The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Wyoming Report

October 22, 2009

Horse Creek Lake remains lightly used, officials say

By Mary Catherine Brooks

Sitting just off state Rt. 97, on Park and Forest Rt. 816, Horse Creek Lake today merely hints at what the facility once was.

Built in 1955 during the administration of Gov. William Marland, Horse Creek Lake was a large impoundment that boasted a variety of recreational activities. Marland, who was the Glen Rogers High School Class of 1935’s valedictorian, is the only governor from Wyoming County. The impoundment was known as Marland Lake for a time.

“It used to be really nice,” recalled Oliver Stewart, who grew up in the Baileysville area and currently serves as the state Division of Highways’ county supervisor.

“There used to be a little store where you could buy pop and stuff, and they sold minnows and worms if you wanted to fish.

“The Boy Scouts camped there a lot. There were several camp sites and lots of places where you could barbecue,” Stewart remembered.

“There was also a place where they sold rides. The guy had several paddle boats you could rent,” Stewart said.

“They hauled in sand to make a small beach; it was about half the size of a football field.

“There were volleyball nets.

“It was a nice place. A lot of families went there.

“I went there a lot with the Scouts,” Stewart noted.

The lake was formed by construction of a dam across Horse Creek, a short distance above its junction with the Guyandotte River, according to historians, and was used by hundreds of people during the summers for camping, picnicking, boating, and swimming.

After Stewart returned from a stint in the U.S. Air Force in 1975, the facilities had changed drastically.

“By the time I came back, the lake was silted in. You could still fish, but everything else was gone,” Stewart said.

There are still remnants of the stone campsites, he said.

Today, the area is leased by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and actually owned by a corporation, according to officials.

The oversized pond has a maximum depth of 20 feet in places, but the average is 10 feet, according to officials.

The DNR stocks the recreational pond four times a year — once each month February through May — with trout and bass, and once annually with catfish, according to DNR officials.

Live minnows can no longer be used as bait, according to DNR regulations.

Other than when the water is stocked, the facility is “lightly used,” officials said.

The surrounding wildlife management area encompasses 48 acres and includes area wildlife such as deer, raccoons, and squirrels.

Through the years, several agencies and county organizations have worked to keep the area clean of debris as well as make other improvements to keep the small lake useable and accessible.

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