The R.C. Icabone Pool Is CLOSED

It is with heavy hearts the Canon City Area Recreation and Park District announced the closure of the R.C. Icabone Swimming Pool in May of 2023.  On the recommendation of Executive Director, Kyle Horne, the Board of Directors voted unanimously to close the pool due to multiple mechanical and structural issues.

The Icabone Pool served the Canon City community starting in 1966.  When constructed it had an estimated lifespan of 25 to 30 years.  Thanks to the hard work and dedication of District boards, staffs and maintenance crews over the past 56 + years the pool doubled its expected lifespan.  This is a credit to numerous people and we thank them all for their incredible service.

There are numerous issues with the pool and multiple aquatics engineers have evaluated the facility.  In May of 2023, the engineer from Counsilman-Hunsaker spent some time at the pool and looked at everything.  Some of the findings are listed below.

• The fiberglass liner must be replaced. Fiberglass liners are used as a last resort when the concrete shell has structural issues and is leaking. This is considered a band-aid fix and normally is good for 10 to 12 years.  The liner was installed in 2003 and lasted for 20-years thanks to a lot of maintenance and patching.
• The high-speed sand filters must be replaced.
• The pump must be replaced.
• All pipes, valves, and fittings must be replaced.
• Due to having smaller pipes we cannot meet current code for water filtration.

• There are structural issues with the concrete between the outer pad and the pool body.
• The diving board pedestals must be replaced.
• In order to having a diving board, we must be at a depth of 11'6".  The current deep end is 10'.  Either the pool is made deeper or there are no diving boards.
• The lap section of the pool no longer meets code for swimming meets.  The block side must be 2 meters or 6'7".  It is currently 5'.  The turn side must be 3'6" to 4' deep and it is currently 3'.  
• The surge tanks are at 8% of the required storage to meet code.
• There is no ceiling over the bathrooms, so we are out of code.
• The bathhouse does not have enough bathroom stalls to meet code.  The building would have to be expanded.
• Additional chemical rooms would need to be added to meet code.
• The wading pool is not in compliance and District staff closed it on May 9, 2023.
• There are no repair or remodel options.  The entire facility must be replaced.

The issues listed above are just some of the issues at the Icabone Pool and all of them are due to the age of the facility.

Safety reasons dictated the closure of the pool, but it was one of the hardest decisions emotionally because we want and need a pool in our community.  Now the question is, will the community work with us to create and build something amazing that youth and adults can enjoy for the next 50+ years?

2023 Updated Site Audit Report