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Parks & Rec Business
| Lake Fairfax Water Mine Family Swimmin’ Hole By Sheryl Billman In Fairfax County, Va., according to Fairfax Lake legend, Pete the Prospector wanted to be a ‘49er. It seems that Ol’ Pete was a little ahead of his time and a little off on the element when he staked out his claim for gold awhile back. In 1849 the poor fellow dug and dug, but all he struck was water. Meanwhile, another fellow by the name of Dr. C A. Wiehle decided that Reston, a small town in the area, should be a planned community based on German methods from the 19th century. Upon visiting Reston and seeing some of its layout, one can sense the foresight used in developing the community, including green spaces. The resourceful townsfolk also found a way to mine Pete’s water, and the Swimmin’ Hole was born. It is a delightful place, with more than an acre of showers from water-filled ore carts, floating ”rattlesnakes,” slides, flumes, sprays and interactive areas. This water park is mainly geared toward elementary school children, but has something for children of all ages. Safety And Sanitation First! Since they go hand in hand, many sanitation and safety features at the park are within its rules: • A shower with soap is required before entering the water. A soap shower is recommended after spa use as well. • No diapers, cloth or disposable, are allowed. Plastic pants under swimsuits or a swimmer’s didees are permissible. • Children with runny noses or ear discharges, skin infections, open wounds, communicable diseases or diarrhea are not permitted in the activities. • Spitting or blowing noses in the pool, spa, or other features is not allowed. • Food, drink and chewing gum are prohibited in the locker room, pool and pool deck. • Running, pushing and other dangerous actions are not permitted. • Cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, glass containers and pets are not allowed. • No foul language or abusive behavior is permitted. • Children under 10 or using personal flotation devices* must be under the direct supervision of a paying guardian 16 years or older. • Customers must comply with height requirement signs for pool features. • Pool areas must be vacated in the event of bad weather, and patrons should seek shelter in their vehicles in the event of electrical storms. • Dives, flips or back jumps from the side of the pool are not allowed. • The features must be entered and exited at designated areas only. • Injuries must be reported to the lifeguard or manager on duty immediately. • All people must be out of the water during safety breaks. • Toys, masks, snorkels and fins are prohibited. • No swimsuits with exposed metal rivets or metal parts are allowed. • Playing with or throwing discs, balls or other objects is prohibited on the pool deck and lawn areas. • Talking to, or in any way distracting the lifeguards. is prohibited. *Flotation devices/life vests are available upon request at the pool office. Maintaining the Status Quo Park Representative Tyrell Lashley was a wealth of information on the daily maintenance required to keep the park safe and clean. The park has 100,000 visitors each season, which requires constant monitoring and upkeep to ensure the quality of the various features and amenities. Locker rooms are checked every hour for cleanliness and any wear and tear. This includes a focus on checking for toilet tissue in stalls, removing trash and checking showers. A sanitizing solution is used on the walls, floors and in the stalls (showers and toilets), A water test is performed every hour in the different pool features to monitor for proper pH level. This is essential to control any algal, bacterial or fungal growth. Each morning, an underwater vacuuming system rids the pools of any debris, and the surfaces of the pools are vacuumed for leaves and other items. Also, Rattlesnake River’s scum line is cleaned daily of residue left by swimmers and sunscreen. The various features have their own unique maintenance. For example, Pete’s Peak Mountain waterslides must be inspected every morning to make sure they are smooth, the rivets are in place, there are no cracks in the slides themselves, and the steps and rails leading to the slides are in stable condition. Surfaces are checked for smoothness, tightness and flexibility for optimum functioning. There are tunnels and “boarded-up” mine shafts on the mountain that also must be checked for upkeep and litter. Each of the features is inspected daily for cracks, leaks and proper functioning. Besides helping with some of the inspections required in maintaining the pool areas and safety of equipment, the lifeguards must also have four hours of in-service training per month in addition to maintaining certification. They are also subject to unannounced audits and are videotaped while performing duties. Rescue drills using mannequins in simulated emergency situations are held regularly. Features Now Playing Elements of the Old West are recreated throughout the park. The little tykes can play to their hearts’ content on Tenderfoot Pond’s bubblers and gentle slides in shallow water, with careful supervision. The center of the park is Pete’s Peak Mountain, which has two “gang” water slides. Big Pete is the largest one, Little Pete the smaller. The mountain has several ”boarded-up mine shafts” and tunnels that add to Ol’ Pete’s legend and the park’s fun-filled atmosphere. Rattlesnake River is a winding feature with a current of 2.5 miles per hour, allowing for some relaxing, floating time in tubes provided by the park. In the pool is an area for water volleyball, which is popular with the teen set. Swimming and waterplay abound. Getting Around A unique feature of the Water Mine Swimmin’ Hole is the two zero-depth entries into the pool, making it wheelchair-accessible, as are the restroom facilities. Ramps are also available for the two main waterslides. Fairfax County has made a real commitment to accessibility and offers a volunteering program called Inclusion Companion for various classes and events in the park system. Volunteers help persons with disabilities during classes/events to more fully participate in the community. The attention to detail given hourly and daily to ensure that the Water Mine Swimmin’ Hole is safe and in good working order is one of the keys to its success. The combination of safety, sanitation and accessibility make the park a fun oasis in an area becoming surrounded by suburban sprawl. Water Mine Park is in the Fairfax County Park Authority. It is in Lake Fairfax Park, which is located at 1400 Lake Fairfax Drive in Reston, Va. The telephone number is (703) 471-5415. Sheryl Billman is a freelance writer in Medina, Ohio. She can be reached via e-mail at sheran8@msn.com. |
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