is there anywhere to swim in mc?

We go to Forsyth pool, it indoors and cost 2.00 for children 4.00 adults. open m-s 1-4

No


Try a hotel. But I'm sure they will charge you. Isn't the city pond full yet?

[This message has been edited by ABE (6/6/2011)]

I tried the hotels they all said no to me..In a few weeks the outside pool in Terry will be open. Never been swimming there but looks nice

What's wrong with the swamp cesspool OASIS?

where's the oasis? we have not lived here long. thanks everyone

It's the big dirt hole at the end of main street, between the park and Denton field.

That is our.....uh......pool.

And what's so wrong with it? I've lived here for over 30 years and I have swam there. I'm sure it will open as soon as they get life gaurds. How many of us can say they have taken swimming lesson there? Then you have those who say they don't like swimming at the Oasis but will swim at Spotted Eagle.

Try Spotted Eagle...lots of people swim there! Don't be discouraged by the haters in MC that hate the Oasis, they don't realize how lucky they are to have something that unique.

I swam there and took swimming lessons there as well (Oasis), but will be the first to say that it is filthy, slimy, and one of Miles City's big giant mistakes. Forsyth and Broadus have decent swimming pools... Miles City has a lake. I wouldn't let my kids swim in it.

forsyth is a nice indoor pool, terry has a great outdoor pool. i have lived in miles city for years and have never taken my kids to the oasis. in my younger days i swam at spotted eagle and always got swimmers itch. i don't think that they are horrible places to swim just remember to shower right afterwards!

it's crazy that there is no pool here! my kids really miss that. is there at lease a wading pool? we thought we saw something like that today as we were driving by a park

The Froggy Pool in Wibaux Park is a wading pool for 6 year olds and under.

Stacie Miller

The water at Spotted Eagle is NOT treated so the E. coli counts there can get quite high. There are no lifeguards and the water is meant for fishing, not swimming.

The water at the municipal swimming lake is treated so the E. coli counts there are very low. The water flows through continuously after treatment for sediment and bacteria. There are also trained lifeguards on duty.

The wading pool at Wibaux Park used to be untreated and was sink of what was left by young children but it is now treated and the water changed regularly. The Frog is in place but I'm not sure the slide is in place. There is no supervision so parents are responsible for their children.

The Oasis is like snakes. Idiots are afraid of both. The water in Forsyth is as old as I am, the water at the Oasis is fresh every year. The false sense of security chlorine stink provides far outweighs the thirty year old urine reality of the situation.

so.. I'm curious...

in the past 5 years of swimming at Spotted eagle...

how come...

My kids, wife, nor I, have never gotten sick after partaking in them waters?

[This message has been edited by SeptyTwo (6/7/2011)]

Two Words...Immune System

"anywhere to swim"
You can swim anywhere there is water. If you can swim. If you can't swim and want to go play in water there are lots of places for that, too. There used to be some great spots along the Yellowstone, under certain conditions they were safe. For swimmers. Strong swimmers, as in those who can do 500 yards of freestyle in seven minutes or less. Which aren't real common around there 'cuz you don't have a pool to learn and practice at year-round. Miles City isn't into that.

Don't you have some of your farts to be smelling?

The Oasis is a great place to take your family swimming, I have grown up in the Oasis and have to say I have never got swimmers itch or swimmers ear or any thing bad from it. In fact, the city of Miles city does a water test every week on the frog pool the Oasis and the spotted eagle and the result for every test have came back being the Oasis is the cleanest then spotted eagle and lastly the frog pool is filled with filth. There is nothing wrong with the Oasis, It's like swimming up at Hell Creek. The water is constantly flowing through and it's never stale, the water is pumped from the tongue river into the Oasis and then back out to the tongue river. Where as the water from the spotted eagle comes from the fish hatchery and then out to the tongue river.

I swam there and took swimming lessons there as well (Oasis), but will be the first to say that it is filthy, slimy, and one of Miles City's big giant mistakes. Forsyth and Broadus have decent swimming pools... Miles City has a lake. I wouldn't let my kids swim in it.

I take it your also not a fan of swimming out at Spotted Eagle.

some genius wrote:

The Oasis is like snakes. Idiots are afraid of both.

HAHAHAHA. This phrase now sums up the Miles City pool debate for me.

"Municipal swimming lake" is mine.

There is spotted eagle, a whole bunch of hotels, and the oasis... and people say we need a swimming pool instead of a skatepark

"I take it your also not a fan of swimming out at Spotted Eagle."

Correct-o.

And, motels don't let you pay to swim around here anymore. They used to... And I really can't blame them.

Miles City needs a reasonable indoor pool. The fact that no one has died from swimming in the Oasis or Spotted Eagle isn't an acceptable argument for not having a real pool in my opinion.

Oh well, screw the kids. They'll grow up and resist change just like the rest of us someday.

