Baker City splash pad opens June 10 amid water conservation efforts

Baker City families will get a new place to cool off when the city’s splash pad opens Wednesday, June 10, in Central Park, with hours set for 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. City officials said those hours and days may change if water availability or conservation needs require it, making the opening both a summer amenity and a reminder that the city is watching its supply closely.

The splash pad sits in Central Park, Baker City’s newest and most centrally located park, near downtown between Washington and Valley avenues and close to the Powder River and Resort Street. That location gives parents and children an easy downtown option for warm-weather recreation, especially in a city where low-cost places to stay cool are limited once temperatures climb.

The water warning matters because Baker City’s system depends on a finite supply. The city says more than 210 million gallons are stored in Goodrich Reservoir each year, fed by snowmelt and natural springs and carried through a 17-mile transmission line before treatment. City water officials are urging residents to conserve through the summer by watering lawns and gardens in the morning or evening, when evaporation is lower, cutting runoff and avoiding unnecessary water use. The city also says it is upgrading its mountain transmission pipeline, replacing mainlines in town and developing an alternate groundwater source as part of a broader push for system resiliency.

The splash pad’s opening follows years of work that started as a Girl Scout project in 2020. By July 2023, supporters said they still needed to raise another $125,000 for building materials, and the design included two 14-foot dew buckets. Earlier coverage identified Charline Simmons and her daughter Penelope as leading the effort, with fundraising support from groups including the Leo Adler Community Fund, Ford Family Foundation, Marvin Wood Products, Ash Grove Cement, the Baker County Shriners and the Baker City Lions Club.

The facility was also discussed in 2024 as part of the Central Park project before becoming a seasonal fixture for local families. For Baker City, the opening on June 10 is more than a park update: it is a practical summer service that will depend, day by day, on how well the community manages its water.