Most people know the difference between a county park and a county landfill.
But confusion or disregard of that difference has emerged when it comes to Anderson Falls County Park near Hartsville in eastern Bartholomew County.
“Some people consider this beautiful park a dump,” said Julie Lowe, executive committee chair of the Winding Waters Group of the Sierra Club.
During a recent visit to the 44-acre park on County Road 1140E, Lowe found bags of trash piled up in a parking area, as well as multiple tires with rims lying by Clifty Creek, she said.
While performing monthly water testing at the park’s 100-foot-wide waterfall, Lowe has been picking up garbage left by others for about five years.
“But now, you can’t bring a big enough bag to pull all the garbage left there every day,” Lowe said.
The Bartholomew County Parks Department, which has overseen Anderson Falls since 1979, will consider proposals that attempt to solve some of the park’s problems.
Early next month, a special public meeting will be held on an action plan for Anderson Falls that could lead to significant improvements, extension educator Kris Medic said.
For more on this story, see Tuesday’s Republic.
