After pool at state park closed last summer for first time in 50 years, officials weigh plan to fix it

FILE — For the first time in 50 years, the swimming pool at Withrow Springs State Park near Huntsville was closed last summer.
FILE — For the first time in 50 years, the swimming pool at Withrow Springs State Park near Huntsville was closed last summer.

A plan to repair the swimming pool at Withrow Springs State Park in Madison County was submitted to the state's Division of Building Authority on Tuesday.

Jordan Thomas, chief planner for Arkansas State Parks, said final approval could come any day.

A state engineer has estimated that the repair will cost $211,688.

Thomas said he hopes the state can begin soliciting bids later this month and have the construction completed so the pool can reopen Memorial Day weekend, which is the last weekend in May.

The pool was closed last summer for the first time in 50 years.

It's the only public swimming pool in Madison County, and for half a century it was the summer hangout for children from Huntsville and surrounding communities.

But just days before it was scheduled to open over Memorial Day weekend for the summer season of 2018, the state parks division announced that the pool 5 miles north of Huntsville would remain closed throughout the summer because of safety concerns.

"An engineering investigation into the pool's supporting walls found the potential for a catastrophic failure to be so severe that even park staff cannot enter the area," according to a news release last spring. "The very real risk of bodily harm had to be top priority when arriving at the conclusion to keep visitors out of this part of the park for now."

Thomas said the work will include replacing most of the concrete block of two walls that support the pool deck and mechanical room. Another wall and a section of the cracking pool deck also will be replaced.

Earl Minton, superintendent at Withrow Springs State Park, said the pool was built in 1967 and 1968. He said it was renovated in 1997 and 1998.

The renovation eliminated a barrier that separated the deep end from the shallow end of the pool. The result was an 86-by-35-foot swimming pool with a depth that ranged from 1 to 9 feet. Minton said a kiddie pool also was added at that time.

Withrow Springs is one of seven state parks that have swimming pools. The others are Crater of Diamonds at Murfreesboro, Devil's Den near West Fork, Lake Chicot in Lake Village, Lake Fort Smith near Mountainburg, Mount Nebo at Dardanelle and Petit Jean near Morrilton.

Metro on 03/25/2019

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