Circle B still closed amid flooding caused by Hurricane Ian

Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland remains closed because of flooding and damage caused by Hurricane Ian. Polk County's Natural Resources Division has not set a date for the reopening of the 1,267-acre public park.

Four other public areas managed by the county also remain closed: Marshall Hampton Reserve, Panther Point Trail, Peace River Hammock and North Walk-in-Water Creek.

Water has begun to recede at Circle B Bar Reserve, but flooding from Lake Hancock continues to submerge some hiking trails, including Alligator Alley and Shady Oak, said Tabitha Biehl, Polk County’s Land and Water Natural Areas manager. As of Monday, Biehl said visitors would not be able to reach any trails from the main parking area without wading through water.

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The county staff has begun clearing hurricane debris from the entrance road leading to the visitor center, Biehl said. Eventually, staff and volunteers will remove debris from hiking trails.

Water levels on Lake Hancock have fallen seven inches since peaking on Oct. 6, said Tom Hyle, lead communications coordinator for the The Southwest Florida Water Management District. Inflows from tributaries north of the lake have decreased significantly and are back to normal levels, Hyle said by email Monday.

"The District is currently discharging more water out of Lake Hancock than is flowing into the lake," Hyle wrote. "The lake is expected to return to its normal level in less than two weeks. The Peace River is still in a minor flood stage, which continues to limit the amount of water that can be released from the lake."

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland still closed amid flooding