George Wyth, Other Area Parks Impacted By Flooding

As residents battle flooding in Butler and Floyd counties, officials south of the region are preparing for the rush of water downstream later this week. Parks and campgrounds along the Cedar River in Waterloo and surrounding areas were being closed on Thursday (Sept. 22, 2016).

Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources said they plan to close George Wyth State Park in Waterloo/Cedar Falls at 5 p.m. Thursday do to the rising river. DNR officials expect the park will be shuttered for up to a week, possibly longer. (CLICK HERE for the latest flood levels.)

Downstream, in Evansdale, city officials on Wednesday ordered campers to vacate Deerwood Park. They, too, announced plans to close the popular recreation area at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Flooding has also forced the closure of McFarland Park near La Porte City, south of Waterloo. Black Hawk County Conversation officials shuttered the park Thursday morning and cancelled a Halloween event that scheduled there this weekend. Two other county parks -- Black Hawk, northwest of Cedar Falls, and Siggelkow, northeast of Dunkerton -- remain closed from flooding earlier this month.

Elsewhere in northeast Iowa, flooding is impacting two other state parks. DNR officials said Yellow River State Forest would be closed for the weekend and possibly longer, starting at 5 p.m. on Thursday. They also blocked off the equestrian trails at Volga River State Recreation Area near Fayette to give trails a chance to dry out from the heavy rain.