It won’t happen in time for Fourth of July revelries, but the clock’s ticking toward the installation of an inflatable water park at Lake Gladewater.
Working now with a company out of Michigan, Lake Store proprietor Arron Watson says he’s adjusting his plans to get equipment in-hand and in-water this summer. He’s also eyeing future growth-oriented projects and potential fees to fund them.
As for the inflatables, “They are extremely modular. We can go extremely small; we can go extremely large,” he told council members June 18. “Due to how the season’s falling out, I downsized it to try to get something we could grab faster and sooner and get it in.”
[Above: A promotional image from Michigan-based Commercial Recreation Specialists shows an example of a modular inflatable water park. Arron Watson, proprietor of The Tackle Box in the Lake Gladewater store is working with the company to bring a smaller but similar set of modules here.]
Once something’s in place for patrons, it’ll then become a matter of expanding the water playground’s footprint ahead of next season.
“It has not gone in yet, but still very much trying to move it all forward.”
Aiming to install the equipment between the dock and the swimming area, the nearby boat lane is being taken into consideration as well as the depth chart.
Missing Independence Day “hurts a little bit,” Watson said, angling for water park traffic to fuel a regular stream of customers to the Lake Store. “If I can swing and get it in for the rest of the season, that’s what we’ll try to do.
Meanwhile, “If we’re wanting to draw people in to come in and bring them to the lake, to be a beacon for this part of town” Watson says he’s working on a proposal to revitalize the nearby restroom facilities alongside other projects. “I think that by doing that we could really turn the lake into what it needs to be.”
He asked the council to consider charging an entry fee for the overall lake park once enhancements are in place.
“It’s something the council has discussed for years,” Mayor Brandy Flanagan-Shipp agreed, albeit on a limited basis: “I wouldn’t want our citizens to be charged but I’m all for if they’re not citizens.”
Lifeguards will be on duty when the inflatable water park is open, Watson noted. During summer, it will likely close at 7 pm for cleaning.
“The patrons will determine how many lifeguards need to be on duty,” he said. “We can get in there, and we can take a product that’s struggling, and in a short time get it to where people want to see and come in.”
After wrangling some details, council members approved the creation of an updated lease for the water park along with installation plans for final approval by Gladewater City Manager Charlie Smith.