City and County Join Forces on Lake Cooper Improvements

The City of Olney and Young County are preparing to combine equipment, employees and training opportunities as part of a larger effort to improve Lake Cooper and develop it as a regional fishing and recreation destination.

The Olney City Council unanimously approved an interlocal agreement Sept. 14 that will allow the County to use equipment for training on City-owned or City-controlled property. Young County commissioners still must consider the agreement, which County Judge Win Graham and Precinct 3 Commissioner Alan Craig helped develop.

The first planned activity is dozer training for County road crews at Lake Cooper. County employees would gain experience operating the dozer to support county fire crews while helping prepare and level portions of the lakeside property. The work could establish parking and usable recreation areas as officials develop a master plan for the site.

Mayor Rue Rogers said the agreement was deliberately written broadly so the two governments would not have to negotiate a new agreement for every cooperative project. City officials said the County also has road-repair and compaction equipment that could be used for limited street, alley, and infrastructure work while providing on-the-job training for both workforces.

The Council also amended the OEDC’s 2025-26 budget to authorize up to $9,999.99 for the Lake Cooper project. Officials initially discussed an $18,250 proposal for survey and planning work, but questions arose about state public- notice requirements for economic- development projects costing more than $10,000.

Officials said projects above that threshold generally require notice and a 60-day waiting period before funds are spent. The Council limited the current-year amendment, so preliminary work could proceed while the remainder is placed in the fiscal year 2026-27 budget and the notice process is completed.

The dozer training will produce a clearer footprint for the lakeside tract and show where parking, recreation facilities and other improvements could fit, Olney Economic Development Corporation executive director Tom Parker said. He told the City Council that the plan would provide a foundation for public improvements, grants or possible private development.

The partnership builds on fish-habitat work already underway with Texas Parks and Wildlife and Olney High School students. Three fish-spawning beds were installed recently, with three more planned. Students helped move gravel and other materials into boats and learned how habitat structures can support sunfish, crappie and largemouth bass.

Texas Parks and Wildlife has also directed the OEDC toward possible grants for docks and additional habitat. Mr. Parker said the long-term goal is to turn Lake Cooper into a stronger fishery that draws residents and visiting anglers.