The hot, dry weather for the past two months has helped keep the slides busy and the pools full at Splash in Boro this summer, though attendance is a bit off last year's record pace.
      Steve Brown, Aquatics Division manager at Splash, said as of July 4 the water park was slightly behind its 2010 mark of 76,783 total ticket sales with roughly 73,000 people coming to the park by Independence Day 2011.
      "We have had a great summer so far," Brown said. "The numbers are strong and the revenues are up, I think everybody can agree we have had some hot days and some dry weather so it's been great for water parks although it may not be so great for everybody else, but our attendance has been up and everybody's having a good time."
      As summer drifts closer to August, Brown said the Mill Creek Park attraction finds its numbers on par with previous years, averaging around 1,900 people a day.
      "Compared to last year through July 4 from 2010 to 2011 we are a little bit behind last years numbers," Brown said. "We feel that given the current state of the economy, gas prices being the way they are, and people just not having as much disposable income that they may have had last year. Combine that along with our prices going up a little bit we feel like that is why our numbers are slightly down, but overall we are still doing well."
      About 25 percent of Splash's total ticket sales come from Bulloch County residents, with the rest being made up of non-residents. Brown said that pattern of attendance has been true since the park opened and continues to date.
      As for tickets, prices rose slightly this year, increasing by $1 for Bulloch residents to $10 and $8, depending on height, and $2 for non-residents to $12 and $10.
      The park will maintain its regular daily hours through Aug. 8, when it will switch to open on weekends only. The park will close for the season after Sept. 5 - Labor Day.