Actually, there was a casualty at Spotted Eagle once. RIP Bret.

More than once.

Keep in mind I said "died FROM swimming in..." - as in caused by the nasty water itself.

That said, lack of lifeguards, lack of water clarity, lack of control over what is in the water, these all make a place more dangerous to swim.

Its one thing to take the family boating at the lake and take a dip in the water, and another to claim that a "pond" is a "swimming pool."

Sigh. How much are you willing to PAY for an indoor pool? Cost is several million. Yearly operational cost is several hundred thousand. If it is a city pool, then it would be paid for by city taxes.

Do we stop replacing water mains and give up on street maintenance? If we did, we could have a pool. Do we raise taxes dramatically to pay for it? Are you willing to cough up an extra hundred bucks a year for your portion of the pool. Can you convince your elderly neighbor living on a fixed income to increase their taxes by a hundred bucks minimum? No, there aren't grants to pay for pools. They are paid for by TAX DOLLARS.

Pools cost MONEY. BIG MONEY. Always have. Always will. Forsyth built their pool before Colstrip was an incorporated town. Once Colstrip incorporated, Forsyth couldn't keep the pool open in the winter.

Would I like an indoor pool? Don't care as I can't swim but if Miles City could afford it, I might be in support. If you can come up with the funding (not just construction but $250,000 or so operational each and every year, plus regular maintenance. Pools are VERY expensive to maintain. ), I'm sure the city would be delighted to build one. So, start writing checks or accept the fact that we live in a cash-strapped community and services like police and fire and water and sewer take precedence.

Indoor pool would be nice. Skate park would be nice. New storm sewers would be nice. New sewage treatment plant would be nice. New streets would be nice. Just have to prioritize and, sadly, for most people, a pool is luxury we just can't afford.

$100/year tax bump? I'm all for it!

$250k/yr to operate a pool? I'm going to doubt that without some sort of evidence.

It works in Missoula. 10x the population, then again, we wouldn't need 2 facilities, and ours would be considerably smaller I'm sure (they've got several water slides between the two locations, multiple pools per location, etc.).

"Splash and Currents: A Splashing Success!

Each year, Splash Montana and Currents Aquatics Center
host about 184,000 swims for seniors, adults, families and
tourists-compared to 33,000 swims at the former city pools,
McCormick and Spartan.

The aquatics facilities add about $1 million a year to the local
economy; through wages for 250+ employees and local suppliers, contracts, and utilities.

Missoula Parks and Recreation teaches over 3000 swim
lessons per year. More of our population is safe around the
water and is introduced to a healthy and active lifestyle.
Splash Montana and Currents recover about 93% of their
expenses through revenue: daily admission, concessions,
rentals, swim lessons. The remaining 7% is subsidized by
the City general fund. City residents receive discounted entry
fees in recognition of this support.

Currents and Splash Montana were designed to be useful
and enjoyable for citizens of all ages and abilities, thereby
generating repeat visits. The aquatics facilities provide all
Missoulians with multiple opportunities for social, recreational,
competitive, wellness, and educational activities.

Aquatics facilities like Currents Aquatics Center, Splash Montana and neighborhood splash decks enhance the community
by generating revenue, boosting tourism, increasing property
values, attracting businesses and their employees, and providing wholesome, affordable, family entertainment.

For more information about the Missoula Aquatics Project,
including project timeline, construction costs and performance
data, visit www.missoulaparks.org."

I wish you the greatest of luck with getting any kind of progress. I've been watching this situation for forty years. Gave up trying to help twice now. I fear all other organized efforts have, too.
Remember to push for a facility that would enable competitive aquatic teams to practice year 'round and hold swim meets that bring hundreds of families to town for the weekend. Like what even happens in Hardin, of all places, quite often.
Meanwhile the Oasis is just fine for whatever they call "swimming" in Miles City. I guess.

Ok, lets ad some math, my favorite subject in school. The populations are very different for Missoula and Miles City. 108,000 Missoula, 8,000 Miles City. Fun2U was looking for 1.4 million dollars, so round that to 2,000,000 for cost over runs and operating expenses. That cost would be $18.00 per man, woman and child in Missoula, $250.00 for Miles City. If you figure 4 to a family that is $1,000.00 a family. Missoula is 8th in the state for income level, Miles City, or Custer County, is 24th. Bring those two facts together and you have pools in Missoula and not in Miles City.

Yup. I wonder how Hardin did it? They have one of the nicest facilities in the state.

Yes, though there are MULTIPLE pools in Missoula, and none in Miles City. This isn't a 1 pool per town divided by population kind of math problem. And it would generate revenue if done correctly. It would provide jobs. It would provide a meaningful recreational opportunity for the city as well as surrounding towns. And, if done in phases, I'm sure that the $1.4mil number can be reduced.

