Outreach for Clearwater Beach/Noblett Lakes Recreation Area Proposed Structure Removal

The Mark Twin National Forest (MTNF) is currently seeking proposals from the public and those who may have a demonstrated interest in the Clearwater Beach/Noblett Lake Recreation Area site located on the shores of Noblett Lake on the Willow Springs Unit in Douglas County, Missouri. This Civilian Conservation Corps-built property is currently operated as a recreation site by the MTNF (Forest Service) and was determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.

A MTNF Five-Year Recreation Facility Strategy has been developed as a framework to move the recreation program towards sustainability while improving visitor experiences. The Five-Year Recreation Facility Strategy was most recently updated February 10, 2021. As part of this plan, the Forest has identified two unused structures at Clearwater Beach as being non-mission critical, and therefore suitable candidates for alternative use or decommissioning: the former Pumphouse and the Comfort Station 

In accordance with Stipulation II (B) of the Programmatic Agreement Among the Mark Twin National Forest, Missouri State Historic Preservation Officer, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation for the Realignment of Historic Properties on the Mark Twain National Forest, the agency is considering all comments and feasible proposals for alternative use prior to making a final management decision. Potential alternative uses for the two buildings may include, but are not limited to, full restoration and adaptive reuse, stabilization, relocation, or material salvage.

If you have a demonstrated interest in the future of these two structures and the site as a whole and have a proposal for the agency to consider, please reach out to James Halpern, Shared Service Archeologist, Mark Twain National Forest, at james.halpern@usda.gov by close of business on January 15, 2025.