They worked and worked this spring to get ready to open, but now it is not going to happen.
Waldsea Lake Regional Park was set to open on July 1, but rising water levels has forced the park to stay closed.
According to Naomi Ramsay, Waldsea Lake Regional Park Authority board president, the water is just too high for them to open.
"It's not safe for people to be in the park area," she said.
The water in the lake had been creeping up slowly, but the last big rain on June 18 really brought the levels up, Ramsay said. The water coming into the lake is mostly from the natural drainage plain to the south and the west of the park, although that has been increased by man-made ditches over the years, she added.
The old concession booth had been out of the water before the rain, but is now completely surrounded by water.
The high water levels have forced the park authority to barricade the park area and shut off power to the park buildings and the campground sites.
"Right now, we are emphasizing protecting the cabin area," Ramsay said. "If they're lost again, that would be it."
As bad as losing the park area would be, Ramsay is confident that they could get it back when the water goes down.
"If it keeps raining, I'm not sure what will happen," she said. "We're really hoping for a dry summer."
