Flooding causes closing of Aurora area parks, islands

The Fox Valley Park District has closed all of its island and shoreline parks on the Fox River.

Blackberry Farm, 100 S. Barnes Road, and the Orchard Valley Golf Course, 2411 W. Illinois Ave. have also suffered from the weekend's flooding rains.

From north to south, the closed parks are North Aurora Island, Gregory Island, Veterans Memorial Island, Hurds Island, South River Street and South Island Park.

Portions of the Fox River Trail are also under water and closed to the public. In North Aurora, the trail is closed at State Street on both sides of the river. In Montgomery, much of the trail on the east side is closed. The Virgil Gilman Trail also is closed between Terry Avenue and Edgelawn Drive.

"Once the floodwaters recede, we will be out there cleaning up the parks as fast as we can," Bill Donnell, director of park operations and natural resources said in a written statement. "We're committed to making our parks usable as quickly as conditions will allow."

Orchard Valley Golf Course remained closed Monday as cleanup crews began working to reopen the course. Despite erosion damage to the wetland areas and sand being washed out of bunkers, parks officials said the water is dropping quickly and they expect to reopen the course Wednesday for limited play and walkers.

Blackberry Farm is expected to reopen by the weekend.