The City of Longmont announced on Wednesday that the opening of the Union Reservoir swim beach is delayed. Originally expected to open on Memorial Day weekend, it is now unclear when the swim beach will open as low water levels have made the conditions for swimming unsafe.
The city said that the decision comes after a safety review conducted by recreation staff, park rangers, and risk management. “Low water levels have exposed parts of the old lakebed that still contain glass, fishing gear, and other debris from the reservoir’s past,” the city said. “Rangers have cleared the visible shoreline, but we can’t confirm that submerged areas are safe yet.”
The city said that it will wait to open the beach until the water “rises enough to cover the cleaned lakebed and sandy beach.” Then, the city will open a small swim area and will expand the opening as water levels increase.
The Union Reservoir Ditch Company said that it could be anywhere from mid-June to August for the swim beach to open this year, “depending on water flow and system needs.”
