A large tipping potato bucket called a Tippin' Tater that holds 750 gallons of water. A grumpy lifeguard buck keeping track of everyone. Two bear cubs sliding down a log. Bluebirds on a diving board.
Camp IdaH2O, the newest expansion of Roaring Springs Water Parkis a celebration of life within the Pacific Northwest, says Tiffany Quilici, the water park's marketing director.
Meridian is home to the biggest water park within the Northwest. And it just turned 25 years old.
Here are six things you must know concerning the park:
1. It employs a whole bunch of teenagers.
Roaring Springs is the biggest employer of young adults within the Treasure Valley, employing 700 people. About 200 of them are lifeguards who rotate from one attraction to the following every 20 to half-hour. “It really helps keep them alert and attentive,” Quilici said.
Lifeguards show up around 9:30 a.m. and test all attractions to ensure that they’re secure for visitors.
Only 10 employees work full-time all 12 months round.
Quilici said it’s a privilege that the park is the primary place of employment for a lot of teenagers within the Valley. “We can educate them and give them all the qualities they need to achieve their dreams for the future,” Quilici said.
The water park is open from mid-May to mid-September and has welcomed 6 million visitors within the last 25 years of operation.
2. It consumes a number of water, which have to be kept clean.
On a typical day, the park's operations team begins work at 6 a.m., including deploying a crew of pressure washers to scrub the concrete.
Roaring Springs uses 1.5 million gallons of water from the City of Meridian, which circulates through the water park throughout the season. That's enough to cover a football field 3½ feet high. How all Meridian city waterIt comes from the water-bearing soil and rock of the Snake River Plain aquifer which Ada County relies.
A certain quantity of water is lost through evaporation and by people leaving the pools and rides, so extra water is used day-after-day. Aaron Forsythe, the water park's operations manager, said the park takes in 10,000 to fifteen,000 gallons of water a day, but “it's hard to measure” exactly how much is lost.
Quilici said staff were “extremely vigilant about leaks in the pools and slides.”
The water is run through huge sand filter tanks and a chemical process to maintain it clean. Quilici said the park also has ultraviolet light that kills “all the bacteria” within the water.
When asked concerning the park's sustainability efforts, Quilici said there are “certainly some modern energy efficiency devices installed to keep the pumps and motors running optimally.” Deck drains at the top of the slides are also used to gather and reuse water, Forsythe said.
3. It uses a network of surveillance cameras.
Roaring Springs was the first outdoor water park nationwide to put in the Ellis Aquatic Monitoring Systemwhich is supported by artificial intelligence and video analytics, a technology that uses a special algorithm to investigate digital videos and supply security-related services.
Cameras are installed throughout the park. They can see underwater. Roaring Springs has two command centers with staff who’re alerted by radio if one in every of the cameras detects danger.
Forsythe said Roaring Springs uses the cameras as an “additional layer of security” along with lifeguards.
4. These young employees get free tickets and parties.
Employees receive a free season pass, quite a few half-price tickets for family and friends, and might attend work-related parties “to make it a really fun social experience,” Quilici said.
Roaring Springs also offers a scholarship program for college-bound employees. Quilici said about $30,000 in scholarships were awarded last 12 months.
5. Are you missing your dentures or your wedding ring?
Park staff find lost items day by day. Some of the more odd finds include a hammer, dentures and a marriage ring. To get their belongings back, guests fill out a form and have per week to choose them up. The park donates unclaimed items, Quilici said.
6. New attractions are planned.
Roaring Springs recently opened Class 5 Canyon, the Northwest's first wave river that simulates a whitewater experience.
Quilici and CEO Pat Morandi travel across the country and sometimes the world to check out recent rides, get inspiration from other water parks and produce ideas for brand spanking new attractions back to Idaho.
Camp IdaH2O is just the primary of seven phases of Roaring Springs' expansion plan. Over the following decade, a brand new major water attraction shall be added every two to 3 years, Quilici said.
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