New Splash Pad in Elbow Lake Set to Open on July 1

Jacob Sias

Grant County Herald

Elbow Lake’s latest addition, a new splash pad, is scheduled to open on Saturday, July 1. The project, which has cost a total of $261,000, was financed entirely through non-tax sources, including grants and private donations.

The inception of this project was marked by an anonymous donation of $53,000, specifically earmarked for the benefit of the community. Additional funding was garnered from a grant provided by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which covered half of the overall project costs, while the remaining funds, totaling $83,000, were raised through various other donations.

Kelly Gerber, a representative of the Economic Development Authority (EDA), voiced her support for the new addition, expressing the city’s goal of making Elbow Lake more appealing to families. The splash pad is seen as a tool to help fulfill this objective, offering an enjoyable outdoor activity for the community. 

The park and splash pad area will be an on-going project as there are still fundraising efforts to place benches and other amenities there to make the park more enjoyable. Previously, the space the splash pad now occupies was home to an older set of playground equipment, which was removed prior to the project’s commencement. Future plans indicate the intention to upgrade the playground facilities within the park, marking an ongoing commitment to the park’s improvement and development.