HUTCHINSON, Kan. — After so much hard work between a group of ATV riders and the city of Hutchinson, the state has stepped in and all but ended efforts to keep the Arkansas River riding area open.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks told the city recently that a lease program, which would have allowed the only access point of the river to stay open, was not legal because it would involve a state river right-of-way. With that, the city was left with two options. One was to close the access point to the riding area, or do nothing and let the city of South Hutchinson decide. Their City Council has pretty much decided that if Hutchinson doesn’t close the entryway, they will.

In the end, the City Council decided to close the entryway, and then find another possible solution. The action means the popular riding area will no longer have a legal entry point.

The proposed closing of the access point started after Collin’s Bus and other residents of South Hutchinson complained about vandalism to parked buses in an overflow lot near the entry, and the constant noise of ATVs riding up and down residential streets.