The city of Durango announced Wednesday that Oxbow Park and Preserve will be closed indefinitely because of flooding as the Animas River rises.

The city’s Parks and Recreation Department said the beach area and portions of the preserve are flooded at the park located at 500 Animas View Drive.

“To protect this resource and minimize damage to the existing trails, Oxbow Park and Preserve will remain closed until the water level has receded and the trails within the preserve have dried out,” the post said.

Park and Recreation Director Cathy Metz said the city has had to close the park and preserve in the past because of flooding issues. She said the beach area is where most people recreate, and it’s completely underwater.

While closures in the preserve portion of the park are a regular occurrence, Metz said the beach area and the park will not be closed on a consistent basis in the future because of high water.

But with ongoing construction at the park to build a parking lot, city officials felt it was in the best interest of public safety to close it this year.

“We’re not anticipating the need to do that (close the park) unless we feel it’s hazardous,” she said.

As of Thursday morning, the Animas River was running at about 2,000 cubic feet per second, according to a water gauge near the Powerhouse Science Center. Typically, the Animas River peaks around 4,700 cfs in early June.

Metz said there are two other areas within the city’s park system that sometimes have to be closed because of flooding concerns: along the Animas River Trail at the Ninth Street Bridge and the U.S. Highway 160 bridge.

Flooding occurs when the Animas hits about 5,000 to 6,000 cfs, Metz said.

jromeo@durangoherald.com