Shoals Bend Park in Forsyth is continuing to receive renovations and additions to make the area a welcoming place to the community. 

At the May Forsyth Aldermen meeting, the idea of improving Shoals Bend, located at Shoals Bend Blvd, was addressed due to the flooding at Shadowrock Park, located off of State Highway 76 under the bridge in Forsyth. 

According to Branson Tri-Lakes News archives, Forsyth Ward II Alderman Dennis Winzenried said improving Shoals Bend is important because the flooding at Shadowrock has been occurring for many years. 

“Right now the major focus is trying to get Shoals Bend Park beautified and more usable, since Shadowrock Park in the last seven years has been flooded basically May through at least September,” Winzenried said in a previous interview. “That’s the time the park gets used the most, and Shadowrock is a wonderful park until you get three, four, five, six, seven, eight feet of water in it, then it becomes a little bit impossible.”

Many locals and those who just travel down State Highway 76 can attest to the constant flooding at Shadowrock, especially this year. The aldermen have been continually working to improve Shoals Bend since the May meeting, as it becomes more and more clear that Shadowrock is going to become impossible to use as a summer family fun spot. 

For more information on the original proposed plans, see ‘Shoals Bend Park renovations taking place’ at bransontrilakesnews.com.

In the July Aldermen meeting, several more updates and additions were addressed: a new tennis court and basketball court, adding an access road from the playground to the fairgrounds, water and electric hookups for future events, landscaping, a new security camera, more lighting, a rebound board for the tennis court, new water fountains, and the finalization of the 30 by 40 foot pavilion. 

“We are putting $85,000 in the budget this coming year for the park. The last couple years we’ve talked about doing more at Shoals Bend, and it looks like every year we’re gonna lose Shadowrock. So we’re going to go ahead and bite the bullet and spend money out there,” Forsyth Ward I Alderman Jack Baker said in the July meeting. 

(Story by Addie Cantrell, Branson Tri-Lakes News)