The City of Powell is finally moving forward on a splash pad on the site of the old frog pond.

A federal grant received a month ago will pay half the cost — the city is footing the other half — and more recently councilors approved an engineering firm out of Casper.

It’s exciting news to hear — especially for people such as my two boys who love running through water almost as much as my Lab — considering a lot of Big Horn Basin communities already have splash pads.

Cowley and Ten Sleep have had them for awhile, Cody and Lovell more recently, but it’ll be nice for local children (and their parents) to be able to stay right in town to enjoy what has become a popular summertime fixture all over.

Now I’m sure people are eager to see it come to Homesteader Park. The city sure is, initially planning on a September 2024 opening, but the engineering firm has indicated that this would only work if everything goes according to plan.

In the current situation we’re in, still dealing with supply chain issues and living in a place with often unpredictable weather, something is bound to go wrong. But that’s OK. Cody opened its splash pad a few years ago in the fall and opening day was cold and drizzly, with only a few children willing to brave the cold and wet.

Instead, a splash pad can kickoff a great 2025 summer season. What better way is there to celebrate the season?

So no rush, get a good design, make something that balances between fitting a budget and making people happy, and then we can all enjoy a Powell splash pad.