This Iowa Beach Will Reopen This Summer With A New Inflatable Playground

After being closed last summer, a Scott County beach will open again this year with some new additions.

Over 3 years of restoration work has gone into the lakes at West Lake Park. Finally, this summer, the West Lake Beach will reopen.

In case you forgot, we were in a drought last year, and that caused a bunch of issues. Those conditions pretty much dried out the lakes at West Lake Park and they couldn't open the beach. In fact, Roger Kean, the Executive Director of Scott County Conservation, told the Quad-City Times that the lakes didn't even hit the full mark until a month and a half ago.

When Will The Beach Reopen?

The West Lake Park beach and boathouse are expected to open on Memorial Day weekend, which is May 27. The Quad-City Times reports that the beach's reopening this summer marks the ending of a $4 million, multi-year restoration project that has involved dredging and draining the lakes, setting up fish habitats, and creating erosion control on the shore in an attempt to prevent sediment from washing back into the lakes.

The New Addition In 2023

New for this summer, there will be an inflatable, floating playground. Essentially a mini-waterpark.

The new feature will have two structures that will be able to hold 40 kids and teens at a time. Lifeguards will do safety checks every hour.

Besides the beach, West Lake Park also has hiking trails, campgrounds, playgrounds, and the four lakes to enjoy.

You can keep up with the latest on West Lake Beach as it gears up to open this summer on Scott County Conservation's Facebook page.