Federal officials are proposing significant rehabilitation at the Dewdrop Recreation Area.

Located along Longhouse Scenic Drive about 4 miles south of the intersection with Route 59, the campground was developed in the 1960s in the wake of the installation of the Kinzua Dam.

That means some of the main facilities at the site are now in excess of 50 years old.

A statement from the ANF says that a recreation site analysis resulted in “many comments requesting updated facilities and a desire for updated water utilities such as showers” at Dewdrop.

And federal officials are listening.

A scoping document for the project estimates the financial cost of deferred maintenance needs at the site at $1.8 million.

“The proposal is to update or replace four buildings and the boat launch,” Public Affairs Officer Chrstopher Leeser said in a statement.

The campground is split into two loops with a total of 74 sites.

“The restroom building near campsite 54 in the northern loop will be updated to meet universal accessibility standards, replace fixtures, and other aesthetic updates,” Leeser explained.

A restroom closest to the “water view sites” will be demolished and replaced with a shower house building as will the southern loop restroom near site 14.

The northern loop shower house will either be converted into a cabin or demolished.

That scoping document indicates that Dewdrop generated nearly $100,000 in 2021 and has seen an increase in visitors from 4,822 in 2019 to 6,334 in 2020 and 6,411 in 2021.

The project is open for public comment by mail, email or phone until July 22.