VANCOUVER – Clark County Parks crews were busy cutting trees and removing debris at Vancouver Lake Regional Park Wednesday following winter weather that hammered the park this month.
More than 100 trees were damaged or destroyed. Parks officials suspect most of the damage was caused by winds that literally split some stout tree trunks into pieces.
The county initially thought it might finish the cleanup so the park could reopen at the end of the week, but the amount of post-storm cleanup has swamped crews. At this point, Clark County Parks isn’t sure when the park, at 6801 N.W. Lower River Road, will be available for public use.
“We will try to get the park up and running as soon as possible,” said Bill Bjerke, Clark County Parks manager. “But we have a big cleanup on our hands, and the work has been slow.”
The parking lot remains cordoned off during the closure, with temporary signs alerting drivers.
Some people have parked on Northwest Lower River Road and walked into the 190-acre regional park. Although the county is not telling people to leave, parks officials would prefer people stay away until all hazards have been removed.
Other county parks sustained damaged from this month’s wintry weather, but none came close to the damage at Vancouver Lake Regional Park.
