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<br />Page 2 of 5 <br /> <br />While Shipley is excited to bring water sports to urban areas, he said the <br />creation of a park is only part of the process - it's also about river <br />restoration. <br /> <br />"We're not trying to create a skateboard park in a river," Shipley said. "We <br />use natural rock to anllor the bank and create pockets for natural habitat <br />and riparian zones." <br /> <br />As an added level of environmental protection, whitewater parks have to <br />get approval from the Army Corps of Engineers under Section 404 of the <br />Clean Water Act. Applicants must show they haven taken steps to avoid or <br />mitigate wetland impacts. <br /> <br />The Clear Creek Whitewater Park in Golden, Colo., has attracted the <br />interest and support of environmentalists. <br /> <br />"A lot of the people from the local environmental groups are peoplle that <br />use the whitewater facility," said JeffOxenford, vice-chairman of the <br />Golden Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. "The boating community is <br />very environmentally sensitive." <br /> <br />"Anybody can go in there and move a rock in a river," he said. "But to do it <br />properly - that's when you need someone who's got some experience." <br /> <br />Making waves <br /> <br />Whitewater parks can be built in existing water channels or created from <br />scratch. <br /> <br />In Golden, the whitewater park was built in Clear Creek, a streambed <br />previously disturbed by gold mining. The city has spent $342,000 on the <br />park, said Sabrina Henderson, city communication manager. <br /> <br />REP installed drop structures in the streambed that were constructed of <br />piled rocks and concrete to hold the rocks together. Oxenford said drop <br />structures make waves, also known as hydraulics or holds. A perfect wave <br />allows kayakers and canoeists to stay on the wave and do multiple tricks. A <br />poorly constructed drop lets users do only one trick before they get thrown <br />off. <br /> <br />REP returned to Golden in 2002 to add six new drops and repair rocks that <br />had moved. <br /> <br />In Charlotte, N.C., REP designed a three-channel course made with 8-inch <br />concrete walls, Shipley said. Landscape architects will create banks, <br />pathways and patios on the site, which was originally slated for soccer and <br />baseball fields. <br /> <br />A giant pump will recirculate water between collection pools at the top and <br />bottom. Shipley said the equipment will cost about $2 million, and the <br /> <br />http://www.djc.com/news/en/ll170278.html <br /> <br />2/14/2007 <br />