PENDLETON — The Pendleton Aquatic Center is opening for the first since 2019, but what its reopening looks like is highly dependent on Umatilla County’s COVID-19 risk level.

In an interview, Parks and Recreation Director Liam Hughes said the pool will reopen on June 12 after spending 2020 dormant.

Hughes said the “game changer” for the aquatic center was the state’s new standards for outdoor gatherings. While the state used to cap gatherings at a flat number, the state now factors in people per square feet and county risk level.

With the Pendleton Aquatic Center offering 128,000 square feet of space, the aquatic center offers some flexibility for city staff.

“We’re really fortunate that the aquatic center is such a large facility,” he said.

With Umatilla County currently at a high COVID-19 risk level, the aquatic center can welcome in up to 670 guests simultaneously. But the aquatic center’s capacity rises and falls with the county’s risk level.

Should the county fall into the extreme level, the city would cut off general admission to the pools, only allowing pool classes to operate at the facility. On the other hand, should the county graduate to moderate risk, the aquatic center’s capacity would grow to 1,100.

If Umatilla County manages to stay below the extreme level this summer, operations at the pool will look different than they have in past years.

Hughes said the city expects to hire slightly more pool staff to cover new sanitation standards, and all pool staff must wear masks unless in the water. The same rule applies to guests, who will also be required to socially distance when waiting in line for concessions or the water slide.

Among the aquatic center’s other facilities, the lockers in the locker rooms have been removed and renting the shelters is prohibited until the county falls below the high risk level.

Hughes said the pool should be a relatively safe environment during the pandemic because the risk of spreading the virus is lower outdoors and all of the chemical treatments staff use to clean the pool should keep the area sanitary.

While the number of people allowed will fall well below the aquatic center’s true 8,500-person capacity, Hughes said parks and recreation is hoping to offset some of the potential losses by offering a more expansive array of swimming classes.

As with anything related to COVID-19, Hughes cautioned that the city’s aquatic center plans were subject to change based on any revisions to the state’s guidance.