SOUTH HADLEY — The spray parks at Buttery Brook and Beachgrounds parks will dry up after June 30 unless the Friends of the Buttery Brook Park raises $15,000 to keep the water flowing for the rest of the season.

The nonprofit, volunteer-run organization launched a crowdfund on May 27 that has already raised more than $1,600. The Friends have also been tabling at weekly Friday Cruise Nights.

“We are committed to the spray park, maintenance and helping the town anywhere we can so we don’t lose services and any improvements to the park,” said Friends of the Buttery Brook Park President Kim Prough.

The spray parks typically require between $18,000 and $20,000 to run from the weekend before Memorial Day to the weekend after Labor Day. The fiscal year 2027 budget reduced water costs from $30,000 to $6,000, which may force Human Services Director Andy Rodgers to turn off the water before the summer heats up to what experts predict may be record El Niño temperatures.

“We want to give our community a place to recreate, stay cool, have fun,” Rodgers said. “If you go out on a hot summer day, there are hundreds of people out there.”

South Hadley spray parks are often the first to open and the last to close, keeping kids cool during abnormally hot days. Temperatures already peaked at 90 degrees Fahrenheit this year.

Since the spray parks opened on May 17, children have splashed, sprinted and squealed through the icy cold water at Buttery Brook and Beachgrounds. Both parks are open from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and families are there at all hours.

Parents at Buttery Brook on a hot June day last week said they frequent other spray parks, pools and even sprinklers in their backyards, but the South Hadley spray park off Route 33 offers a change of pace where kids can get their energy out while adults lounge in the cool grass.

“They improved the park a lot recently,” said South Hadley resident Sam Fidman.

The Buttery Brook Park water playground is one of the many new additions to the recreational area built with a $950,000 state grant. The new pickleball courts, disc golf holes and pavilions have attracted new visitors to town and bolstered economic activity, supporters say.

“We anticipate the usage to grow, which is exactly what we want,” Prough said. “This is why we invest in the park because it’s a wonderful resource, a gem for the town and an economic impact for the town because you have people coming into the town who are probably going to grab a bite to eat, some gas, [or] shop at local stores.”

The spray park attracts organizations to rent the cabins and pavilions for events or retreats. Prough said several bookings have already inquired about the spray park’s availability during these events. The rental fees fund many of the salaries for parks employees who maintain the recreation areas.

With tight municipal budgets ahead, the Friends are preparing to take on more of the upkeep and maintenance costs. According to Prough, the organization recognizes that projects such as regrading pickleball courts or repairing a broken disc golf hole will likely strain dwindling funding. In preparation, the Friends have begun a maintenance fund to lend a helping hand to the park and preserve the recreation area.

“Part of what we are charged to do is to alleviate some of that burden from the town and plug in where we can,” she said. “If we need to pull from some of those to help with the spray park, we will do that.”