IRON MOUNTAIN — Dickinson County will go ahead with plans for a new water source at the Lake Antoine Park campground, expecting construction in the fall.

An exploratory well drilled in 1999 near the boat landing has proven capable of meeting the park’s water needs and Coleman Engineering of Iron Mountain will prepare bid specifications for a hookup, Controller Brian Bousley said. The county never opened the campground after broken water pipes were discovered this spring.

Coleman had previously estimated a price of $150,000 for a new pumphouse and 700 feet of connecting lines to the campground and bathhouse, though Bousley said Monday he hopes the price will be lower.

Work should begin after the Lake Antoine Park Partners’ Crafty Flea Market fundraiser Sept. 11.

“We’re going forward now quickly,” said Commissioner Joe Stevens, who chairs the county board’s parks committee. Lake Antoine’s beach and day-use facilities, which remain open, have been very busy throughout the summer, he added.

Earlier this year, D & L Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning of Iron Mountain was hired to install new pipe and risers for individual campsites at a cost of $16,938.

The well being uncapped as a new water source was built by Kleiman Pump & Well Drilling of Iron Mountain in an effort to develop an artesian flow, similar to the park’s once-popular Old Faceful spring that had to be razed. Although that effort more than 20 years ago was abandoned, the project can now be converted to a new purpose.

The park’s current pumphouse, located near an artesian spring, has feeder lines to the campground laid more than 50 years ago.

In other action Monday, the county board:

— Authorized the clerk’s office to offer fingerprinting services on an appointment basis, using equipment supplied by a contractor. The service is in demand for people seeking concealed weapons permits, or for those in occupations where fingerprints are required, Sheriff Scott Rutter said. The county’s share of the fees will generate about $7,000 annually.

— Authorized spending up to $25,000 for new radios at Ford Airport under guidelines of the Michigan Public Safety Communications System.

— Noted the five-day Dickinson County Fair opens at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 2. Commissioner John Degenaer Jr. said a new entrance gate has been completed across from Norway’s Marion Park.