County officials trying to figure out how to handle parking jam at the Upper Iowa River near the former Dahly Bridge

(Photo courtesy of visitdecorah.com)

A number of people took advantage of the good weather over the 4th of July weekend to go on a canoeing or kayaking trip on the Upper Iowa River.

But the collapse of the Dahly Bridge created a traffic jam on Cattle Creek Road over the weekend.  "No parking" signs had been put up within 350 feet of the river.  When 30 to 40 cars drove up to the west side of the river, police estimate that two dozen of them were parked improperly.

Sheriff's deputies issued around 20 tickets, which caused some people to get upset.

On Wednesday morning, county supervisors tried to figure out the best way to handle traffic in the future.  Sheriff Dan Marx suggested to supervisors that parking be prohibited only around the canoe landing portion of the road.  Marx and members of the County Engineer's Office will meet this week to come up with a new system that would control the parking, but would also give better options to the people who want to enjoy the Upper Iowa River.