Potlatch splashes into summer
Recently opened water feature at Scenic 6 Park expected to be a draw during hot weather
POTLATCH — With scorching temperatures expected in the next week and above-normal temperatures possible the rest of the summer, the new splash pad at Potlatch’s Scenic 6 Park is likely to be the city’s most popular attraction.
Kelly’s Scenic 6 Splash Park opened Saturday after a dedication ceremony and several children have already cooled off under the tipping bucket of water and from the sprinklers that squirt streams of water vertically.
The splash park was supposed to open last year but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed that plan.
“I’m really glad we got it open because it’s great for the kids and they need something to run around in,” Potlatch Parks Director Karin Johnson said.
Miranda Dettwiler, of Princeton, brought her three children and another child she was babysitting to the splash park Wednesday afternoon.
“I think it’s awesome,” Dettwiler said. “There’s nothing like this around this area.”
One of Dettwiler’s children, Mabel, a 12-year-old, said her favorite part of the splash pad is the bucket that fills with water and tips over when it is full, splashing anyone below.
“When you’re hot and you’re dry, you can go under and you get wet really fast,” Mabel Dettwiler said.
Justina Forde, of Potlatch, and Jennifer Hart, of Onaway, each brought four children to the splash park Wednesday.
Forde said it’s a safe place that allows children to meet peers and adults to meet other parents.
Hart said it’s fantastic for children who do not enjoy the pool, noting two of her children love the pool and the other two do not.
Besides the 40-foot-by-50-foot splash pad, construction included a roughly 1½-foot tall cement wall on the perimeter of the pad with flower planters on top of the wall. A shed was built on the north side of the pad and three benches were installed on the south side.
Mayor David Brown said the splash park cost about $125,000. An $80,000 grant from the Idaho Department of Commerce paid for most of it. He said the Potlatch Recreation District contributed $10,000, the Latah County Board of Realtors added $3,000 and the city paid for the rest with cash and in-kind services.
Brown said the splash park was a “dream come true.” He said the idea stemmed from when he saw a large splash pad about 20 years ago in Canada. Brown said he thought it would be neat to install one in Potlatch.
“I’ve always had that in my mind,” he said.
Brown said the city likes to add attractions to Scenic 6 Park, including ones that attract visitors to the RV park on site. He said the splash park is near ballfields so he figured children could use the splash park while their brothers or sisters played on those fields.
The splash park is named after former Clearwater Economic Development Association Community Development Director Kelly Dahlquist, who contributed to the success of community projects across north central Idaho, the splash park sign reads.
“The Splash Pad is Kelly’s last project and a testament to her energy, creativity, and service,” the sign reads.
Brown said Dahlquist died of cancer.
The splash pad hours are noon to 3 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. every day. Brown said the hours could be adjusted.
Cabeza can be reached at (208) 883-4631, or by email to gcabeza@dnews.com.
