Planning a trip to Fresno-area rivers and nearby parks for Easter weekend? Think again
.jpg "The San Joaquin River will be closed for the foreseeable future because of the rising water levels.")
Planning to spend Easter on the Kings or San Joaquin rivers? The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office is putting a halt to that because of high water levels and hazardous water conditions.
And other popular lakes are also affected.
Sheriff John Zanoni put the order in place March 14.
“Anyone accessing the rivers are considered to be in violation of Penal Code 409.5(c), unauthorized entry to an area closed for emergency purposes. This infraction comes with a minimum fine of $225.00. Water levels are being monitored on a daily basis and a decision to reopen the rivers will be made once these extraordinary dangerous conditions improve,” the sheriff’s office wrote.
The Fresno County Department of Public Works and Planning closed several county parks as an additional safety measure, including Avocado Lake Park, Choinumni Park (day use and campgrounds), Lost Lake Park (day use and campgrounds), Winton Park, Laton-Kingston Park, Skaggs Bridge Park and China Creek Park.
The reopening date of the parks has not been determined.
“The county understands parks are a popular spot to gather on Easter weekend, but of course this year will unfortunately be different. Please pay attention to the specific park closure notices so you don’t make a trip there, only to be disappointed that they are closed. Entry gates and restrooms are both locked,” the sheriff’s office wrote.
This story was originally published April 6, 2023 at 7:10 PM.
