Seneca Lake State Park offers a beach, picnic tables, biking, boat launches, fishing and ice fishing. A "Sprayground" water park, as well as an adjacent traditional playground, are available for children ages 4 to 12. Two marinas with a total of 216 slips are also available at the park.[1]
History
The park began as a municipal park developed by the city of Geneva in 1922. The park was opened as Seneca Lake State Park in 1957 after the city transferred the land to the state of New York. The park's "Sprayground" was opened in 2002.[3]
2005 cryptosporidiosis outbreak
On August 1, 2005, the park closed its "Sprayground" water park after the parasiteCryptosporidium was discovered in the tanks supplying the attraction. By September 1 of that year, over 3,800 people had reported symptoms of cryptosporidiosis, a gastrointestinal illness caused by the parasite.[6] After laboratory analysis, 425 cases were confirmed and a total of 1,374 probable cases were considered to have originated from the park.[7] The incident led to the passage of increased regulations regarding sanitation procedures at water parks in New York State.[8]
The Sprayground reopened on August 26, 2006, following an upgrade of its filtration and disinfection facilities which included the incorporation of an ultraviolet unit.[9] A $5 million class-action lawsuit brought against New York State was settled in 2014, with damages being awarded to as many as 2,500 victims of the outbreak.[10][11]