(NBC 26) -- Every summer the man-made Ashwaubomay Lake in Ashwaubenon draws in about 30-thousand beachgoers. But this summer people across our region are going to have to make other plans.
"That's the first time in 45 years the lake has not opened for the summer," says Rex Mehlberg the Director of Parks, Recreation and Forestry for the Village of Ashwaubenon.
Mehlberg says it was a tough decision for the village board to make, but due to the fact that the Asshwaubomay Lake doesn't rely on chlorine to clean the water as pools do, safety for his staff and the public became a concern.
"There is not a lot of studies or facts out there quite yet on how Covid-19 will react in that type of body of water. So the decision was made to not offer swimming there in 2020."
And just south in Appleton, city leaders have also decided to pull the plug on summer swimming at their public pools. But there, health officials are more concerned about the crowds that show up to the summer hangout destination and less about what could be in their chlorinated pools.
"What we're really focusing on is those large groupings of people that just increase the opportunity for the virus to spread," explains Kurt Eggebrecht a Health Officer with the city of Appleton.
Appleton's Parks, Recreation and Facilities Director Dean Gazzar says closing the pools was a tough decision to make. Not just because taxpayer dollars keep their pools operating, but also because Appleton's public pools mean a great deal to many families.
"We understand that a lot of people are going to be disappointed, but hopefully in the end everybody realizes that it is very important that we keep our citizens and staff safe."
