Roland Cooper State Park

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Roland Cooper State Park
Alabama State Park
Country United States
State Alabama
County Wilcox
Elevation 79 ft (24 m) [1]
Coordinates 32°03′26″N87°14′57″W / 32.05722°N 87.24917°W / 32.05722; -87.24917 Coordinates: 32°03′26″N87°14′57″W / 32.05722°N 87.24917°W / 32.05722; -87.24917   [1]
Area 236 acres (96 ha)
Established 1969
Management Private
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Location in Alabama
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Roland Cooper State Park (the US)
Website: Roland Cooper State Park

Roland Cooper State Park is a state-owned, contractor-operated public recreation area located six miles north of Camden, Alabama, on the eastern shore of Dannelly Reservoir, a 22,000-acre (8,900 ha) impoundment of the Alabama River known locally as the Millers Ferry Reservoir. [2] [3]

Camden, Alabama City in Alabama, United States

Camden is a city in and the county seat of Wilcox County, Alabama, United States. The population was 2,020 at the 2010 census, down from 2,257 in 2000, at which time it was a town.

William "Bill" Dannelly Reservoir

The William "Bill" Dannelly Reservoir is a reservoir created by Millers Ferry Lock and Dam on the Alabama River in Dallas County and Wilcox County in Alabama. It covers 27 square miles (70 km2) and has approximately 500 miles (800 km) of shoreline. It was named for William "Bill" Dannelly, a former Wilcox County probate judge credited with leading the modernization of the Alabama and Coosa Rivers.

Alabama River river in the United States of America

The Alabama River, in the U.S. state of Alabama, is formed by the Tallapoosa and Coosa rivers, which unite about 6 miles (10 km) north of Montgomery, near the suburb of Wetumpka.

Contents

History

The 236-acre (96 ha) state park opened as Bridgeport State Park on land leased from the Army Corps of Engineers following the construction of Miller's Ferry Lock and Dam in 1969. The park was renamed for state senator William Roland Cooper in the 1970s. [4] It was one of several Alabama state parks that were closed or saw curtailment of services in 2015 following state budget cuts. [5] [6] The park re-opened in September 2016 under a management agreement with a private contracting company. [7]

State park protected area managed at the federated state level

State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational potential. There are state parks under the administration of the government of each U.S. state, some of the Mexican states, and in Brazil. The term is also used in the Australian state of Victoria. The equivalent term used in Canada, Argentina, South Africa and Belgium, is provincial park. Similar systems of local government maintained parks exist in other countries, but the terminology varies.

United States Army Corps of Engineers federal agency under the Department of Defense and a major Army command

The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is a U.S. federal agency under the Department of Defense and a major Army command made up of some 37,000 civilian and military personnel, making it one of the world's largest public engineering, design, and construction management agencies. Although generally associated with dams, canals and flood protection in the United States, USACE is involved in a wide range of public works throughout the world. The Corps of Engineers provides outdoor recreation opportunities to the public, and provides 24% of U.S. hydropower capacity.

Activities and amenities

The park features cottages, campground, fishing, and boating facilities. [8]

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The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) is the state agency responsible for the conservation and management of Alabama's natural resources including state parks, state lands, wildlife and aquatic resources. ADCNR also issues hunting and fishing licenses for the state. The department promotes wise stewardship and enjoyment of the state's natural resources through five divisions: Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. Supporting those divisions are seven support sections: Accounting, Diversity and Recruiting, Engineering, Information and Education, Information Technology, Legal, and Personnel and Payroll.

References

  1. 1 2 "Roland Cooper State Park". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey.
  2. "Roland Cooper State Park". Alabama State Parks. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  3. "Millers Ferry Reservoir". Outdoor Alabama. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on January 7, 2006. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  4. Ress, Thomas V. (August 13, 2010). "Roland Cooper State Park". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Alabama Humanities Foundation. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  5. Gattis, Paul (September 30, 2015). "5 Alabama state parks set to close". AL.com. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  6. Moseley, Brandon (December 26, 2015). "State to shut down Outdoor Alabama magazine". Alabama Political Reporter. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  7. WSFA 12 News Staff (August 3, 2016). "Another of Alabama's closed state parks set to reopen". 12 WSFA. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  8. "Fishing: Roland Cooper State Park". Alabama State Parks. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved January 12, 2016.