Anyone needing cool relief this summer at Klineline Pond (provided that there will be, at some point, a need to take a break from the heat) should be aware that there will be no lifeguards, as opposed to summers past.
While Klineline Pond and Salmon Creek Regional Park, on the west side of Interstate 5, will remain open despite budget cuts, money woes have forced the Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation Department to trim costs.
So — no lifeguards, and no “spray ground” water feature.
“We have $1.6 million less to operate and maintain county parks this year, and we are really stretching to keep facilities open,” Pete Mayer, director of the department, said in a news release.
The spray ground requires regular chlorine testing and supervision, tasks traditionally performed by lifeguards.
Brian Potter, resource program manager for the parks department, said that during July and August of 2009, an average of 7,000 vehicles went to the park each month, but that number doesn’t include people who walk or ride bikes.
