Crawford: City closes swimming hole for safety and sanitary reasons

The City of Crawford announced the swimming area at Tonkawa Falls will be closed beginning July 10 for safety and sanitary reasons.

Tonkawa Falls is a popular park and swimming destination in Crawford.

Mayor Marilyn Judy said summer weather patterns play a role in the swimming area's closure.

"The flow of water is not good. The depth of the water is low, and a lot of people come out here to jump off the cliffs so it's very dangerous to do that," said Judy.

The creek is surrounded by rocks, and during peak season the water has a depth of 6 feet.

She said the water in the swimming area is also stagnant because its only source comes from rainfall.

"Once it starts warming up it starts getting scum over it, and we decided that's not good for swimming," she said.

Stephanie Sanchez visited Tonkawa Falls on Sunday with family.

Sanchez said her family got out of the water after swimming for a bit because it felt and looked unsanitary.

"It was a little dirty, and slimy. It just didn't feel right," said Sanchez.

Others like Reed Glass didn't even go into the water after learning about the upcoming closure.

"I had second thoughts about getting in it today. I mean who wouldn't if it's closing down tomorrow. It's like drinking expired milk the day before it's supposed to expire," said Glass.

Mayor Judy said closures happen around the same time each year, but it all depends on how much it rains.

"We tell people to come early in summer. That's the best time to go swimming. Last year we had extended time because it rained all summer," she said.

While the swimming area is closed until next June, Mayor Judy said the park is still open for its other recreational activities including rock climbing.