The Lake Barkley State Resort Park lodge was reopened the Saturday after the ice storm hit, but campground, which has 79 sites, is still closed, according to John Jordan, manager of the park.
Although the campground at the Lake Barkley State Resort Park is scheduled to be reopened in mid-March, it could be as late as mid-May before they can be opened again, said Jordan. The park closed in late January after the ice storm, but everything except the campground, trails and some beach areas has been re-opened, Jordan said.
“We have some power poles that were broke during the ice storm … approximately 60 trees down, a lot of hanging limbs from trees that have to be removed so that the don’t pose a danger to the guests,” Jordan said, adding that trees that were affected by the storm are being marked.
The fallen trees, branches and other debris will keep the campground closed for a while, although the structures themselves are undamaged. Jordan said it might be mid-March before bids on campground cleanup come back, and though he doesn’t know how much it will cost.
However, Jordan added he’s heard that some parks are anticipating a cost of up to $100,000 for debris cleanup.
“I’ve been through three ice storms, and two snowstorm, and this is the worst storm I’ve experienced,” Jordan said. “It’ll be months before we get all the debris picked up.”
(For the rest of the story, check out this week's edition of The Cadiz Record.)
