Pool Closure for the Season Announced
After a longer-than-usual season that began in April and stretched into the fall, the J.A. Hodges Swimming Pool will officially close for the season on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
The pool's closing date was originally advertised as Oct. 4, but unexpected maintenance and other operational issues will require the facility to begin its annual winterization process earlier than anticipated.
Until Oct. 2, the pool will remain open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 7 a.m. to noon and Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., weather permitting.
It has been an exceptionally long season for the community pool, which opened April 24 and will have remained in operation for more than five months by the time the doors close for winter.
Pool leadership credits much of the season's success to an outstanding staff of young, professional and highly trained lifeguards. Throughout the summer, staff members handled daily operations with professionalism while responding to emergency situations with the training and composure expected of first responders.
Behind the scenes, they also helped keep the facility running — maintaining water quality, assisting patrons and ensuring that safety remained the top priority throughout the season.
By the end of the summer, every individual lifeguard had been recognized as a Lifeguard of the Week. Many began the season as new employees and finished it as experienced lifeguards and shift leaders, demonstrating tremendous growth over the course of just a few months.
The pool would also like to recognize the contributions of the Sierra County Swim Team, the Tigersharks, whose members and leadership assisted throughout the summer with water chemistry and clarity, pool cleaning, staff training and facility safety protocols.
Destiny Mitchell, head coach of the Tigersharks — and, as the staff affectionately came to know her, "Head Coach of Everybody" — provided leadership and support throughout the season. New pool supervisor Stephen Glines also contributed significantly to facility operations during the majority of the summer.
Perhaps the greatest measure of the season's success has come from the people who use the pool.
Throughout the summer, patrons regularly complimented the lifeguards, staff, water quality and overall condition of the facility, with some thanking the City of Truth or Consequences for maintaining what they described as one of the "nicest pools in the state."
One particularly memorable compliment came from an 80-year-old lap swimmer who has traveled extensively around the world and called J.A. Hodges "the best pool I've ever swam in."
For a community facility in a small New Mexico town, it was quite a compliment — and a reminder that Truth or Consequences really does have a gem in its community swimming pool.
There are still a couple of weeks left to enjoy it. Admission remains just $1 per session, and residents are encouraged to stop by before Oct. 2 to cool off, relax, get in a workout, swim some laps or bring the kids for one last afternoon at the pool before winterization begins.
After a season that stretched from spring through early fall, the J.A. Hodges Swimming Pool staff extends its thanks to the swimmers, families, visitors, volunteers and community members who helped make the 2026 season a memorable one.