Blue Lake Regional Park is set to reopen on May 25 for Memorial Day weekend after a nine-month closure to update the beloved park’s water and sewer systems. Also new this year, park visitors will be able to launch paddleboards, canoes and other small, nonmotorized watercraft onto Blue Lake.
“We heard from community members that access to the lake was important to them,” says senior planner Olena Turula, who is overseeing park renovations. “Earlier this year, after engaging with neighboring property owners, Metro updated park rules so we could offer ways to access the lake that are safe and equitable for all.”
Visitors should remember that while the lake is now more open to them, it is still a lake – not a swimming pool. There are no lifeguards and visitors are responsible for their own safety on and in the water. Metro offers boating tips on its website.
Metro is in the middle of updating the park, which annually hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors coming for barbecues, family reunions, cultural celebrations, fun runs, Impala shows and any other gathering that can fit under a picnic shelter or on a lawn.
The park was built in the 1930s and most of the structures were last updated in the 1960s. Critical infrastructure, like pipes, were more than 50 years old and not designed to serve so many people.
Those old pipes are gone, replaced with 2.5 miles of new plumbing that connects Blue Lake to Fairview’s water system.
By the end of June, the park’s fishing pier will reopen to the public after being closed due to unsafe conditions. The renovated pier will feature new accessibility improvements and covered areas.
The work is funded by Metro’s parks and nature bond, which voters approved in 2019.
Along with the plumbing and pier renovations, Metro is working on operations and maintenance facilities at the park, including a new park office. This work isn’t flashy, but it’s foundational, says Metro’s construction project manager Brent Shelby: “It’s crucial to all of the work that we do to take care of parks and natural areas throughout the region.”
About the Blue Lake renovation
Metro is updating Blue Lake Regional Park, ensuring the park can serve generations to come. Throughout 2024, Metro is asking community members to weigh in on plans and designs the park.
The Blue Lake Regional Park renovation plan will focus on improving accessibility for all ages and abilities, better pathways and signs in the park, and upgrades for the most popular activities and well-loved areas in the park.
The renovation of Blue Lake Regional Park will take several years to complete. Metro's approach is to first move quickly with projects that improve infrastructure and operations. The project is funded by Metro’s 2019 parks and nature bond measure.
Learn more about park improvements and sign up for updates