The long-awaited and much-anticipated aquatic center at Oakdale High School is on the cusp of readiness for full use.
The OHS Competitive Swimming and Water Polo Center dedication ceremony is slated to take place poolside on Monday, Sept. 13 at 5 p.m., 739 West G, reported Oakdale Joint Unified School District Superintendent Fred Rich. The public is invited to attend.
“We started serious planning in the 2007-08 school year, ground breaking was Oct. 14, 2009, the first water polo game is scheduled for Sept. 14, 2010,” said OJUSD Assistant Superintendent for Business Tim Hern.
He reported that the OHS water polo teams will begin using the pool this week. He added that the pool building will be ready about a week to two weeks following the dedication.
The ceremony will take place prior to the regularly scheduled OJUSD Board meeting, which will be at 6:30 p.m. that evening at Oakdale City Council Chambers.
The OHS design team for the pool was Oakdale's Gary Gery of DLR Group and Kenneth Moeller of Arch Pac. The contractor for the project was Diede Construction and the pool contractor was Water Works.
Below are some facts and figures about the OHS pool.
It has a unique rim overflow design, a surface area of 8,686 square feet, and is 111 feet long by 75 feet (25 yards) wide. The average depth is 6.8 feet, with the maximum depth at 7.5 feet, and minimum depth at three-and-a-half feet. It holds 433,932 gallons of water, features 14 swim lanes, and allows for both water polo and swim practice simultaneously.
Its deep water enables water polo a maximum playing area that is over 91 feet long with floating goals and has two 25-yard practice areas for a total of four practice goals.
It boasts a Colorado Timing System and information board, and also has a beginning swim area with stairs and ADA lift for Physical Education.
The adjoining building, which will be completed soon after the dedication, is 2,980 square feet. It will serve both the pool and the OHS stadium. It will feature changing rooms, showers, and an equipment room. It will have restrooms for both the pool and stadium, serve as a stadium entry with archway and ADA path of travel, as well as a stadium ticket booth and stadium store.
