Laserfiche WebLink
Whitewater Park will mainly be used be for beginners and novices to practice their skills on <br />moving water. At higher flows, the it will be capable of being used for slalom events, play - <br />boating, cartwheeling, Whitewater rodeos, etc. <br />Use of the Whitewater Park will occur at many times, including during the night. <br />Nighttime boating is an option similar to the nighttime winter boating that was popular on <br />Boulder Creek due to nighttime hydro -power release, and is popular on Clear Creek in Golden. <br />Special evening events have been held on the Boulder Creek Course for a number of years and <br />similar events could be scheduled in Gunnison. When flows are adequate, use of the Whitewater <br />Park for a variety of types of boating occurs. <br />Low Flow <br />The Whitewater Park will have a low flow rate of 250 cfs. Water at this flow rate will be <br />controlled and diverted throughout the Whitewater Park and will not be wasted. The low flow <br />rate for which the Whitewater Park was designed (250 cfs) was based on basic hydraulic formulas <br />coupled with a working knowledge of this segment of the Gunnison River and its characteristics. <br />The structures are hydraulically and structurally sound, with anchors into the bed and banks of the <br />river with large stone and concrete. I can provide more detail regarding design information if <br />necessary. <br />The structures and their elevation/configuration were designed to provide depth for <br />boating during low flows, even when the whitewater wave features are not present. Please see the <br />enclosed plan, profile and section views of a typical structure within the Whitewater Park. <br />High Flows <br />The primary purpose of the Whitewater Park is to provide a whitewater recreation <br />experience for kayaks and other whitewater craft. The high flow rate for which the Whitewater <br />Park was designed (2000 cfs) was based on basic hydraulic formulas coupled with a working <br />knowledge of this segment of the Gunnison River and its characteristics. Water at this flow rate <br />will be controlled and diverted throughout the Whitewater Park and will not be wasted. The <br />waveforms, hydraulics, eddies, and holes become powerful and are conducive to play - boating, <br />slalom boating, and squirt boating. The structures that will create these features are hydraulically <br />and structurally sound, with anchors into the bed and banks of the river with large stone and <br />concrete. I may provide more detail regarding design information if necessary. Please see the <br />enclosed plan, profile and section views of a typical structure within the Whitewater Park. <br />Conclusion <br />The opinions in this letter are based on my experience in designing whitewater parks and a <br />long avocation as a whitewater paddler. Based on that background, it is my opinion that a low <br />flow rate is 250 cfs, and the high flow rate is 2,000 cfs. The quality of the Whitewater Park will be <br />3 <br />160424 <br />