Swan River fishing access closed

Lake County commissioners have closed a popular river access on the Swan River.

The Ferndale Drive river access is popular in the summer, but parking has become an issue with neighbors. The commissioners recently voted to close the park with overwhelming support from neighbors, Lake County Park Board Chairman Mike Roberts said.

“The site has been closed temporarily by the commissioners due to consistently unacceptable parking violations,” Roberts said. “During the peak season for river floating, people park on both sides of the road, making it hazardous for through traffic.”

Roberts said the closure will be temporary until the commissioners find a solution.

“No one on the board wants the closure to be permanent, as river and lake accesses in that area are practically nonexistent,” he said. “The fear …  is that closing the site will simply cause an equally hazardous situation just a short distance away at the Rainbow Bridge where people obviously will flock to. We are avidly seeking a solution to the problem.”

He said one idea was to purchase an adjacent property to be developed for parking. “The stickler is that there are very few finances in our park fund,” he said. “We have suggested partnering with other entities who are experienced in managing such sites and may have more ideas and capital than we do.”