Elk Meadow Dog Park Will Be Completely Closed
EVERGREEN, Colo. (CBS4) - Despite a compromise plan designed to keep part of a popular dog park in Evergreen open, the entire park will be closed.
Land managers say the Elk Meadow Dog Park's Off-leash Area is suffering from overuse so all 107 acres of the park will close on April 4.
That will allow crews to conduct major restoration and to address safety concerns.
Initially, an 8-acre fenced area of the park would remain open with new rules but Jefferson County Open Space decided to close the entire park.
Elk Meadow Dog Park near Evergreen is just too popular. There is competition for parking spaces and once dog owners do find a place to park at the off leash dog park, there is the poop problem.
It's more than just a pesky poop issue. Community volunteers have picked up hundreds of pounds of dog poop from the park and surrounding areas but despite that, and a campaign to urge dog owners to pick up the poop, it's still piling up.
One of the unintended consequences is E. coli build up in a nearby stream. Recently, the E. coli levels measured 20 times the normal amount.
Other issues facing the dog park are just too many people. An estimate of 4,000 people visit the area each week which leads to erosion issues and a parking nightmare.
The closure will be temporary but it could be three years before it may be reopened.