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000238 sent to the appellate court e unlikely opponent-the state itself via the Colorado Water Conservation BoarcJ.A ruling's not expected for at least a year, says Dan Hartman, the city's Public Works director. A win by Golden at the appeals level would provide legal ammunition for scores of other Colorado municipalities hoping to reap the same benefits. Info: www.cityofgolden.netlrentalslwhitewaterlwhitewater.htm. -Stormy Colman Clear Creek Whitewater Park, Golden_orado When Golden, Colo., city officials approved construction of a whitewater park fIVe years ago, they figured it would attract some paddlers, Ji<;)?~g fans and serenity seekers. But they had no idea how big a draw it r. '. ';".J be-or the economic impact it would have. Officially dedicated in June \. . .'. i Clear Creek Whitewater Park has become an important economic "'ctriV~r in the town that Coors built, even acting as a magnet for students considering attending the renowned Colorado School of Mines in Golden. 'We are all shocked-city council, staff, even paddlers-by how many cars there are driving down the street with kayaks on top," says Charlie Fagan, parks and recreation director for Golden. "It's just a fantastic success." A handful of kayakers, including park designer Gary Lacy, approached Fagan several years ago with the idea of building a whitewater park in town. Armed with the information they provided, Fagan convinced a somewhat skeptical city council to spend $165,000 in Colorado Lottery proceeds to build the park, which includes a half- dozen drops culminating in a playhole, slalom gates and a landscaped riverside walkway. The move has paid off handsomely. A recent study by Stratus Consulting of Boulder puts the economic impact of the park at $ 1.4 million to $2 million annually. Pretty impressive when you consider that .....-:'C).ney's coming ( . 3.rily from \. . Jlers, people who'll forego food in favor of the . .:c:.;'j;~ -,,:: ,!" latest baatAfterthe Golden gates: the Clear Creek Park brings in $2 million a year for the city. 200 I Clear Creek Whitewater Festival, organizers handed city council a $2.000 check to help with repairs and maintenance on the course.The park's success has prompted Fagan to begin developing plans that would more than double its quarter-mile length, extending it through downtown and to the edge of Coors' operations (a convenient take-out) The park may also become a legal bellwether. Last summer; Golden sought legal claim to what's called recreational instream flow of as much as 1,000 cfs through the park during the peak season of May-July. The city took that step to prevent any upstream water rights holder from building a reservoir or diversion that would diminish flows through the course. After resolving any objections from upstream and downstream water rights holders, Golden prevailed in a Colorado trial court only to find the issue Vampa River, Steamboat Springs, Colorado Thanks to efforts by a group of paddling-in-the-blood locals, Steamboat Springs, with the Yampa River flowing right through town, recently upgraded its surling stature with a new playhole just downstream of the library. Though the river has already been improved over the years, complete with a slalom course and several playholes sprinkled throughout town, the most recent addition is the real deal, and another notch on the paddle shaft of river park designer Gary Lacy. For less than $20,000. including local donations of boulders, engineering and even excavating. the town now has a playhole that should extend its season well into summer: "It's a perfect location for the feature," says Lacy. who worked on the course over a long weekend last November. 'It has plenty of water flow. gradient and easy accessibility.. Interest in creating the new playhole arose in spring 200 I when proceeds from the Fat City Showdown kayak rodeo, sponsored by Fat Eddy's Threadworks and Paddler magazine, were put into a fund administered by the City. Radio and print ads asking for local support helped more funds trickle into the account, all matched by the Gty: When the numbers reached the magic amount, companies such as Native Excavating stepped up to the plate and the plans were drawn. "It was a real community effort," says the City's Chris Amis, one of the first people to "test" the new hole on a cold November morning. "And it's amazing that it all came together so quickly-once everything was in place, the whole thing was built in about four days." Though the new hole has yet to be named. expect it to follow a similar theme of playspots upstream, which carry such names as A-hole and Double Z. Info: (970) 879-6249. --edb