KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The pool at Panther Creek State Park has received the funding it needs to stay open after being told it would be closed.

In January, county leaders began working to keep it open after state officials announced they were cutting funding from several state park pools. At the time, county leaders argued that Panther Creek was the only public pool in Hamblen County and the money it received was a tiny fraction of the state budget.

Tuesday, an advocate for the pool said that the state government has agreed to fund the pool reopening. However, the pool won’t reopen until sometime around 2024.

Panther Creek was one of 11 state parks whose pools would not reopen in 2022. The pools include Roan Mountain, Warriors’ Path, Norris Dam, Cove Lake, Booker T. Washington, Harrison Bay, David Crockett, David Crockett Birthplace, Paris Landing, and Tims Ford. In December of 2021, Norris Dam held a meeting to look for alternatives to the pool.