The Press Enterprise shares interesting news on the drought and it’s effects on water recreations.
DROUGHT: Pools, water slides not affected by conservation mandate
“We’ve had to make some adjustments but besides the landscaping aesthetics, our guests won’t notice any difference,”Wischmeyer said.
A season’s average water use at Raging Waters is the same as an average household’s usage over one year, she said.
The Wet ’n’Wild waterpark in Palm Springs recirculates its water and is working with the Desert Water Agency to evaluate further savings, spokeswoman Andrea Harvey said.
No changes are planned at San Bernardino County regional parks, director Maureen Snelgrove said.
Cucamonga Guasti Regional Park in Ontario and Glen Helen in San Bernardino have swim lagoons, water slides and splash pads — ground-level fountains that soak children as they run across them. Lake Gregory in the San Bernardino Mountains offers a waterpark with huge blow-up slides, swings, jumps and diving platforms and a splash zone.
Splash pads with recirculating systems are staying open this summer, but some may have reduced hours.
The city of Riverside did not open the splash pads at Fairmount, Andulka, Orange Terrace, Arlington Heights and Doty Trust because none of them re-circulate the water and the cost of retrofitting is prohibitive, Parks Director Adolfo Cruz said.
The splash pad at Lake Skinner Recreation Area in Winchester no longer operates for six hours on Mondays, except for holidays. And the season has been shortened by a month, said Brown of Riverside County parks.
More than 10 acres of grass at Lake Skinner Recreation Area is no longer watered and officials are prohibiting the use of kiddie pools at campsites, a popular way to cool off children and pets, Brown said.
“While it is enjoyable, it is not a good use of the water,” she said.