A milestone described as a "big deal" was reached at the Millwood State Park with the completion of two bathrooms.
The new bathrooms were completed earlier this week, Millwood Park Superintendent Mark Myers said, and campers know the importance of bathrooms
"It's a big deal to us to have functioning bathrooms," Myers said.
"Without bathrooms at state parks, we find a lot of pieces of white paper (toilet paper) behind trees. It's not pleasant," he said.
One of the bathrooms will provide showers, commodes, sinks and a family room.
The rebuilding of the bathrooms cost about $262,980.
The new bathrooms were built to restrict potential flood damage-using concrete instead of a lot of wood.
The all-concrete design means the staff can use water to rinse off the mud, and the bathrooms will be back in business, he said.
"It's much more flood-proof. We built them to FEMA standards, and they want improvements to reduce the risks of damage," Myers said.
The state park had no restrooms and showers for about 15 months.
"We had porta potties, but that doesn't count," he said.
The new bathhouses will provide more privacy, and the stalls will be similar to a family room. "It will be better for kids," Myers said.
He said 45 campsites are now open. Before the floods, the state park had 114 sites.
The 50-year-old spillway survived, despite being flooded.
"It did what it's supposed to do. The floods were a big test on an old structure, and the spillway performed like it's supposed to," Myers said.
Millwood Lake set a record with an elevation of 282.41 feet at 4:30 p.m. June 12, 2015, and again at 283.3 feet June 13, 2015.
The previous record was 282 feet, recorded May 23, 1968.
The water only lacked 4 feet going over the spillway, he said.
With the new construction, the state park will better survive flood damage, even if flooding is at record levels.