Today, Saturday and Sunday.
Three days left in the summer vacation. For students in Great Bend, school resumes Monday.
Today, Saturday and Sunday are the last days the Wetlands Aquatic Center at Great Bend will be open for regular hours, which are 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. After Sunday, 2014 punch passes will be null and void.
Although humans won’t be swimming in the pool after Sunday, the much anticipated Dog Day at the Pool is yet to come. The pool will be open to canine swimmers only from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 23. Cost is $5 per dog. Dogs must have their rabies tags.
Admission to this event — also known at Bark at the Water Park — will be used for improvements at Great Bend’s off-leash Bark Park, located in Veterans Memorial Park.
The Wetlands opened Memorial Day weekend with Devan Boeger as pool manager. Paige Achatz is back as acting manager this week as Boeger has begun student teaching, but Boeger will return for Dog Day.
Achatz said the chlorine will be “turned down” on Dog Day, which makes it safer for canine swimmers but less safe for human swimmers. Therefore, humans will only be allowed to enter the water up to waist high. Aside from Boeger and a lifeguard or two, everyone working on Dog Day will be a volunteer. The concession stand will be closed.
“It’s usually a pretty fun time for the dogs,” Achatz said. After the dog event, the pool is drained and cleaned.
Terry Hoff, acting director of public lands, said 2014 has been a good year for the Wetlands Aquatic Park, which only had to close a few days due to weather. With the temperature rising this weekend, Achatz said the final days before school should be good days for swimming.