Slam the Dam Open Water Swim Cancelled Due To Government Shutdown

While Congress is working on negotiations over whether to restore temporary funding to the National Park Service that has been shutdown in the blockbuster partial shutdown of the United States’ federal government, swimming events continue to be affected.

The latest is the Slam the Dam that was scheduled to take place on Saturday, October 5th at the Lake Mead National Recreational Area near Las Vegas.

According to a news release posted on the swim’s official site, this, along with an American Bass Association Fishing Tournament, on Friday, are cancelled at this time.

Lake Mead is the 5th-most visited site of the National Park Service, the National Park Service says that Lake Mead hosts 14,500 visitors on an average day in October, and see $500,000 in total sales per day from the surrounding communities are being lost.

170 employees at Lake Mead are currently furloughed, with approximately 60 remaining on duty.

The Slam the Dam event features a 1.2 mile, 2.4 mile, and 8 kilometer swim.

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Michael Benedict
5 years ago

What ever happened to Slam the Dam. Did the organizer just stop putting it on???

Jg
11 years ago

Now what or who is actually stopping all this.? Is there a Decree? Is there a Louis 14th or Napoleon sitting in DC? Is it The Czar for national parks?

What if you all went anyhow? Could they imprison everyone ? No.

What have they got besides a sign & a road barricade.? Nothing.

Do it.

11 years ago

It really is a shame for all those that had traveled and were ready to go. I was going to do it but personal life had gotten complicated. Feel bad for those that couldn’t swim.

PAC12BACKER
11 years ago

The park is still owned by the American people. Don’t confuse your love of the country with the form of gov’t that currently resides. Look at England for example.

Go around or over the gates in a unified peaceful fashion. Who’s going to stop you from using your park?

Danm133
Reply to  PAC12BACKER
11 years ago

Amen to that.

lsswim
11 years ago

So bummed about this. We were looking forward to this race!!

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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