Carters Lake is demonstrating the value of innovative recreation partnerships through the first recreation season of the Challenge Cost Sharing Cooperative Management Agreement (CCSCMA) with FIND Outdoors, a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting people with the outdoors. FIND Outdoors’ mission is to inspire people to connect with nature through well-managed outdoor recreation sites, campgrounds, visitor centers, guided tours, and educational opportunities for all ages and abilities. This shared mission is now being applied across the CCSCMA parks at Carters Lake, and early implementation is already providing valuable lessons for the broader USACE recreation program. The CCSCMA officially began implementation in
March, and the 2026 recreation season is now fully underway. Doll Mountain Campground opened April 15, to be followed by Woodring Branch Campground and Harris Branch Beach opening May 18. These openings reflect a well-coordinated transition that maintained uninterrupted public access while shifting to a new operating model focused on longterm sustainability and improved visitor services.
From the outset, the focus has been on continuity for the public, stability for operations, and positioning the parks for enhanced performance over time.
For the first operational season, FIND Outdoors is responsible for many of the day-to-day visitor service functions that directly shape the recreation experience.
These responsibilities include:
- Cleaning and restroom servicing
- Mowing and grounds care
- Landscaping and beautification
- Trash removal
- Gatehouse staffing and customer service
At the same time, USACE continues to provide maintenance support, infrastructure oversight, and facility repairs. This balanced approach allows each organization to focus on its strengths while ensuring high-quality park operations and continued stewardship of federal assets.
A major strength of the CCSCMA at Carters Lake is the structured Partner Operations Plan (POP), which uses a three-tier system designed to increase FIND Outdoors’ responsibilities as revenues grow over time.
This scalable model creates a clear path for expanded partner involvement while maintaining accountability and aligning operational growth with financial performance. As revenues increase, additional responsibilities and services can transition to the partner in a measured and sustainable manner.
This tiered structure benefits both USACE and the public by:
- Matching service levels with available revenue
- Encouraging operational efficiency
- Allowing gradual expansion without overcommitting resources
- Creating long-term sustainability for recreation areas
- Building a repeatable model for other projects to consider
A key strength of the CCSCMA model is its clear financial structure: 100% of revenues generated from CCSCMA recreation areas remain at Carters Lake and are reinvested directly back into those same parks.
This approach ensures that every campground reservation, day-use fee, and recreation transaction directly supports the facilities and visitor experiences that generate them. It creates a direct and transparent link between public use and on-the-ground improvements, strengthening both accountability and reinvestment in the recreation program.
A major early success has been the smooth integration of FIND Outdoors into Recreation.gov. The transition occurred without disruption to visitors, with no loss of access, no operational confusion, and no negative impact to reservation activity.
Because a significant portion of revenue is generated through advanced reservations, it was determined that all recreation season revenues would be directed to FIND Outdoors under the CCSCMA once operations transitioned into the new agreement period. This ensured financial alignment while maintaining a seamless public experience.
USACE staff continue to maintain full access to reservation data, reporting tools, and financial records, preserving transparency, oversight, and accountability throughout the process. Work is also underway with Ventek transition revenues from fee machines at Harris Branch Beach. The objective is to update revenue deposit routing while maintaining consistent transaction processes and ensuring no disruption to reporting or visitor service.
This effort is designed to strengthen financial reconciliation across Recreation.gov and on-site fee systems, creating clear checks and balances, accurate reporting, and improved coordination between FIND Outdoors, USACE, and supporting systems.
Carters Lake recently hosted the Recreation Leadership Advisory Team (RLAT) to share how the CCSCMA was developed, structured, and is being implemented in real time. The visit provided an opportunity to walk through the partnership model, operational approach, and early outcomes directly on the ground.
Even in this first season, several positive outcomes are already evident across the CCSCMA parks at Carters Lake, including:
- More consistent and responsive park operations Improved alignment of revenue with reinvestment needs
- Enhanced visitor services and staffing flexibility Early movement toward extended operating seasons
- Stronger coordination across multiple recreation areas
FIND Outdoors is also expanding interpretive and educational programming within the parks. These programs are increasing visitor engagement through outdoor learning experiences, guided activities, and family-oriented education opportunities at Carters Lake. These efforts strengthen public connection to natural resources and enhance the overall recreation experience.
While still in the early phase of implementation, the CCSCMA at Carters Lake is already demonstrating strong potential as a scalable partnership model. Key elements, including full revenue reinvestment, seamless reservation integration, strong financial controls, and expanded visitor services, are combining to improve both operational performance and public benefit.
All documentation, implementation materials, and lessons learned are being maintained on the USACE NRM Gateway, and the team is actively sharing information with other projects and leadership teams interested in exploring similar partnership opportunities.
The CCSCMA at Carters Lake is already proving to be a practical example of how partnership-based recreation management can improve efficiency, strengthen accountability, and enhance the visitor experience while keeping resources reinvested directly into the parks that the public values most.