Maybe we should start small. A "splash pad" at Riverside or Wibaux park would be nice. That would not be outrageously expensive, but it would be a lot of fun for the younger kids. Then again, that age group has the frog pool - which was a great addition to Wibaux park.

I'm not saying that we NEED "a pool." We do need to continue to improve our community. The lack of a real pool is one glaring shortfall, but there are other things that can be done. The skate park is not a bad idea (although it is limited in the demographic it serves; a pool serves old to young, and everyone in town aside form Amorette swims ). It would be nice to see one big project per year. And I know that things are being done - Riverside has some great playground equipment, the bridge heading out toward Range Riders was done very well and adds to the beauty of the entrance to town from the West. I still say we can and should do more. Some strategic zoning would be nice (Haynes is ugly as hell - casino-rampant, very little grass or landscaping required by businesses who move in, don't we do any planning?... Red Rock looks nice - thats about it).

Or maybe we should just do nothing. That almost seems to be the consensus. I see a nice town that could be GREAT if the community got behind some infrastructure and recreation improvements. Instead, we just let everything get old and fall apart... Is Bobby Kenny still around? Maybe he should just burn down a block or two every few years so that we will see some improvement.

We do have a wading pool in Wibaux Park and a splash pad at the Fairgrounds and I am not saying do nothing. I would like a pool to cool off in. I am just pointing out the math of the situation and why it is harder in Miles City. I like the skate park idea from the other thread as a more affordable one to start on. If it could be done in conjunction with the pool location, it would be a good way start making the pool a reality. Give it an actual working presence to help with a real possibility feel to the project and a way to start making money. As for Missoula having a couple of pools, they would have to have 14 municipal pools to reach the per capita of Miles City having one. (not trying to be negative, I just love math)

Hundreds of families in Hardin, quite often my ass.

Any progress is good. And I'm not trying to imply that Missoula is "better" than Miles City, its not. Nor is Bozeman or Billings... I would like to see MC continue to move forward and not stand still, that is all. Its a great town.

Better? Missoula sucks ass. Dirty hippies.

[This message has been edited by Buck Showalter (6/10/2011)]

I really like the idea of a Splash Pad. Is the one at the fairgrounds able the be used this summer? Is it only available during the fair?

I think the splash pad is only on during the fair or other official events now but contacting the county commissioners about setting up a schedule of other times seams like a good idea to me. I know it was popular at the fair last year. Over seeing it and charging some admission might make a good fundraiser for some organization.

I wasn't even aware of the splash pad at the fairgrounds. Seems like an odd location, when it could be in a park somewhere for daily summer use....

There's some mis-information about the Forsyth pool in this thread, especially:

The water in Forsyth is as old as I am,

This isn't true -- the water at the Forsyth pool is treated, filtered, drained and refilled just like it is at any other real swimming pool.

Also, the town of Colstrip incorporating isn't why our pool stopped being open in the winter -- it's just because of the high cost of operating it. The pool is supported by city taxes, not county taxes. Even closed, it runs up bills because the water must remain in the pool and that means the building has to be heated.

People in this thread have mentioned streets, sewers, etc. being neglected because of the expense of a pool...just take a drive to Forsyth and you'll see the truth in that statement. Our streets suck. Probably at least 75% of the people here would be glad to donate our pool to Miles City if there was some way to drag it over there.

[This message has been edited by Forsyth Mike (6/10/2011)]

The splash pad is at the fairgrounds because they are doing a big renovation of most of the building and facilities there and it was added because they had the funds to do it. I am not sure where the funds all came from but they were specified for fairground renovation. Grants, fees and donations all come with stipulations and building the pad there was part of them.

Why do you hate the kids so much Forsyth Mike? Why?

Steve,

Thanks for the background. I'll have to check it out next time I'm out that way.

What a shame the people of Forsyth don't use their pool. I wonder if anyone is promoting it at all, in the typical ways. The town website gives it minimal mention.
The pool I remember from my summer of 1970, the outdoor one with diving boards high and low, is what I picture first when I think of Forsyth. It was just way too fun and I recall that a lot of other kids agreed.
I didn't get into any trouble at all that summer, by the way. That came years later, in the next town down the road.

[This message has been edited by Jeff Denton (6/11/2011)]

Why do you hate the kids so much Forsyth Mike? Why?

I don't know where you get that idea.

I remember the outdoor pool (mentioned in the post above) very well. It was packed all the time. The indoor....there are a few people who use it but the kids tend to swim in the river more than the pool. Who wants to be inside a steamy building on a hot summer day?

Lots of people here (including me) think the city should have just built a nice outdoor pool instead. The indoor pool proponents were sure that the pool would get busy year-round use. That hasn't happened.

By the way, I love the kids. Wouldn't run a movie theater if I didn't!

