Swan Lake State Park has seen a notable uptick in visitors over the last few weeks as the weather begins to warm and people look for safe ways to be outdoors during the COVID-19 public health disaster. With many areas of the park still open to the public, county health officials are concerned guests may not be abiding by the minimum six-foot physical distancing guidelines. Carroll County Conservation Director, Jason Christensen, says it is not unusual to see more visitors at Swan Lake during the spring, but recent numbers are above the norm.
Swan Lake’s Conservation Education Center and maintenance facilities were closed to the public on March 17, the same day Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a State of Public Health Disaster Emergency in Iowa that temporarily closed or put restrictions on restaurants, gyms and other similar businesses. Last week, Reynolds extended the declaration through April 16 and expanded the closures to include nonessential medical and dental procedures, some service industries and additional retail stores. During her press conference Monday, Reynolds encouraged people to take advantage of Iowa’s numerous state parks.
As of Monday, the campgrounds, public bathrooms and other seasonal amenities at Swan Lake are closed and will likely remain so until the COVID-19 situation has settled. However, Christensen says they plan to keep the outdoor areas open as long as people follow recommendations from federal, state and local health officials.
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