Reprinted From: On Hudson.com, 2015

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This exciting and innovative structure is intended to provide a safe area for swimming and wading in the Hudson River for people of all ages and to promote use, awareness and stewardship of the Hudson River. The first phase of the River Pool is a 20’ prototype wading pool which will be used to test the concepts and materials. A larger, full use swimming pool will be constructed during Phase 2.

Goals and Objectives
Provide access to the Hudson River via a facility inexpensive to the public.
Educate the general public about the importance of continuing to preserve and clean the Hudson River.
Promote swimming as a fun healthful fitness activity in a natural environment.
Demonstrate to other communities the viability of floating pools by building a successful prototype.

Beacon River Pool Description
Like its historic precedents, the Beacon River Pool is partially submerged in the water, allowing River water to flow through. From the shore of the park,
a ramp leads to the pool. This prototype pool is 20 feet in diameter with a water depth between 24 and 30 inches. The pool bottom, a high strength net made of Dyneema twine, is held in place by a rigid structural perimeter tube. Floatation/seats line the perimeter of the pool – offering pool users spectacular views of the River. The pool is used from early July to Labor Day and is stored in sheds at Riverfront Park in the winter season. The success of this prototype will facilitate the development of larger and deeper floating pools in the future.

The River Pool Site
The river pool is located just off the north shore of Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park – a central destination for local youth and adults. The park is only minutes away from Beacon’s train station and ferry dock as well as regional attractions such as DIA: Beacon and the Beacon Landing peninsula. The water quality at the River Pool site is one of the best in Dutchess County.

River Pool Precedents
In the 19th and early 20th Century floating bathhouses dotted the perimeter of Manhattan. These submerged wooden cages were open to the flow of the river- and allowed for safe swimming and bathing. Similar “flow-thru” river pools were found in Paris and other European cities and a few are still in active use in Switzerland’s rivers today. Today, due to considerable water quality improvements in the Hudson River and growing community interest in recreational river swimming, the construction of a River Pool is once again a timely endeavor.