The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation is seeking help gathering more information after public restrooms at a state park in southern Idaho were vandalized Saturday morning.
The state agency posted photos on social media of broken mirrors, toilets and urinals in the Malad Gorge and Niagara Springs units of Thousand Springs State Park, located in Hagerman near Twin Falls, and said the park “has suffered a horrific case of vandalism . ” Five toilets and two sinks were damaged in the Niagara unit, and a urinal and all mirrors were damaged in the Malad Gorge unit, Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Chelsea Chambers wrote in an email to the Idaho Statesman.
The department isn’t sure how much the repairs will cost, but construction crews are working to clean up and make repairs while they wait to order new mirrors, sinks and urinals, Chambers said.
“Attacks like these on our public lands and vandalism in Idaho state parks have an immediate and long-term negative effect on the park’s ability to operate throughout the rest of the year,” Chambers told the Statesman. “Every dollar counts when you serve nearly 7 million park visitors.”
Chambers expects the Malad Gorge bathroom to open without mirrors on Wednesday, but the Niagara bathroom has more extensive damage. Meanwhile, park visitors can access portable restrooms.
Funding for the repairs will come from the park’s operating budget, Chambers said. The majority of the department’s budget is raised by the park through fees, and instances of vandalism can have a direct impact on park budgets, she added.
The park is working closely with the Gooding County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the incident, and both park staff and Gooding County authorities plan to increase patrols in the park, Chambers wrote. The park is also considering locking bathroom doors at night and investing in a camera or a more “robust” security system, Chambers wrote.
The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation asks the public to contact the Gooding County Sheriff’s Office at (208) 934-4421 if anyone has information about the incident.