I wonder how Hardin did it? They have one of the nicest facilities in the state.

That's easy. Hardin has/had the Coal Board, Ed Kopack, and the Crow Tribe. I'm pretty sure that the indoor pool had Ed's name on it when it opened. I know that the tennis courts did.

Actually, there was a casualty at Spotted Eagle once. RIP Bret.

Quite a few people have heard that drinking was part of the factor to this casualty as well as to many water crafts on the lake.

It never ceases to amaze me of the ignorance about the pool in MC. Before the powers to be cut the funding back and trashed the pump that supplied the water for the pool there was no p[lace better. The end of the best days of the pool started when the two settling ponds were partially filled in for more parking for Denton/? Field and the Little league fields. With enough time to let the silt to settle you could see from one pier to the other under water- that would be 50 meters. The reason the 50 meters is significant is that Montana Swim Club used to stage International Swim Meets and Juniour Olympic qualifing Meets at the pool. And as far as I know with the exception of a drunk who rolled in from the city park no one has ever drowned in the pool. It used to have a drift chlorination system but again this was something else that was not kept up. So if you want to swim in a small closed loop system and deal with all sorts of crap that people do in small amounts of water go for it but in it's prime the pool was the best swimming expierence and was know all over the world by visitors who took home the memories of a great swimming expierence.

Joseph: Thanks for sharing that tidbit of history. I'll bet most people had no idea. I wish and would encourage the elders of the community to speak up more about things like this.

The city swimming lake is NOT a closed loop. The water flows through continuously.

The only drowning in the pool was a child who wandered into the drained pool during the off-season when the pit below the diving board still held water. The child was four. His six year old brother was babysitting while the parents bar crawled one afternoon.

A horse nearly drowned in 1910 but they got him out.

You know me. Just the facts, ma'am.

That is correct it does flow but you missed the point the flow was through two settling ponds and the bottom of the pool had new loads of cleaned sand brought in to replenish the old sand. The water flowed fast enough to keep it fresh but it was allowed to settle out. Which meant it would be dam near crystal clear. I did forget about the young kid that drowned but that was when the diving pool only had water in it, not during the summer season. There has not been a drowning during official pool hours. Thank you for the clarification. To further allow it to deteriorate would be a shame.

Did you know there is actually a pool in the basement of the high school?

The pool was designed but never used. I don't know what the problem was, I suspect water table issues, but it was never actually filled. Great idea, though. The Eagles was once a YMCA and had an indoor pool, as did the old Milligan House hotel. That pool is still buried somewhere under Veteran's Park.

Does anyone know if you can get a season pass to swim all year at the oasis? I remember years ago one could. I was a little pin with a number on it, and I think it only coast $5-$10. Does anyone know what the pool is changing for per day swimming? I know the hours are from 1pm-7pm when the weather is good.

I've heard there is a pool at the koa campgrounds... Can public use this?

Last time I was in Miles City I went swimming at the Oasis and it seemed pretty clean to me (I was wearing swim goggles and could see ahead pretty far-maybe not 50 feet...) I live in a city that has many swimming pools. Most of them are so full of chlorine they eat the material of your swimsuits up-the suits fade and/or start to disintegrate after a month of swimming (just 2x a week.) Your hair and skin dry out terribly too. I have a hard time believing that river water pumped into a lake would be more dangerous than the high levels of chlorine in other pools(a toxic chemical in high concentrations). Even though people would like an indoor concrete pool, the one you have is adequate for cooling off in the summer and teaching kids to swim. It's also nice that it has a very gradual slope so kids and babies can safely sit in a couple of inches of water to splash and has that pretty little beach for the kids to play on if they are too little to go in the water (normal pools just drop off over most toddlers heads and have nothing for them to do around the edges which means most parents don't dare put their young kids down the whole time they are near those pools-not that fun or relaxing!! At least the Oasis is safe and reasonably fun for every member of the family!!)

That said-we have a number of friends and neighbors with nice pools in their backyard-and that is REALLY the way to go, IMHO!

i agree with "former", we need to move forward or are town will die.
It is very SAD that terry, smaller town, has a pool and mc does not, so does forsyth and glendive a VERYvery nice swimming pool,
pay of course, but if you want people to come to our lovely town and enjoy swimming and they will be willing to pay if you provide and nice, clean fun safe environment!!!

I also went swimming at the Oasis last time I was in Miles City, and it was fantastic. The water was great and I was by far the biggest kid there. Needles to say, I ruled the high dive with an iron fist.

It's funny how such an intelligent use of a natural resource really bothers some of the locals. I personally find the Oasis to be one of the most progressive things about Miles City. For those who are so disgusted by it, I recommend taking some time one weekend to go hang out there. You might find that you've been missing out on a very cool place.

Just stay away from my diving board.

[This message has been edited by Rafe Danger Stewart (7/29/2011)]