Shelby County Community Services
Making Lake Shelbyville Accessible to Everybody

Dam West Beach Playground – Barrier free design.

Opossum Creek Recreation Area Fishing Pier – Rebuilt using recycled plastic wood lumber and designed for people with disabilities.

Lake: Lake Shelbyville, IL

Partners: USACE; Shelby County Community Services Corporate Board

Partnership Type: Challenge Partnership Agreement

Corps POC: Andrea L. Lewis, Operations Manager, Lake Shelbyville

Story: When Lake Shelbyville was constructed more than 30 years ago, the standards for accessibility were not the same as they are today. By creating a partnership with the Shelbyville County Community Services Corporate Board, several projects have been completed that have opened up recreational opportunities for people with disabilities. Two different types of beach mats have been placed at different times on the sand portion of the Dam West Beach, the largest public beach on the lake, at a total cost of about $8,000. People with disabilities can now access the water from the parking lots. Another project allowed for the purchase of more than $17,000 in playground equipment and surfacing materials to provide a totally barrier-free play area at the Dam West Beach. The most recent project included the donation of $7,500 toward the de-silting of the Opossum Creek Pond and $4,605 for materials to renovate the existing barrier-free fishing pier at the Opossum Creek Recreation Area.