Johnson County sees public park closures, fish on golf courses due to flooding
Regulars at Frisco Lake Park in Olathe could hardly believe their eyes. The record rainfall beginning Wednesday evening extended the lake by a few yards in some places, blocking off pathways and structures.
Workout equipment along the sidewalk was submerged on Thursday afternoon, and water lapped against tree trunks. A sign reading “No Swimming” used to sit at the edge of the lake, but now, the water extends yards beyond it.
“I’ve never seen it flooded this much ever. We’ve had rains, but I’ve never seen it flood this bad,” said Janet Garcia, who grew up going to Frisco and now brings her children there.
This week’s rains affected outdoor recreational spaces across Johnson County. The county’s parks district announced closures due to flooding, and some cities within the county reported closures of municipal parks.
At Frisco, shin deep water covered chunks of the sidewalk. Two brothers stood on the dry part, casting fishing line into the water.
Men on bikes stopped where the sidewalk disappeared into the water. One began to roll his front tire into the water before leaning down to check the water’s depth and turning around.
A father and son waded through ankle deep water that covered a gazebo full of picnic tables to fish over its railing.
On Friday, Bailey Riecker and Ismael Elizalde went to Shawnee Mission Park’s dog beach and off-leash area. They typically go to Frisco or Lake Olathe Park, which is much closer, they said, but the flooding was too severe.
“You can’t even walk on the trails, especially at Frisco,” Riecker said.
The couple said both the Shawnee and Olathe parks had debris, mud and a bad smell, but Shawnee Mission Park was still a better alternative.
But as Aidan Gray walked his dog in the off-leash area, he came to a dead end where the path became submerged in water, he said.
Gray has brought his dog to the park on and off for five years. Now, the two go on almost daily walks there.
“It’s usually not standing water to the point where it’s not even passable, but it is pretty often super muddy to the point where you have to walk through the grass. But never this bad,” Gray said.
It is not only public outdoor spaces that were affected by the rains. Some private ones, like Shadow Glen Golf Club in Olathe, had to close too.
Erik Harvey, the golf club’s food and beverage manager, said Hole 13 was severely flooded. A lake and creek border the course, which overflowed during the downpour.
The first 9 holes are open to play, but the rest remain under maintenance. There are even fish in the bunkers, or sand traps.
“If I had to guess, we’re going to have to have the course maintenance team get some nets and maybe buckets and travel them back on over to the lake,” Harvey said. “Hopefully, they’re alright. I don’t know.”