Big Lake State Park to be closed through Memorial Day weekend

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) -- Big Lake State Park will remain closed through the Memorial Day weekend because of flood damage, state officials said, while cleanup work continues at the Katy Trail that runs across much of Missouri.

Big Lake, northwest of St. Joseph along the Missouri River, was flooded when a levee broke earlier this month.

"There's not a lot of damage within the park," said Sue Holst, a spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. "But there's a lot of mud and debris, and we also need to get our drinking water and wastewater systems up to speed."

One part of the park will remain available, however.

Some residents of the nearby Big Lake village, which received heavy damage, are using the park's boat ramp to cross the lake and reach their homes -- some of which are still inundated with flood water.

The park will likely open to the public again in June, Holst said.

Conditions were better at another state part not far away.

In southern Buchanan County, Holst said, the Lewis and Clark State Park did not have major flood problems. That park will be open for fishing, swimming and camping over the holiday weekend.

Portions of the Katy Trail, which runs from the St. Louis area to Clinton in western Missouri, were also closed by the flooding.

The affected areas were on parts of the trail near the Missouri River in the central part of the state, Holst said. The last flooded section, near Hartsburg, reopened Friday.

"We do need to caution people that there could be rough areas and some mud," Holst said.

All segments of the trail are passable, Holst said, and crews hope to have debris and mud cleared along the entire route by the Memorial Day weekend.

"I'm sure the Katy will be in good shape by the holiday," she said.