Scott Swanson
Linn
County Parks Director Brian Carroll and his staff knew if they ever
had a mild winter, followed by a warm spring, things would explode in
Linn County parks.
“A
really, really big year,” said Carroll, for whose department each
of the recent years has been bigger than those before.
“We
pretty much had it,” Carroll said. “It certainly appears that
it’s headed that way again right now.”
Although
concrete numbers aren’t yet available, he said, Carroll is
estimating county park usage at 15 to 16 percent over previous years.
One
reason for that is the dry winter, which has left all but a few of
the U.S. Corps of Engineers’ Willamette Valley reservoirs
perilously low.
Detroit
Reservoir was about 63 feet below full pool late last week, with only
one boat ramp.
All
boat ramps at Foster and Green Peter are still usable, though
Whitcomb boat ramp is expected to be dry soon.
The
good weather and access to water has raised Linn County to the
forefront of tourists’ awareness, causing a run on the county’s
facilities, Carroll said.
“Every
year is a record year, but it’s fair to say this was definitely a
record year this year. We’ve done a lot of business. There’ve
been a lot of people in the parks all spring and summer.”
He
said the numbers have “overwhelmed” parks staff.
“Foster
Lake in particular, the volume of people there. We’re having to
close parking lots, access to Sunnyside. Gedney Creek, Caulkins Park,
those boat ramps are full by around noon every Saturday and Sunday.
“Lewis
Creek is just hammered. We’re getting so many people out there,
it’s hard.”
It’s
not all bad – the county is making plenty of money and did “pretty
well” in the fiscal year that ended June 30, he said.
“These
kinds of numbers help pay the bills. But there’s a big impact –
and trying to manage the volume of people out there is difficult.”
Parks
Operations Supervisor Kevin Hamilton is hiring extra help “we have
so many people showing up.”
There
have been other changes in the parks this year, some in the last few
weeks.
– The county is purchasing kayaks and stand-up paddle boards to rent at
Lewis Creek Park.
“We’ve
ordered them and we’re waiting for delivery,” Carroll said. Parks
staff will handle the rentals.
Rates
will be $15 an hour or $30 a day, and the equipment should be
available by the end of the month.
– A group camp has been opened at Trout Creek, located where Green
Peter Reservoir ends as it goes up the Quartzville Arm.
This
will be the first of several steps to provide camping to make up for
the dispersed camping sites closed along Quartzville Road two years
ago.
The
new camp costs $150 a night and has “very limited amenities,”
Carroll said. “We’re saying there’s room for 10 to 12 sites.
“We’re
more or less allowing people to use it, as long as they keep it in
the defensible area,” he said. “We don’t want people just
pulling off anywhere.”
In
addition to the existing
restroom, the county has installed some
picnic tables and fire rings.
“Later,
when funds are available, we would develop a new campground there,”
Carroll said. “Our plan is to create a group camp-type facility
that would include three different group areas available for rent,
each accomodating between eight and 12 RV’s, for a total of 36
RV’s.”
– The Parks Department has begun using Facebook and Twitter to provide
information to campers and alert people when cancellations occur.
– The department’s biggest project over the next couple of years will
be the expansion of Whitcomb Creek Campground, which will start as
soon as it’s safe to log the area.
Whitcomb
Creek Campground Expansion – Our biggest project over the next
couple of years will be the expansion of Whitcomb Creek Campground,
which we hope to begin later this year and have open by the start of
the camping season in 2016.
With
a $655,252 grant from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, the
county plans to more than double the size of the park – from 39
campsites to approximately 90.
“We’re
doing this in response to the loss of dispersed camping along
Quartzville Drive,” Carroll said.
Closing the area to
dispersed camping was a difficult decision for the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, and we are working to develop new camping facilities as
soon as possible.”
Former
Operations Supervisor Richard Frick plans to come out of retirement
to advise on the project, Carroll said.
“He
has a lot of experience working in that area, including managing the
construction of our River Bend Campground.”
All
the work at Whitcomb will be within the current 328 acres of the
park, which is leased from the Corps of Engineers.
It
will include two new loops, one to the north of the existing camping
area and the other to the east.
The
boat ramp and other existing facilities will remain.