County parks closed to vehicular traffic
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Gates blocking vehicle entrance to Marshall County's parks and wildlife areas do not mean the parks are completely closed.
Grammer Grove Wildlife Area, Timmons Grove County Park and Green Castle Recreation Area are temporarily closed to vehicular traffic, but are not closed entirely.
"It's an effort on our part to keep from having to add expenses, basically preventing damage caused by vehicles driving through the soft roads," Marshall County Conservation Board Director Mike Stegmann said.
He said his office receives frequent calls asking why the areas are closed after seeing the gates blocking vehicular traffic.
As freezing winter temperatures fade and spring weather moves in, "frost heaving" occurs, an upward swelling of soil caused by freezing temperatures penetrating the ground in the winter turning moisture within soil into ice.
When the ice thaws, it can create soft spots on trails and gravel roads.
"If a car or truck drives over it, it'll have a tendency to form deep ruts," Stegmann said. "Once that frost comes out however, the ground will firm back up on its own."
He said the closed areas will be reopened to vehicular traffic within the next two weeks at most, but trails are still open for on-foot traffic.
Stegmann also advised ice fishers to exercise caution, as ice remains on county lakes.
"As we warm up getting into the 60s the ice is going to start to thaw out," Stegmann said.
Some clean up from the 2020 derecho is still underway Stegmann said, having completed the bulk of clean-up from the storm last fall. Grammer Grove Wildlife Area has a section of trails open with remaining trails closed due to derecho damage.
"On the south half of the park, damage was so extensive we still haven't had a chance to get out there and clean that up," Stegmann said.
The production of maple syrup at Grammer Grove Wildlife Area is not happening this year, where the area the Marshall County Conservation Board tapped maple trees to make maple syrup is still damaged.
The indoors of the Grimes Farm Conservation Center remains closed until at least July 1 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Call Trevor Babcock at 641-753-6611 or tbabcock@timesrepublican.com