CONNEAUT LAKE — Despite recent events that have severely hampered the future of Conneaut Lake Park, the historic, 116-year-old amusement park could still see more activity this summer than it did a year ago.

None of the park’s rides will be open anytime soon, but several facilities that were open in the middle of the 2007 season — the Beach Club bar, Camperland campground and boat docks — should all be back in business in 2008, members of the Trustees of Conneaut Lake Park are predicting.

A devastating February fire leveled the park’s Dreamland Ballroom and some nearby Midway booths; and in early April, a wall collapsed at the former bowling alley (later housing the Funhouse and some other attractions). But those losses haven’t halted the Trustees from getting parts of the park ready.

Work to upgrade the park’s aging water system is a complex issue that is getting plenty of attention and could be a key to future efforts.

Following is an update on some key elements of the park and its neighbor, Snow Waters Harbor Village and Golf Course.

Park water system

Park officials have lost the help of Jeff Davenport, president of Lake Properties Holdings LLC, which is constructing Snow Waters and wanted to tap into the refurbished water system. Davenport had been helping with plans to construct a building for a new water treatment plant, and Trustees now must come up with a new plan for that work.

The arsenic level in the park’s water supply is no higher than it has ever been, but federal guidelines about the amount of arsenic in water were lowered several years ago and the arsenic level in the park’s supply was determined to be too high.

A federal grant of approximately $500,000 was received to do the rest of the work for improving the system.

“We are looking at alternatives for the water system,” said Jack Moyers, chairman of the Trustees of Conneaut Lake Park. Moyers said the Trustees are working to hold onto the grant for the system.

Brad Vanderhoof of the Northwest Regional Office of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources said the EPA project “is still in the works,” but had no recent update on the status.

Camperland

Camperland, a recreational vehicle campground across Route 618 from Conneaut Lake Park, will officially open May 1. The area has electrical service as well as water and sewer and is ready for campers. “We will be doing some cleanup work,” said Moyers, but that won’t delay the opening.