Juniper Swim & Fitness Center is planning on closing its outdoor pool around Sept. 2026 to replace the current structure cover. The outdoor facility consists of an olympic sized swimming pool which is used frequently for water polo, swim clubs, community lap swim and other various programs. Being such a popular facility, the closure is expected to have a massive impact on the community.

The closure was first hinted at during last Summer when the facility decided to keep on the outdoor pool cover—for the first time in decades—leaving pool users, who looked forward to swimming in the sun, upset and confused. At the time Juniper put out a statement explaining the reasoning behind keeping the cover on.

“Central Oregon’s extreme seasonal conditions have resulted in wear and tear on the pool cover and frame structure that were first installed 26 years ago. Also, the installation and removal process has become increasingly difficult, resulting in safety concerns and damage to panels,” explained Bend Parks and Recreation.

And while this construction will lead to an improved efficiency of cover removal, it will be costly for Summit sports programs. Unlike field sports, Water Polo and Swim teams cannot access practice spaces conveniently. A great deal of money goes into purchasing practice time/space and there is already a limited slot given to each High School. 

Summit Junior, Kaia Chopra is a Summit Swim and Water Polo player who is concerned about the closures’ effect on future generations of players.

“You can’t exactly play water polo anywhere, it’s a very specialized sport, and we have limited public pools in Bend, so unless programs can pay a lot of money to play in alternative facilities, there aren’t many options,” said Chopra.

While Juniper has stated that they are committed to working with clubs to make indoor pool space available, the indoor pool is only 25 meters and is much more limited. It’s unclear at the moment how Summit programs and other High Schools will adapt to this reconstruction, but it is clear that the closure will have a lasting impact.