Westwood Park Splash Pad - Water Features & Filtration Equipment

Location: Minden, Nevada

Project Type: Community splash pad featuring a flowing river, nature-themed water features, and complete filtration equipment.

Features:

Westwood Park in Minden, Nevada, has long served as a recreational cornerstone for local families, and recent enhancements have elevated its status as the go-to outdoor space for play, relaxation, and connection in the area. As part of the town’s community-driven upgrades, sparked by local feedback and a shared vision for improvement, the park now features a redesigned playground, new shaded seating areas, updated lighting, and a beautifully renovated pavilion. One of the most exciting additions is a brand-new splash pad, designed to bring more dynamic water play to the community.

Inspired by the success of the original Minden Park splash pad opened in 2019, Minden Town Manager JD Frisbee led the charge to expand water play options for residents. The Westwood Park splash pad was proposed in the spring of 2023, with construction beginning in the summer of 2024. The project was brought to life through a collaboration between Great Western Recreation, AquaWorx, the splash pad manufacturer, the Town of Minden, and generous contributions from the Carson Valley Active 20-30 Club.

The unique splash pad design features a river-inspired trench that surrounds the water play area. A shallow “river” flows through the center of the pad, circling the large custom dumping bucket and weaving through interactive features like the water rings and cattails. The river effect is achieved by a sculpted trench in the splash pad’s concrete surface, continuously powered by Riverflow thruster systems that keep water in motion for endless wading, splashing, and exploring.

A carefully selected mix of AquaWorx interactive water features brings the Westwood Park splash pad to life, offering a range of interactive aquatic play experiences for patrons of all ages and abilities. At the front of the pad, the Aqua Animal 3 water rings invite children to run through and race beneath flowing streams of water. On either side of the river, Aqua Cannons encourage playful competition as kids splash back and forth across the shallow channel. Two nature-inspired Aqua Cattails line the edges of the river. The centerpiece of the splash pad is a custom Aqua Dumping Bucket, a stainless steel and fiberglass structure topped with slatted roof panels and a large barrel. This dual-function design allows patrons standing beneath the roof to enjoy a curtain of falling water, while those positioned in front brace for a dramatic, soaking splash as the barrel dumps below. A combination of arching ground sprays, bubblers, and split streams are positioned in the middle and near the back of the pad, creating a softer play zone ideal for younger children. These features work together to provide a layered, multi-generational, inclusive water play experience that keeps families engaged and returning for more.

To support this vibrant aquatic space, AquaWorx supplied a 14-foot equipment cabinet that houses the splash pad’s full recirculating water management system, including the river thrusters and sand filters. By opting for sand filtration, the system provides a reliable, cost-effective method for maintaining treated, clean water, delivering a safer aquatic play experience.

With thoughtful theming, innovative water flow design, and features for all ages, the Westwood Park splash pad exemplifies how community partnerships and creative engineering can transform local parks into aquatic play destinations.