The flags are out on the golf courses, and the water is flowing in the county park system, symbolizing that spring is truly here. Throughout the county, outdoor crews are working to get the parks ready, despite the roller coaster weather we’ve experienced so far this spring.

Brian Lammers, Hamilton County Conservation director, said the county parks and Briggs Woods golf course are open for their seasonal visitors.

The county park systems consider April 1 to November 1 their most active periods. Both Briggs Woods and Little Wall Lake have cabins available to rent year-round, and activities throughout the winter months, but once the first of April hits, they shift to their primary season.

The Briggs Woods golf course had their first day of play on March 19, but has had to close intermittently due to seasonal rains, high winds and cold weather.

The Webster City parks officially open on April 15. Breanne Lesher, who is the director of the Recreation and Public Grounds department said the city crews have been working hard to get the community parks cleaned and ready for use.

“We are on schedule,” she said, “Our crews are out there now working, picking up sticks and cleaning up.”

Efforts to do a controlled burn of the prairie grasses in the Brewer creek park area were thwarted when the scheduled event was cancelled as the grasses were too wet this year. The burns of the prairie grasses are part of the natural upkeep of this property, but is dependent on the weather. This will be attempted next year.

Little Wall Lake is also open. Park ranger Zane Schaffer said they are working to get the trails cleaned up around the park, but they have already had a number of campers.

“The docks are not out yet,” said Schaffer, “I’m hoping to get the boat docks out next week or the next. The rest will be later in the month.”

The high winds recently have hampered some of their efforts to get ready for the season.

Schaffer has been steadily removing the dying ash trees throughout the park. “I think we had to remove 120 ash trees just along the Wilcox Trail.”

Schaffer estimated they have had to remove over 300 trees within the campgrounds.

They are working to replace 3 to 5 trees each year at the site.

The Hamilton County Conservation board has initiated a Memorial Tree Planting program to replenish the trees. They can accept tree donations, as long as the tree is a species native to the state of Iowa and meet other requirements of the program.

For more information about the county parks, call 515-832-9570 and for the city park information or to rent a shelter, call Fuller Hall at 515-832-9193.