PERU - The access road to the AuSable Marsh Wildlife Management Area in the town of Peru has been temporarily closed to motor-vehicle traffic due to flooding of the road, the state Department of Environmental Conservation announced Thursday.
A gate has been installed, closed and locked to ensure that motor vehicles don't use the access road. Visitors may park next to the gate and along the access road leading up to the gate. Visitors may walk into the area but should be aware that flooded conditions prevail in the spring, the DEC said. It also advised that high, waterproof boots should be used to walk much beyond the new gate.
Each spring, the Little AuSable River overflows its banks and floods a portion of the access road to the AuSable Marsh Wildlife Management Area along the river. The muddy waters make it impossible to determine the depth of the water and the location or condition of the road or river bank, and this creates a dangerous situation, DEC said. The access road will remain closed until water levels recede enough to ensure public safety and protection of the resources, according to the DEC.
DEC intends to undertake this temporary road closure each spring when conditions warrant.
The AuSable Marsh is popular for springtime fishing, trapping and bird watching.
More information, including if the road has been reopened, can be obtained from the DEC Region 5 Wildlife Office at (518) 897-1291.