Dr. Louis Wilson has unquestionably run into skeptics and cynics as he's trod the path of an entrepreneur in trying to build what will without doubt be a huge tourist draw to Wichita Falls.

The local physician first approached the city of Wichita Falls about building a water park, a somewhat smaller but equally elaborate version of the water park that each year draws millions of tourists and millions of dollars to New Braunfels, Texas.

He ran into a brick wall of skepticism.

Then he tried to interest various investors, putting up his own money for feasibility studies and making ironclad relationships with the developers of Schlitterbaun.

The skeptics and cynics said it could not be done.

Wilson believed otherwise. Eventually he did persuade investors to join him.

And now the project is a done deal.

Ground-breaking will be next month. And the grand opening will be next May.

This is no longer a pipe-dream, and Wichita Falls will reap huge benefits from the willingness of Wilson to take a risk and a leap of faith.

The skeptics and cynics will no doubt continue to harp on the idea that water will be used in the waterpark (what else would you use -- sawdust?).

But, as part of the huge $5.5 million expense of building Castaway Cove, Wilson and partners will include water cleaning systems to recycle the H2O that kids and adults enjoy splashing in, and the park will also be a relatively nice customer of water that's already sold by the city to a number of industries and neighboring communities without griping from local residents. The park will use relatively little water, certainly compared to unstoppable evaporation from our lakes and from the unnecessary thirst of our elaborate landscapes that are totally unsuitable for a community located in a semi-arid part of the country.

All across the nation, waterparks are becoming more popular than any other kind of entertainment venue, and the designers of this particular park are the best in the business.

If we build it, will they come?

There's no doubt about it.

What would you rather do when the temperature stays above 100 degrees day after day during the long summer months -- sit at home in air-conditioned comfort fretting over becoming a couch potato or take the kids and young adults for refreshing fun at a waterpark?

The waterpark is a natural for our city.

It's just nothing to sweat about at all.

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Reprinted from the Wichita Falls Times Record News.