With Madison tucked between three lakes, it seems hard to believe there would ever be a need for an outdoor pool. Yet, when faced with the choice of swimming in a lake full of algae or in a heated pool, most will choose the pool.
\There are things you can do with a pool that you can't do with a beach. You can have swimming lanes, slides, diving boards; there are features unique to a pool,"" said mayoral spokesperson George Twigg.
A public pool, to some, is more than just a nice place to swim in the summer; it is sometimes the only place to swim, as beaches are periodically closed due to poor water quality.
""Beaches are closed frequently, and growing more so because of new and better standards,"" Parks Superintendent James Morgan said. ""The lakes are a great asset. They're just not the same as a swimming pool. Eighty-two degrees, sparkling clear water; you just don't get that at the beaches. It's unusual not to have a pool, even in a city with lakes.""
There is also the concern of the quality of water in Madison's lakes.
""The Madison lakes have several species of bacteria that can be deadly to humans and wildlife. There is good reason to be very cautious about entering the water,"" said Dave Zaber, assistant researcher at the UW Arboretum.
The bacteria in the lakes is primarily a result of phosphorus entering by runoffs from agricultural fields and construction sites, and from commercial fertilizers, manure and grass clippings. The more phosphorus in the lakes, the more blue-green algae.
Many experts claim the algae problem in Madison's lakes is harmless. Since the lakes are constantly being monitored, the public can be warned if there is any risk in swimming at a particular beach.
""Counts are done routinely. The beaches meet health standards-they can be somewhat green and they can have algae, but that does not
mean they are not 'swimmable,'"" Johnson said.
There have been instances when the water has been more than just a nuisance. Last summer, a dog died after swimming in Lake Kegonsa and in 2002, a Dane County teen died after jumping into a pond containing blue-green algae.
As a result, there has been a strong push to improve the quality of Madison's lakes through numerous programs to gradually reverse the effects of human development on the lakes, said Sue Jones, Dane Country Watershed Management Coordinator.
The current programs are making progress but an outdoor pool will provide a place to swim for those who are wary of swimming in the lakes.
""There are huge amounts of public projects going on to clean up the lakes. Everything from reducing phosphorus runoff, more frequent street sweeping, shoreline restoration... there's been visible changes for the better, but even if all of it works, the water is still not going to be great for a long time-it's hard to teach swim lessons in murky water,"" James Morgan said.
