Prairie Creek board to close West Side to ATVs and horses effective Aug. 1 after water-company request

The Prairie Creek Parks Board voted to close the West Side of Kirkwood Reservoir — including the Indian Hillside equestrian and ATV trails — to ATVs and horses effective Aug. 1, the board said at a public meeting. The board framed the action as a response to a request from the reservoir’s water company and as a gesture of goodwill while lease language is reviewed. Board members said the water company raised concerns that the West Side areas lie within a wildlife-preservation zone and that horse and ATV use may not comply with the lease’s intended uses; the water company's request prompted the board to consider an immediate closure or a delayed effective date. The board voted to set the closure effective Aug. 1 and directed staff to undertake an outreach and education period before that date. "No. I personally, want to show the water company that we are making strides, to make them see that we are being proactive," said Shannon, a Prairie Creek Parks Board member, explaining why the board should act ahead of the water company’s timetable. The board’s presiding member noted that "there are no events out at that side of the lake for the rest of the year," and that the park may need to offer refunds for any Indian Hillside campsite reservations that fall within the new closure period. Board members discussed that the closure is not punitive toward equestrian or ATV users. "We don't have any discussion that the ATV users have done anything wrong," a board member said. The board agreed to notify known user groups immediately — including the Equestrian Club and contacts in ATV circles — and to coordinate publicity through the city's media team and Friends of Prairie Creek. A motion to make the closure effective immediately was initially proposed; board members ultimately moved and passed a motion to make the closure effective Aug. 1 with an educational grace period. The board assigned Nikki, Kelly and Carl to coordinate social-media posts and said the city media team would also assist in notification. Public comment included a technical complaint about the meeting feed and access: Christopher Bilberry, identifying himself as a resident, said the audio/video feed cut out during part of the discussion and that doors had been locked, which hindered public access; staff said the feed was restored and encouraged anyone with ongoing issues to contact audio/video staff. Staff and board said implementation tasks include contacting reservation holders on the West Side, refunding reservations as needed, posting signage, and working with legal counsel and the water company on the lease and wildlife-preservation language.