New Management | Meade County now in control of Otter Creek Campground in Brandenburg

BRANDENBURG, Ky. (WDRB) -- It's now official: Meade County is in charge of the day-to-day operations of the Otter Creek campground.

Previously the park was run by Louisville Metro Government before it was turned over to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife officially in 2014.

The state and Meade County reached a no-cost, five-year lease agreement to turn over the management of the grounds.

The county will only manage the campground area at Otter Creek. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife will maintain control of the rest of the park.

"It is a sought after spot, and a lot of people have a lot of memories," Meade County Judge executive Troy Kok said.

Officials said there are several upgrades in the works, including newly installed Wi-Fi and the ability to reserve the park online.

Camp manager Zachary Butler said the new system "should prevent, if not drastically reduce, any chance of double booking spots. If there’s an issue with a spot that’s already been reserved, you can get a notification saying that something happened in this spot and we can accommodate from there."

However, there is much work to do before the reopening April 1.

"We’re going to start beginning the clearing of some of these downed trees and limbs, get that taken care of, and get the place cleaned up," Butler mentioned.

It's a move meant to improve the Otter Creek Camping experience. The county believes it can generate a slim profit from assuming the managerial role, which will be reinvested into the campground.

"What our goal is, is to make that experience better," Judge Kok said. "There’s a lot of pride that we’re putting into this because it is so important to our heritage."

The county is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the reopening of Otter Creek on March 28. The grounds will be open for campers beginning April 1.

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