scurfpea, vetch, white milkwort, yellow coneflower, and leadplant. Common prairie grasses include western wheatgrass, big bluestem, little bluestem, green needle grass, needle-andthread grass, porcupine grass and prairie June grass. C4 MAY 2013, KEM ELECTRIC NEWS

5 Attend YOUR annual meeting! KEM Electric Cooperative 2013 annual meeting June 20, 2013 Linton High School Learn more about your cooperative, elect directors and enjoy the evening! Watch for more details in the June KEM Electric Cooperative pages in North Dakota Living, which will include the cooperative s annual report. We ll see you there! KEM ELECTRIC KEM ELECTRIC NEWS, MAY 2013 C5

6 Safety for all ages May is National Electrical Safety Month, and KEM Electric Cooperative wants you to be aware of potential home electrical hazards and the importance of electrical safety. This year s campaign theme is Electrical Safety for All Ages, so your local electric cooperative offers these tips for both adults and children: Keep your family safe We often take electricity for granted, but using electricity safely is important every day. Take a few minutes to review these tips to help keep your family safe: Outdoors Never approach or touch a fallen overhead power line. Even if a power line is on the ground, it may still be energized. Report any fallen electrical lines immediately. Look up. Be aware of overhead power lines. Always look up and notice the location of power lines when working with ladders or doing any home improvement projects. Before doing any digging, call North Dakota One Call at 811. Numerous utility lines may be buried on your property, ranging from electric and telephone lines to water and sewer lines, but North Dakota One Call will help you locate these lines before your project begins. Indoors Never repair electrical cords or equipment yourself. Have a qualified electrician inspect electrical equipment that has gotten wet before energizing it. When you cook, never leave the kitchen while the burner is being used. Keep children away from hot stoves. Be sure to have working smoke alarms installed in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. Test smoke alarms each month. Change batteries at least once a year. When moving large farm equipment, know the height of all the farm equipment and surrounding power lines. Stay at least 10 feet away from power lines. C6 MAY 2013, KEM ELECTRIC NEWS

7 Hey Hey,, kids! kids! Play it safe around electricity To play it safe around your home, remember the rules for using electricity the right way. DON T plug a bunch of stuff into one outlet or extension cord. It could damage the electrical system in your house or even cause a fire. Make sure all electric cords are out of walking areas, neat and tidy. Pets might chew on electrical cords, and people might trip and fall. DON T yank an electrical cord from the wall. Pulling on a cord can damage the appliance, the plug or the outlet. Fly your kite far away from power lines or substations. The kite and the string may conduct electricity sending it right through you to the ground. Ask an adult for help when you need to use something that uses electricity. DO look up and look out for power lines before you climb a tree. The electricity can go right through the tree branch and right through you! Have an adult put safety caps on all unused electrical outlets. Remind your mom or dad to watch out for power lines when they re using a ladder, chainsaw or other outdoor equipment. Keep electrical stuff far away from water. Most electrical accidents around the house happen when people use electricity near water. KEM ELECTRIC DON T ever climb the fence around an electrical substation. If a ball or pet gets inside the fence, ask an adult to call the electric cooperative - they ll come and get it out for you. KEM ELEC TRIC NEWS, MAY C7

8 KEM Electric Cooperative Board meeting highlights March 26, 2013 Reviewed report from the Voucher Review Committee Approved one capital credit estate retirement Motion made and approved for membership to Western States Power Corporation THE MARATHON WATER HEATER will be the last water heater you ll ever buy! Condolences to Dart familyy The employees and board of directors at KEM Electric wish to convey our sincere condolences to Luann Dart, concerning the recent loss of her spouse, Sam. Luann does writing and photography for the KEM Electric local pages in North Dakota Living. Luann and her son, Sammy, a seventh grader, continue to reside in Elgin. FEATURES: Polybutene tank that is guaranteed not to leak, rust or corrode for as long as you own your home. One of the most efficient water heaters on the market. To save money, ask about placing your Marathon water heater on one of KEM Electric Cooperative s load-management programs. Call KEM Electric Cooperative KEM ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE INC. DIRECTORS: Dean Dewald, Chairman...Steele Milton Brandner, Vice Chairman...Zeeland Carter Vander Wal, Sec.-Treas.... Pollock Carmen Essig, Director...Lehr John Beck, Director...Linton Dean Hummel, Director... Hague Victor Wald, Director...Napoleon BREAKER. BREAKER. MONEY-SAVER! If the breaker on your sub-metered service is off, YOU RE LOSING MONEY! If you have electric heat, storage water heating or a grain dryer sub-meter and the electric breaker that controls them is in the OFF position, you are not receiving any reduced off-peak rates. In effect, you re losing the addi tional savings available from having the unit! In order to properly record the electricity usage and apply the appropriate rate to the service received through these sub-metered services, the elec tric breaker control must remain ON at all times. Make sure your electric breaker is ON, today. Your bill will thank you. CALL TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION or visit our website: MANAGEMENT: Don Franklund & Chris Baumgartner... Co-Managers Roberta Nagel...Offi ce Manager Bair Law Firm, Atty.... Mandan HDR Engineers Inc., Consulting Engr....Bismarck Report outages to the following toll-free number: Hazelton, Linton and Strasburg exchanges phone number: OFFICE HOURS: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Website: kemelectric.com address: kem@kemelectric.com C8 MAY 2013, KEM ELECTRIC NEWS