As park use grows, PUD staff work to keep pace across the system

WENATCHEE — Chelan County Public Utility District parks continue to see strong use across the region, with facilities booked throughout much of the year and new amenities drawing steady crowds, according to an April 20 update to commissioners.

From neighborhood play structures to regional destinations like Walla Walla Point Park, staff described a system that is both heavily used and actively maintained, with ongoing investments aimed at keeping pace with demand.

“Between April and October these shelters are booked nearly every single day,” Parks and Lands Superintendent Teneille Hatmaker said.

That level of activity extends to ball fields across the system, which are scheduled seven days a week during peak seasons for baseball, softball and soccer. Staff said demand continues to grow, particularly for youth programs.

“There is a shortage in our valley,” Hatmaker said, referring to available field space.

To help meet that demand, staff have worked with local leagues to adjust schedules and open additional time for youth use, creating earlier time slots and expanding access for dozens of teams this season.

Alongside that demand, staff highlighted the work required to keep parks operating at a high level, particularly as some infrastructure reaches the 30-year mark.

“As you probably all know, most of our parks were kind of designed and constructed in the early to mid-90s,” Parks Superintendent Kyle Endelman said. “At that 30-year mark, some of our infrastructure is aging and we're having to put a little bit more work into it.”

At Walla Walla Point Park, for example, irrigation systems have required additional attention as components wear over time.

“This pipe is 37 years old. It's starting to break down,” Endelman said.

During startup this spring, staff repaired seven main line breaks. While those issues were addressed early in the season, staff noted that mid-summer failures can have a more immediate impact on heavily used turf areas.

“When these break in July or August, fields die,” Endelman said.

Staff also pointed to the behind-the-scenes work required to operate newer amenities that have quickly become community favorites.

At the splash pad at Riverfront Park, crews conduct water testing twice daily throughout the season and monitor the system continuously while it is open.

Even with that complexity, staff said the facility saw minimal downtime last year while serving large numbers of visitors.

Shelter use adds another layer of activity, with some sites cleaned multiple times per day between reservations to accommodate back-to-back groups.

Beyond daily use, parks continue to support large events and tournaments that bring visitors from across the state, contributing to the local economy while reinforcing the system’s role as a regional destination.

Commissioners noted that reputation during the discussion.

“I almost always would meet someone who's been at our parks,” Commissioner Garry Arseneault said. “They're all raving about Chelan [PUD] parks.”

Staff said the focus moving forward will be on maintaining that level of service while continuing to invest in upgrades and improvements across the system, including shoreline stabilization work and accessibility projects.

“We will continue to look at different ways that we can schedule and optimize our field use,” Hatmaker said.

As use continues to grow, the system’s success is driving both continued investment and the day-to-day work required to keep parks operating at the level visitors have come to expect.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media