The pool area at the Altamira Apartments in 1998.
We’re defining Tucson in 100 objects. The daily series began April 20. Follow along at: azstarnet.com/100objects
Staying wet is just about the only way to comfortably spend summer outside in Tucson.
In the early days, Tucsonans flocked to natural pools in the mountain canyons and dammed the Santa Cruz River to create oases in town.
Swimming pools were fancy-resort luxury items until the post-war building boom when they began showing up in people’s backyards.
A 2012 study done by Tucson Water and the Pima County Regional Flood Control District, found pools were a feature in 25 percent of homes built before 2000.
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Only 15 percent of those built after 2000 had them.
Pool-building certainly hasn’t disappeared, though the size of pools installed in today’s smaller backyards continues to shrink.
Kids still flock to neighbor’s houses with pools and to city, county and private pools in summer.
Area resorts have installed fancy pools with big slides to lure Tucsonans to come cool off and spend a few bucks when the tourists head for cooler climes.
And, while Tucson’s last drive-in movie closed in 2009, “dive-in” movies are proliferating at commercial and public pools.
