PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – After a legal battle over public access to Oswego Lake, city officials are closing the lake for the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

In a post announcing Fourth of July celebrations in the city, officials provided a lake access notice, stating access to Oswego Lake from Lower Millennium Plaza Park will be closed from the evening of July 3 through the morning of July 7.

According to the city, officials decided to temporarily close lake access for “public safety” reasons.

“Public safety remains the City’s top priority as we balance everyone’s ability to enjoy the numerous community events and traditions over the July 4th weekend,” a spokesperson for the City of Lake Oswego told KOIN 6 News.

“Decisions to temporarily close public spaces are made to facilitate a safe and seamless experience for all and to ensure first responders can effectively respond to emergencies,” the City continued. “We appreciate the community’s ongoing support as we facilitate our first summer of public lake access and are committed to ongoing collaboration and positive experiences for all.”

The closure over the holiday weekend comes after a Clackamas County judge issued an order in March banning the city from excluding access to Oswego Lake from Millenium Plaza Park.

The order stems from a years-long saga over who should have access to the lake.

Todd Prager, a Lake Oswego resident and planning commission member, and Mark Kramer, a non-resident described as a “long-time enthusiast of paddling,” sued the city and Lake Oswego Corporation — a group of area homeowners — in 2012.

Prager and Kramer argued that local policies deeming the lake as private property violated the state’s “right and obligation to protect the public’s use of the State’s navigable waterways or navigable portions of waterways.”

About a decade later, a Clackamas County court ruled the public has the right to access the lake. Although residents were permitted to use it during the summer, a local ordinance still prohibited people from entering the property through Millennium Park Plaza, Sundeleaf Plaza or Headlee Walkway to swim or boat.

It wasn’t until November 2024 that Clackamas County Circuit Court Judge Kathie Steele ordered Lake Oswego to remove the pre-existing “no access” sign and withdraw the ordinance against entering the lake. The order established that officials can no longer prohibit entrance from Millennium Park Plaza, but they still have authority regarding the other two access points.

In March, Judge Steele gave the city 120 days to remove obstructions such as boulders and metal reeds blocking lake access. The city was also required to remove exclusionary signs such as those that read “Private Lake,” or “No Trespassing.”

KOIN 6 News followed up asking for the specific safety concerns but did not hear back by deadline. We will update this story if we get a response.