Siuslaw Regional Aquatic Center
Visit SRAC’s website at www.mapletonpool.com to learn about the latest efforts to report the pool!
Siuslaw Regional Aquatic Center (SRAC): Effort to establish an upriver multi-use recreation facility by restoring and reopening the Mapleton pool.
The mission of the Siuslaw Regional Aquatics Center is to enrich the quality of life for the community by providing a variety of aquatic, and recreational activities that promote health, wellness, fitness, learning, and fun in the Siuslaw Region.
Imagine … the pool restored
Walking into the empty Mapleton pool building is like stepping back in time. A towel hangs in the locker room ready for a long-awaited swimmer. Cups wait to be filled at a snack bar, the hands on the clock still flutter as if trying to come back to life despite a mostly dead battery. Names of youth swim team competitors are familiar, the kids having emerged from the pool to be successful community leaders in present times. Beautiful, strong wood beams support the structure, and the afternoon sun through windows and skylights fills the room with light. A vibrant mural still adorns the walls, beckoning You can almost hear the crowd cheering for the competitors, the spring of the diving board, the laughter of the children who have learned to swim in these gentle waters. All the building needs is lots of love, ten thousand gallons or so of water, and some funding to make the community’s memories reality again.
History of the pool
In 1977 the community raised money and built a recreation center, including a full-size swimming pool, exercise rooms, a laundry facility, showers, and locker rooms. This facility, located on the grounds of and operated by the Mapleton School District, served as a community focal point: a place where adults swam laps or lifted weights, seniors visited with friends as they attended aquatic exercise classes, kids had free swim nights and pool parties and, and, most importantly, every child in the school district was taught to swim. The pool served the Mapleton/Florence area for 35 years, teaching thousands of children how to swim and providing a place for recreation, family fun, and fitness activities. The combination of the economic downturn of 2008-2009 and a crack in the pool led to the facility being closed.
Reopening efforts
Volunteers with SRAC have gained momentum in their quest to restore the pool and once again welcome the community for recreational opportunities. They have received funding from the state of Oregon and are working to raise additional funds in through community donations and grants. The pool needs extension repair and renovations, but the SRAC Board has a vision of the pool becoming a first-class, highly successful, self-sustaining program which includes extensive aquatic activities at the Mapleton Pool and other fitness, recreation, and social programs, utilizing the surrounding grounds and facilities.
If you’d like to get involved with SRAC, contact mapletonpoolsrac@gmail.com, PO Box 291, Mapleton, OR 97453.