CLIVE, Iowa — Tuesday at noon marked the start of Polk County’s extreme temperature plan, as feels like temperatures neared 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Those temperatures didn’t keep families away from their local pool or aquatic center. The Clive Aquatic Center was packed in the middle of the day on Tuesday, as the center is right in the middle of its busiest stretch of the year.

“We have been really busy,” said Lindsey Phelps, Recreation Coordinator, Aquatics at Clive Parks and Recreation. “Especially on those warm hot days, it is a nice place to come and cool off.”

Outside of the swimmers being top priority to the facility, the hydration and health of lifeguards and staff that are working in the heat is top of mind.

“We encourage the staff to drink lots of water, stay hydrated. Make sure that they are eating good so that way they are reading to go, getting enough sleep at night, that way they are not effected by the heat as much,” said Phelps.

Weekends are the busiest times of the year, but the snack bar is always busy for kids lining up to get their favorite sweet treats.

“I really like the strawberry shortcake bars,” said one kid with goggles strapped over his forehead.

“Either pretzels or the bomb pop,” said another. “It tastes good.”

The drop slide, the racing slides and the diving board were some of the favorite attractions of aquatic center attendees on Tuesday.

The aquatic center is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Gray’s Lake is open until 10 p.m. with the summer hours. Plenty of families were also taking advantage of the beach on Tuesday while their kids played in the lake.

For those looking for resources available and cooling centers during the extreme temperature period, follow this link to find more information about it.

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