DES MOINES - Heavy rainfall in north-central Iowa has caused flooding that is affecting facilities in three state parks. On Wednesday afternoon, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will close George Wyth State Park because of rising water levels.

Floodwaters also closed Canyon Road and Lower Ledges Road at Ledges State Park, but the campground and picnic facilities remain open and usable.

At Brushy Creek State Recreation Area, the entire trail system is closed due to wet conditions, but the trail south of county road D46 is closed due to flooding from the Des Moines River. The DNR expects the flooded portion of the south trail to be closed for several weeks.

"We are hopeful to reopen some of these facilities, but everything is dependent on the weather," said Kevin Szcodronski, chief of the state parks bureau.

The DNR will be posting park information and flood closures on the Internet at www.iowadnr.com. Click on State Parks Flooding Updates.

As with any busy weekend, park users are encouraged to call the park before heading out to check on campsite availability and on park conditions. Many of the more popular campgrounds will be filling early. Campers who want to spend the holiday in a park but cannot arrive early should be flexibly and consider one of the under utilized parks.

For more information, contact Szcodronski at 515-281-8674.

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