Date: June 18, 2003
Contact: Nancy Poe, Chief of Resource Education, 678-538-1241

Day two of heavy rains have closed another hiking area at the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.  The entrance road at Gold Branch, located off of Lower Roswell Road, is heavily eroded due to flooding and storm runoff.  Park staff is standing by to re-grade the entrance road once the rains subside.  Until then, the Gold Branch area will remain closed. 

To date, the Paces Mill area remains closed due to raw sewage spills, leaving the park unsafe and unsanitary for park visitors.  Abbotts Bridge was closed on May 19 due to severe erosion of two stream culverts which caused the roadway to collapse.  The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area has secured $50,000 to repair the bridge and has targeted late July for completion.  Until then, the area remains closed to vehicles and pedestrians due to unsafe roadway access.