The Clear Lake Resort, on Clear Lake near Santiam Pass, is now under Linn County management.

County commissioners voted Wednesday to sublease the resort from the Santiam Fish and Game Association, which has announced plans to disband. County Parks Director Brian Carroll, whose department will manage the resort, said the cabins at the resort are available now for rent.

The county will buy the resort for $100,000 from the association when it does disband. "The details are being worked out as we speak," Carroll said.

The county must negotiate an operating permit with the U.S. Forest Service before it can buy the resort. John Harper, a permit administrator with the Forest Service, said that process could take the spring and summer months, but he hopes to get it done sooner than that.

Harper said the Forest Service is pleased Santiam found a buyer who will continue to offer recreational opportunities at the camp.

Clear Lake is off Highway 126, three miles south of the Highway 20 junction in the Cascades. A submerged forest is clearly visible 120 feet below the surface.

Carroll said the 16 cabins at the resort can be rented immediately, but people will need to rent them from the lodge.

He hopes to have a reservation system set up by next week, whereby people could call the parks department office.

He said the lodge's store will be open this weekend with limited supplies, as the fishing season begins on the lake this weekend. The restaurant won't open until later.

The cabins have beds without bedding, stoves and propane lanterns. Some have running water. They all have electricity, but Carroll said the power might not be on 24 hours a day.

Asked about any long-term visions for the resort, Carroll said the county will keep the atmosphere the same.

"We're just excited having it part of the county park system and becoming a partner with the Forest Service," he said. "When you go up there, it's really self-evident there's not a whole lot to change in terms of atmosphere and management. It needs a little TLC, but the place speaks for itself."

Tamara Hamilton of Albany, secretary of the Santiam Fish and Game Association, said the group is glad to sell the resort to the county.

"Santiam had a lot of different options, but we kept coming back to the fact this was the best option - to keep it in public hands," she said. "Linn County Parks has been great. They're very interested in learning about the operations and the history, and that was the most important thing."

She said the association will give the sale proceeds to Oregon State University as an endowment, with the understanding that the money is to be used for scholarships for students in the Fish and Wildlife Department.