Park staff ready to clean beaches, warns about river condition

If weather permits, there could be many people hitting local beaches for Memorial Day.

The official swimming season in La Crosse doesn’t begin until late next week, but park department staffers will be out during the summer, cleaning up at the Black River and Pettibone beaches.

Lifeguards will not be posted at the city beaches during 2019, so swimmers are being encouraged to use the city-run swimming pools.

On this part of the Mississippi, it’s still flood season, and people wanting to use the river are being urged to be careful.

Park department staffer Leah Burns says trying to swim or boat on local rivers could be more hazardous than usual this week, because the current is fast, and there may be lots of debris in the water.

The weather service says the Mississippi at La Crosse is expected to remain above the 12-foot flood stage until Sunday, June 2nd.