County and APS close Cholla Lake

With disappointment, Navajo County Parks, Recreation and Fair Manager Sam Pogue announced that Cholla Lake is permanently closed to the public.

The decision was announced to the Navajo County Board of Supervisors last week, after two years of negotiations to keep the park open.

“Spending millions of dollars to keep the operating permit to be able to keep it open is just not economically feasible,” Pogue said.

According to Pogue, new legislation at the state and federal levels would require up to $5.5 million in improvements and treatments at the lake in order to remain open. Navajo County and Arizona Public Service (APS) officials negotiated with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) to reach a solution, but were not able to reach an agreement that was economically viable.

“Navajo County Parks is saddened by this loss, and the effort to save the park is appreciated,” Pogue remarked. “We’re going to try and find an alternate source for our community to go out and enjoy. That’s our commitment.”

Pogue noted that APS worked hand-in-hand with Navajo County to try and keep the park open, spending considerable time and money searching for a solution.

APS Communications Representative Michelle Stewart explained, “When it came time to renew the operating permit we made a business decision to evaluate the entire situation. Because of that evaluation, we determined that to keep the lake open as a recreational facility was no longer feasible because of the cost.”

Stewart noted that escalating operating costs were a factor in the decision.

Built in 1961, Cholla Lake has served as a recreation area since 1962 through a partnership between APS and Navajo County. Residents and visitors have enjoyed using the lake for boating, fishing and family gatherings.

“It’s been a two-year process of looking for a solution that just wasn’t there,” said Pogue. “The economics beat us up.”

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