Are Public Swimming Pools in Montana’s Small Communities Disappearing?

Sad news for kids in Columbus, MT, this summer. The city's public swimming pool will not be opening this year. According to a Q2 article, the pool has been leaking for a while, and city officials are concerned they won't be able to maintain proper chemical levels while they're constantly adding fresh water.

The leak has been a known issue for a while. Some residents wondered on social media why the city hired ten lifeguards (likely teens who now have to find other summer employment) if they knew earlier that it wasn't going to open.

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Columbus Pool - Credit Google Maps

Losing a pool in small-town Montana is tough.

I know, because I live in Laurel, and our public pool closed a couple of years ago for essentially the same reasons... leakage, deferred maintenance, and lack of staff were some of the reasons cited.

Locals were unable to raise the substantial amount of funds necessary to make the repairs, so our pool closed. It eventually became a splash park, which I guess is nice for little kids. But it's certainly not the same as a pool, especially for children older than, say, 10?

Photo by Justin Dyer on Unsplash

It might not be goodbye forever for the Columbus pool.

The city has been approved for a 50/50 Land and Water Conservation Fund Recreation Grant to help defray the estimated $600,000 cost to repair the pool. So, while the pool isn't opening this summer, hopefully next year it will be back.

The city of Ekalaka is making progress in getting its public pool reopened after it received a similar grant for $615,000.

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Opinion: Pools in small towns are such a valuable resource. Small communities rarely have lots of things to do for youth in the summer. Local public pools are more than a spot to cool off. They're an affordable way for kids to spend a day, a place to learn how to swim, eat concession snacks, see their friends, and perhaps get a crush on a lifeguard.