IA DNR: Clean up Crews and Campers Share Time in State Parks

DES MOINES - Work is well underway in Iowa state parks to fix the problems that winter brought - downed limbs, broken pipes and other repairs - as campers begin trickling in on warmer weekends.

Campers wanting to get out as soon as possible can check to see if the park has its water on by going to www.reserveiaparks.com and clicking on the pink Park Notices/Reservation Closures button. Scroll to the bottom of the page to the Water Availability table.

"We had campers in last weekend with the nice weather," said Kevin Szcodronski, chief of the DNR's State Parks Bureau. "One advantage for early spring camping is there are fewer people in the campgrounds, plus our parks are on some of our better fishing lakes that have excellent spring fishing."

These early season campers will see a lot of work getting the park ready for the season. An ice storm knocked down limbs and trees in southern Iowa from Lake of Three Fires all the way to Lake Macbride. "We're working to get the parks ready and clean up a lot of damage from the ice storm in December," Szcodronski said.

Campers may collect any downed limbs or trees in the park to burn in their fire rings. Szcodronski said firewood is the only thing that should be burned in the fire rings and not old lumber or pallets, plastic or railroad ties. "That stuff pollutes the air and leaves behind trash and nails and junk that we have to clean out," he said.

Parks staff are keeping an eye on the weather and once the threat of a hard freeze is gone, usually by middle April for southern Iowa, they will turn the water on in the parks. "Once the water is on, we usually have a leak or two or possibly a broken pipe to contend with, hopefully nothing major," Szcodronski said.

The work load will lighten some when more than 200 seasonal park workers join the park staff to keep up with the mowing and general maintenance.

Notes:
The Viking Lake concession building that burned down on July 18, 2006 will open on April 15, right on schedule. A grand re-opening is scheduled for June.

Szcodronski said he is anticipating high gas prices will bring an increase in campers and visitors who choose to stay closer to home this year.

Honey Creek Resort State Park came through a tough winter and is on schedule for its August opening.

For more information, contact Szcodronski at 515-281-8674.