State parks remain closed, weeks after flooding

CAIRO — The Ohio River's floodwaters have receded, but many state parks inundated by the river earlier this month remain closed.

WSIL-TV reports that 13 parks in southern Illinois are entirely or partly closed as cleanup crews scramble to ready the parks for the Memorial Day weekend and summer camping.

In Alexander County, the superintendent of Horseshoe Lake State Park says cleanup remains slow just weeks after every inch of the 12,000-acre site was under water, in some areas five feet deep.

Prisoners from the maximum-security prison in Tamms are assisting in that cleanup.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources spokesman Chris McCloud says there's no timeline on when the parks will reopen.

Camping enthusiasts are asked to call the DNR or go online before heading to any state park.