Madison parks officials say campground open, Crystal Beach reopening contingent on bacteria test after flood cleanup

City parks officials reported progress on recovery and reopening efforts after a recent flood that damaged several riverfront properties, but cautioned that Crystal Beach’s pool opening remains contingent on bacterial test results.

Tanya Burnett, Parks Director of Operations, told the council the city hired 65 seasonal employees for Crystal Beach and that the campground was scheduled to reopen for Memorial Day weekend. She said Crystal Beach staff were preparing chemicals and running filtration, with a plan to chlorinate and submit bacteria samples for testing; she described the target of opening the pool Monday, May 26 but said final clearance depends on lab results.

Christian, a parks operations lead, gave details on cleanup and repairs. He said crews peeled the campground areas down to pavement level, reseeded and restriped sites, and expected the campground to be ready for the holiday. At Hargan Matthews playground the artificial turf had been displaced by floodwater — "the turf was floating above the swing sets" — so the city removed sections that could not be salvaged and will replace the surface with rubber mulch; playground equipment and fences were not structurally damaged, he said.

On Crystal Beach, Christian and staff described substantial mud and debris in pool gutters and circulation pits that required step-by-step flushing and media changes in filters. Christian said the pool-builder (Speer/Spear Corporation) is on site assisting with the cleanup and that filters and circulation systems are being media-flushed; he noted that if staff reopen the pool too early and then find contamination, the pool could require draining and a lengthy re-clean that could push reopening back by weeks.

Officials described additional recovery tasks: some lighting and control panels that have been through multiple floods will need replacement, and municipal staff are working with electrical contractors and Duke to restore meters and panels in phases. FEMA and state damage assessments were underway; staff said the city has submitted assessments through the county EMA and IDHS portals and that federal funding decisions are pending.

Council members asked for written SOPs and after-action documentation for future flood response; officials said the city and Jefferson County EMA have a multi-hazard mitigation plan and that teams are capturing lessons learned to standardize preparation and recovery procedures.

Tanya noted that Sunrise and other recreation programs have resumed and that the parks team has prioritized events and graduation dates when sequencing repairs. Christian thanked crews and partner departments (sewer, street, electrical) for rapid work to restore facilities.

Ending: Parks officials said many riverfront assets are back in use and that the pool’s opening is likely imminent but still subject to bacterial lab results; they asked the public for patience as the city finishes recovery work.