Walton Aquatic Center presentation slated for Tuesday's Nevada City Council meeting

Some optional features suggested by community feedback for concept 1 includes zero-depth pool area; shades; shallow play; family slide; spray pad; lazy river; waterfall; climbing wall; deck slides; and diving.

Submitted Photo

The Nevada City Council will hear the highly anticipated presentation from Waters Edge Aquatic Design during their regular meeting this evening at 7 p.m., in the council chambers.

Waters Edge will present the "Aquatic Center Feasibility Study," the final step in the project timeline. The study begain with the facility assessment at the beginning of the year, followed by public engagement via a survey and open houses, then concept development and cost projections were presented in July.

The original construction of the current pool took place in 1978, with a renovation in 2004. The shallow end is 5,900 square feet; the lap pool is 6,200 square feet; the total water surface is 12,100 square feet; and the total water volume is 326,700 gallons.

Some optional features suggested by community feedback for concept 2 includes zero-depth pool area; play structure; spray pad; shades; lazy river, splash pad; waterfall; NinjaCross; diving; climbing wall; and deck slides.

Submitted Photo

In 2021, the pool was shut down early for the swim season and has continued to remain closed. In 2022, Waters Edge Aquatic Design inspected the condition of the facility based on the 2004 renovated designs.

The findings of this inspection concluded that the center's condition is typical for a facility of its age, with areas of the facility being in good to fair condition (including the bathhouse and main pool basin structure).

One of the biggest issues with the facility is water loss. During operations, it was observed that approximately 400,000 gallons of water was lost per month through leaks in the systems. Over the duration of a typical season, that is approximately 1.2 million gallons of water loss. Waters Edge Aquatic Designs noted that "this is excessive and requires immediate attention."

In addition to the water loss issue, the spray pad is also non-operable; the filter media/sand are past expected life; and there are various ages of of concrete used in the pool structure (circa 1978 and 2004).

After this initial assessment, the commmunity was asked to give feedback via a survey to better understand the wants and needs for an aquatic center. After reviewing the results of the study, two concept options were presented at an open house for community members on July 24.

The first concept would cost between $6,000,000 and $6,900,000. It would feature a lazy river, shallow play area, and lap area. The lazy river would be 1,000 square feet (and 115 linear feet). The shallow play area would be 3,300 square feet and the lap area would be 3,400 square feet. The total water surface area of the first concept would be 7,700 square feet. The deck area would also include plenty of space for lounging and seating.

The second concept would cost between $7,000,000 and $7,900,000. Like the first concept, it would feature a lazy river, shallow play area, and lap area. The lazy river would be 1,700 square feet (168 linear feet). The shallow play area would be 4,100 square feet and the lap area would be 3,400 square feet. The total water surface area of the second concept would be 9,200 square feet.

Waters Aquatic Edge is scheduled to give their final report to the council at 7 p.m., this evening, during the communications and petitions portion of the meeting. The meeting will be held in the council chambers at 120 S. Ash St.