WALLA WALLA, Wash. – Icy conditions on Reservoir Road leading to Bennington Lake have prompted U.S. Army Corps of Engineers park rangers to temporarily close access to the lake parking area, operations officials at Mill Creek Dam and Bennington Lake announced, today.
The road will remain closed through the weekend, and possibly longer, depending upon weather and road conditions. For now, the route is unsafe for most vehicles, said Jeremy Nguyen, a natural resource specialist at Mill Creek.
“The road has a particularly steep slope leading down the hill to the lake, and with all of this snow and ice has become awfully slippery,” said Nguyen. “I drove it with a four-wheel-drive vehicle this morning and barely made it back up the hill from the lake, and fish-tailing along the way – some folks would no doubt get stuck down there or possibly get into an accident trying to get out.”
Visitors are encouraged to use the Mill Creek Office parking lot, located on the north side of Reservoir Road just before the road curves right and begins to slope uphill. Given current weather forecasts, rangers hope the road will be safe to reopen on Monday.
For more information, please call the Public Affairs Office at 509-527-7020.
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Release no. 14-006