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Park closures cause confusion among Dawson residents
Lake Lanier parks
All or part of multiple federally-managed Dawson-area parks along Lake Lanier have been closed until March 2023. - photo by Nick Bowman

Numerous locals took to social media upset Thursday after learning about closures at some of their favorite parks along Lake Lanier in Dawson County. 

This story continues below. 

Dawson County officials learned that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have fully or partially closed three area parks until March 2023, according to a Sept. 29 evening post on the Dawson County government’s Facebook page. 

These day-use parks and boat ramps have been added to the Corps of Engineers’ list of seasonal closures for the fall and winter recreation season, as reported in a Sept. 24 article from The Times. 

On Sept. 24, Nix Bridge Park closed for all uses until the spring, according to the Corps of Engineers’ Facebook page and website.

Toto Creek Park’s day use and campground portion closed on Sept. 11, but its ramp will remain open year round. 

Thompson Creek Park’s boat ramp was still open as of Sept. 29, but that could “change without notice,” the Dawson County post stated. The Corps of Engineers currently has that park listed as being open year round.

“There is just some confusion in the community about who controls and maintains the parks in Dawson County,” Parks & Recreation Director Matt Payne said in an email. “Those three parks are federal parks and are controlled [or] maintained by the Corps of Engineers, while Dawson County Parks & Recreation controls [or] maintains War Hill Park.  It is important to note that War Hill Park will remain open.”

Dawson officials are scheduled to meet with the Corps of Engineers next Thursday, Oct. 6, after which Payne said he and his colleagues “hope to have additional information for our citizens afterwards.”