Conservation board opts to close some primitive campsites

By STEPH TAHTINEN

Mt. Pleasant News

The Henry County Conservation Department is closing six or seven of its camping sites in the north shore campground.

?It?s just not a high use camping area,? Conservation Director John Pullis said at the conservation board meeting on Wednesday night. ?I think if we can switch this up with the disc golf course, I think it would be a better use of the area.?

Pullis noted that this year the campsites brought in $404, but it cost the department more to clean up the sites after the campers.

?That $404 that we received in camping receipts we more than spent in having to clean the area, having to chase down campers that were in that area that will not pay, and clean up the trash and litter that was left behind, the wood debris from where they?re dragging stuff from wherever or dumping pallets out,? said Pullis.

The six or seven camp sites are located on the south end of the current disc golf course. The sites are primitive sites, so there is no electricity or running water at the sites, but there is a bathroom.

?So the bathroom that we just built over there will be used mainly by fishing people,? commented Jim Onorato, board member.

Pullis noted that the bathroom would also be used by disc golfers. He also noted that it is often used by people driving by.

There will still be primitive camping areas on the South Shore, at Waterworks and possibly at Gibson in the future.

In other business, Pullis updated the board on the status of the FEMA project replacing the electrical pedastals in the campgrounds.

Work should start on Monday, which he noted is good timing because the campgrounds close for the season on Monday and the power will need to be shut down on the campgrounds that were affected by flooding in the past.

He also updated the board on the Oakland Mills Walk Bridge project. The bridge has been analyzed by VJ Engineering of Iowa City, which will be giving a presentation at the November board meeting with County Engineer Bill Belzer about the bridge and what needs to be repaired. Parts of the bridge have been deteriorating, causing the county to limit foot traffic to the middle of the bridge. The wooden piers on the north side are rotten in the center and there are stones and grout missing from the stone piers.

Pullis said that VJ Engineering has also indicated that there is a possibility for FEMA funding for the repairs, as the deterioration on the north side of the bridge is damage that is normally caused by flooding.

Naturalist Cari Nicely gave her report and thanked the board members who had attended the night hike on Wednesday night.

There were 146 attendees, which is down about 60 people from last year.

?It?s down from last year, but that?s to be expected with the weather,? commented Nicely.

There were some rain showers that started just before the night hike.