Water park opens as part of Conestogas renovation project

Back in April, when 85-degree temperatures and clear blue skies seemed only a far-off possibility, Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District Project Manager Peter Foster predicted the splash pad under construction at Conestoga Recreation Center would be “one busy place in July, when the kids see this.”

Well, July is here, and “the kids” — sometimes more than 100 per day — are seeing as wells as experiencing the newly activated splash pad.

Located just outside the two indoor pools at Conestoga in South Beaverton, the mini water park features an array of 28 colorful, whimsically designed apparatuses that spray, squirt, dump and douse water in a multitude of patterns and directions.

Part of a nearly completed $6.5 million renovation and expansion of Conestoga Rec Center, the splash pad was among items area residents asked for before approving a $100 million bond measure for the park district in 2008.

On a sultry Monday afternoon, rotating shifts of children participating in summer swimming camp at Conestoga took turns breaking in the new equipment. From a green frog with an overflowing mouth to a tall tree of buckets that turn over when filled, the water features are clustered according to children’s age and size.

“The frog area is for toddlers,” said Conestoga Supervisor Brian Powers of the lifeguard-supervised plaza. “Over there we want a water flow that’s not intimidating to a 2-year-old.”

Of course, many kids, such as Dylan Bickler, 7, don’t discriminate based on water power as they sample among the pad’s enticing options.

“I like it,” he said during a brief break in water play. “I think it’s really cool. I like it a lot.”

The Vose Elementary School second-grader joined younger brother, Wyatt, at the splash pad. Dylan’s dad, Kevin Bickler, stood and sweated just beyond the water-fueled frenzy. A teacher and football coach at nearby Sunset High School, Bickler had his boys in mind as he saw the splash pad taking shape through the winter and spring.

“This is kinda cool, with all the features,” he said. “The kids love playing in the water and sun. I remember voting on the (2008) bond. It’s nice to be able to take advantage of what the bond money is going towards.”

Powers and pool maintenance staff at Conestoga are experimenting with the intensity of water flow from different features. The computerized controls are capable of generating random sequences, and the long waterfall wall ranges from a gentle near-mist to virtual downpour.

“We’re changing it all the time, just trying to keep it fresh for the kids,” Powers said.

And when the flow of treated, recirculating water subsides, children and the young at heart need only step on the closest chrome button “activator” embedded in the concrete, patio-like surface for another four minutes of liquid frolic.

“It allows the kids to participate,” he said. “They can touch the activator, and it changes the way the water flows.”

Although the water isn’t typically heated, recirculation on hot days keeps it comfortable but still refreshing. The water is treated through chlorination as well as an ultraviolet disinfection system, which Powers called the “gold standard” in public water operations.

The splash pad opens at noon and keeps the water flowing until 7:30 p.m. on cooler evenings and as late as 9 p.m. on the hottest days of the year. Those without a monthly park district pass pay $3 for children, but adults are admitted free of charge.

“We like to see adults get in free to help supervise their children,” Powers said.

In addition to a summer recreational oasis, he sees the splash pad as a great way to get young children involved in Conestoga’s swimming lessons and programs.

“We want everyone to be a swimmer,” he said. “That’s one of our big goals. This will attract youngsters who maybe need swim lessons. We’ll help them make the connection and maybe give them an important life skill.”

But with summer heat still a welcome novelty, the emphasis for now is on frivolity, he said.

“There’s a lot of happy people here.”