County campgrounds might be slow to reopen

Members of the Winneshiek County Conservation Board meet at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday at Freeport Park to discuss, among other topics, whether county parks and campgrounds should be reopened.

There are a number of factors weighing against the reopenings, especially of county-run campgrounds.  Conservation Director Barb Schroeder says she doubts the Kendallville Campground will reopen soon because showers and restrooms still are closed and the campground caters to overnight campers.

The reopening of Lake Meyer Campground south of Calmar is being affected by other factors.  Schroeder told county supervisors Monday that potential campground hosts have been reluctant to commit to doing the job in the wake of the COVID-129 pandemic.  She noted, too, that "camping is a very social event," which makes it tougher to enforce social distancing.

Winneshiek County Sheriff Dan Marx has been asked whether his department could station a deputy at Lake Meyer if it reopened.  Marx says that's not possible, however, his department could make extra patrols, especially on Friday and Saturday nights.

Conservation Board members will weigh all these factors when they meet Tuesday afternoon.