Water features make a splash

Bradley Englund, 1, cautiously steps on a sprinkler Tuesday at the Holley Park splash pad in La Center. “It is busy all the time from the day it opens to the day we close,” La Center Public Works and Community Development Director Tracy Coleman said. (Taylor Balkom/The Columbian)

Emily, 8, left, and Alice Cash, 5, spin around a sprinkler structure Tuesday at the Holley Park splash pad in La Center. The splash pad was a compromise the city made when residents requested a water park. La Center’s Public Works and Community Development Director Tracy Coleman said a water park was unrealistic for the city’s size given the expense. (Taylor Balkom/The Columbian)

Emily, 8, right, and Alice Cash, 5, jump through a sprinkler Tuesday at the Holley Park splash pad in La Center. Public pools require lifeguards, heating, treatment, use fees and more to operate, whereas splash pads use less water and don’t require lifeguards. (Photos by Taylor Balkom/The Columbian)

Kids enjoy a summer day Tuesday at the Holley Park splash pad in La Center. “Summers are getting warmer, and we’re hearing from the community that safe, accessible opportunities for water recreation are increasingly a priority,” Kaley McLachlan-Burton, spokeswoman for Clark County Public Works, wrote in an email. (Taylor Balkom/The Columbian)

A sign shows rules and regulations around the splash pad Tuesday at Holley Park in La Center.