Corps considering sub-lease to re-open Hulah Lake park

Management responsibilities for northern Osage County’s former Wah Sha She State Park, located at Hulah Lake, are to be formally taken over by a group of local volunteers under a sub-lease agreement being considered by the U.S. Corps of Engineers.

The agreement between Hulah Lake Osage Association and the Osage Nation would allow the group to re-open the popular facility later this spring or summer, officials for the group said.

Last year, the tribe announced that it was planning to terminate the lease-management agreement it had made with the Corps in 2012. The local volunteers responded to the announcement by organizing a non-profit group in an effort to keep the popular campsite area open. A seven-person board has been elected to lead the association.

The former state park comprises more than 250 acres that lie adjacent to a Wildlife Management Area and Waterfowl Refuge. In addition to camping sites and picnic areas, the facility has a playground, swimming beach and hiking trail. Several dozen RV hookups also are available. Located approximately 15 miles northwest of Pawhuska, the park was established in 1973.

Over the past two years, more than 30,000 people have visited the park, association officials said.