Staff photo by Fritz Busch Brown County commissioners unanimously approved the purchase of swimming area buoys, rope, and rope floats for the Mound Creek Park swimming area Tuesday. The $2,166.52 purchase will be paid for mostly with a Fiscal Year 2025 Federal Boat and Water Supplementary Equipment Grant. The county cost is less than $25 due to the price increases since the grant was applied for.

NEW ULM — As Mound Creek County Park opening day approaches, Brown County commissioners authorized the purchase of swimming area buoys, rope and rope floats Tuesday.

The $2,166.52 purchase includes three buoys, 500 feet of poly rope and 48 rope floats to mark out the park swimming area. Most of the cost will be paid for with a Fiscal Year 2025 Federal Boat and Water Supplemental Equipment Grant.

The Brown County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for any additional cost not covered by remaining grant funds, said to be less than $25 due to price increases since the grant was applied for.

Brown County Sheriff Jason Seidl said signs mark swimming area drop-offs but that the equipment purchase was made for added safety.

Swimming area gear approval came on a motion by Commissioner Brian Braun, seconded by Jeff Veerkamp.

Two drowning deaths have happened at the park within the last decade.

Last May, a 15-year-old Mountain Lake male drowned while swimming with friends at the county park.

In July 2016, a 23-year-old male exchange student from Saudi Arabia drowned while swimming with friends at the park.

The park opens for day use, 8 a.m. to sunset, Tuesday, April 15 through Wednesday, Oct. 15.

Park amenities include swimming, fishing, picnic and open play areas, a picnic shelter, charcoal grills, restrooms, handicap accessibility, a nine-hole disc golf course, historic site information, waterfall, hiking trail, boat launch and sand.

The park is adjacent to Cottonwood County’s Red Rock County Park, two miles from the Jeffers Petroglyphs historic site in southwestern Brown County.

For more information, visit https://www.browncounty.mn.gov/490/Mound-Creek Park.