Revitalized Missouri Marina Emphasizes Conservation

After decades of use, the Fellows Lake Marina near Springfield, Missouri, will be getting a complete renovation and a new manager as well.

Fellows Lake is a man-made, 860-acre source of water for the city of Springfield, Missouri. The lake and the facilities along it, including the marina, are owned by City Utilities. “Previously, the marina had been leased to an operator, but with plans for a new marina and a new master plan for the park there, they’ve elected to go a new route,” said Mike Kromey, executive director of the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks.

The rebuilt Fellows Lake marina will have the same footprint as the existing one, which was first built about 60 years ago. It will feature metal frame floating docks with concrete decking, metal roofing over most of the docks, and a pavilion area that is covered with a sailcloth roof. The marina will offer 28 slips designed to accommodate small boats up to 40-horsepower, with some slips reserved for rental pontoons and fishing boats and the remainder for annual leases.

The new docks will look a little different than their previous incarnation. “One significant change is that the marina will be accessible to everyone; it was not before,” Kromey explained. “There was previously an office on the marina’s docks, but now the office will be in a partitioned section of another building on the site.” The slips will now be compatible with boat lifts as well.

The biggest change will be the different approach to marina management taken by the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks. The non-profit’s mission is to “sustain and improve the water resources of Springfield and Greene County through education and effective management of the region’s watersheds,” according to the organization’s website.

“We’re going to be providing marina services to the public, but also focusing more on education and conservation information,” explained Kromey. The Watershed Committee will also manage the adjacent 20-acre recreational area, Millers Park.

The new marina should be in place and ready for boaters by March 1, 2021.