The summer months are winding down and many cities and towns are savoring their summer successes. Thanks to a new Splash Park, the town of Thatcher can now count itself among them.

From May through September, Arizona’s children are out of school, families are looking for recreational opportunities and city parks, pools and playgrounds are in full swing.

The town of Thatcher recognized a need for more recreational opportunities in its town and began a plan, five years ago, to create a new recreational facility. The park, which opened just in time for this summer, features the town’s first splash pad – and the only splash pad in all of Graham County.

Courtesy Photo – Eastern Arizona Courier

Located just off of Ball Park Street in Thatcher, the recreational facility includes basketball courts, picnic ramadas, barbecues, new restrooms, sand volleyball courts and a playground. The $750,000 facility was constructed with help from a  $200,000 community development block grant.

Residents and community members came out to enjoy the amenities of the new park, and children spent the summer splashing around on the new splash pad.

Splash parks have become a new trend in municipal parks, especially in cities and towns in Arizona where summer temperatures soar past 100 degrees and children need a recreational activity that keeps them cool. Splash pads provide benefits that pools can’t – they cost less to maintain and use less water and they are safer for children to use, as their lack of standing water helps to prevent drownings. In addition, the town of Thatcher’s splash playground has the added benefit of being water-conservation friendly. A system within the splash pad allows for continuous water reuse, as most of the water is eventually recycled through a sand filter.

As the temperatures drop and cities brace for fall programs, the town of Thatcher can count itself among the summer success stories.