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Although the geographical location of southern Illinois provides natural lakes and some swimming facilities are around, it might not be so easy to find them.
The city of Carbondale does not have and never has had a public, outdoor swimming pool, city Councilwoman Corene McDaniel said.
McDaniel said the obstacles the city has encountered when considering building a pool in the past have been finding a location as well as financial concerns.
“I think it is just not having someone to step up to the plate that has the finances to build a swimming pool, that’s the only thing that I can think of,” she said.
Alternatives are hard to come by as other options for swimming in the area are governed by strict rules.
Adam Rawlinson, a federal law enforcement officer for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said that there is no swimming permitted in areas of nearby Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge such as Devil’s Kitchen Lake, and a person must have a parking pass to be in the refuge at all.
The fine for illegal swimming is $175 and issued to people who don’t comply with special regulations, Rawlinson said.
Rawlinson said he prefers to educate people for their first offense rather than cite them. He said all of the information needed to avoid citation is available at the Wildlife Visitor Center.
“We have rangers that are at the Visitor Center that will show you any of the brochures that will say what you can do on the refuge and what you can’t,” he said.
Jason Battelle, leasing and marketing manager for the Reserve at Saluki Pointe, said he thinks people flock to the Reserve’s pool because they don’t have an alternative.
Management at the apartment complex has had to start monitoring the pool area more closely as a result of trash build-up and excess non-residential traffic, he said.
Ellen Tyner, a senior studying political science, said she has a pool at her house, but could understand why people who do not might be frustrated.
She said the lakes in the area are dirty and that places such as Lake Kincaid are far away.
“For the amount of time you put in, climbing and other things, it’s just not worth it,” she said.
McDaniel said during meetings where building a public pool was discussed most people were very supportive, and the rest did not care.
Swimming is allowed on Crab Orchard Lake, but prohibited in marina areas and within 100 feet of boat ramps, spillways, causeways and dams, Rawlinson said.
Dane Happ, a graduate assistant at the Recreation Center pool, said there is a large amount of special events that are scheduled at the pool in the summer and that it may be because it is one of the only options in Carbondale.
Nelson Carrasco, a student from Chile taking English classes, said he likes to swim outside in the summer, but the lakes here are not as clear as those in Chile.
McDaniel said a public pool would be a strong asset. She also said she thought the idea could be pushed even further on the back burner with the economy in the shape that it is.
“That would help with the economy also because they’re going to be spending some money here,” she said.
