PUEBLO — The Pueblo Conservancy District opened the parking lot to Runyon Lake on July 9th, after a week of closure. Officials had to close the parking lot after seeing excessive trash and other waste near the lake.
"People just aren't getting the message that they need to clean up," said Pueblo Conservancy District President Corinne Koehler. "We find obviously liquor bottles of all kinds and types. You will also find some needles, and all kinds of paraphernalia that you know was used for drugs".
The group has said that they have placed dumpsters for patrons to get rid of their trash at the park, but they have been overfilled with household trash.
The bathrooms at Runyon Lake will also need to be demolished. They have been a popular site for meth use and several needles have been found there, according to Koehler.
"Pueblo Conservancy District does not have the staff to clean it up all the time, and it shouldn't be their purpose to clean it up. It's a wildlife area, and people should be able to maintain and clean up after themselves," she said.
The group says they still are seeing trash and waste since the opening of the parking lot, and are considering their next option. Koehler says they haven't ruled out closing the park altogether.
"If you want to keep this open, you better clean it up," she pleaded with the community.
The Conservancy leadership will meet next Wednesday to discuss their plans.
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