Website Official Website | Opened 1928 Phone +1 501-888-4148 Closed 2013 | |
Location Little Rock, Arkansas, United States Address 3903 Willow Lake Rd, Little Rock, AR 72206, USA Similar Wild River Country, Arkadelphia Aquatic Park, Funland Amusement Park, Magic Springs and Cryst, University Mall | ||
Girl contracts brain eating parasite at willow springs water park arkansas
Willow Springs was a Water park located in Little Rock, Arkansas. It closed for swimming in July 2013 after a second reported rare parasitic infection was traced back to its waters. It subsequently reopened for fishing, but not swimming. It closed permanently in August 2015.
Contents
Willow springs water park
History & description
It was built in 1928. Willow Springs is a sandy bottom spring and well fed lake, similar to Maywood Beach in Mississippi. The water was chemically treated, chlorinated, pH balanced, and clear. Unlike most water parks, visitors could bring their own food and drinks into the park, though a restaurant called Upper Deck Café was located on site.
Season
Willow Springs was open from May through September each year.
Parasitic infections and closing
On July 26, 2013, the owner of the park shut it down indefinitely after a swimmer was diagnosed with a rare case of the parasitic infection Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, 3 years after another swimmer at the park died from the same illness. The Arkansas Department of Health determined that the park may have been at higher risk because the water is shallow and heats up faster. The owner had hoped to re-open the park if it would have been financially feasible to cover the bottom with concrete, since the parasite tends to live in the soil at the bottom of warm fresh water.