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including the addition of a second surf spotWhile the project takes plenty of 1999 paddling season, the course drops about 10 feet over its length and
<br /> frustrating bureaucratic negotiation, Harvey encourages paddlers hoping to bring contains three constricted drops.The site also features an adjacent boardwalk
<br /> a park to their community not to get too bogged down in the political process. and is near a city park with ample parking and public restrooms. Info:
<br /> "It's important to remember the real reason any of us get involved in the first www.depwhO2.mw.medioone. net /ecarlson54 /williamston.html.
<br /> place...throwing ends on your lunch break!" Info: (719) 539 -0700,
<br /> wwwarkrivertrustorg. Lock 32, Erie Canal, Pittsford, New York
<br /> Opened in the spring of 2000, the Lock 32 facility is unique in the world
<br /> Gore Creek, Vail, Colorado of whitewater parks, having originally been a part of the Erie Canal.When
<br /> Running through the heart of ski country, this town, once only known for visionary Rick Williams first spotted the overgrown and trash - filled by -pass
<br /> its powder, is now the proud home for one of the West's newest play parks. channel for Lock 32, only he could imagine the 700 - foot -long whitewater
<br /> Hand - crafted by Gary Lacy and Vail Public Works Department, Gore Creek course that now splashes through the former swamp. But thanks to four years
<br /> opened its waters to paddlers in 2001, giving kayakers 200 of work, 1,500
<br /> yards of twists and turns in the middle ofVail Village,The =- tons of
<br /> course was broken in by a star - studded field of pro transported rock
<br /> kayakers at the nationally televised Teva Mountain Games, > ( and an estimated
<br /> an event it will again host this year on Memorial Day {:'; cost of $100,000
<br /> weekend. = r (all but $8,000 of
<br /> Construction of the facility took just one month to ms s ro which was
<br /> complete with costs totaling approximately $175,000, with donated in
<br /> the Vail Town Council footing the bill.The park provides a materials or
<br /> healthy Class II -IV creek fix before dumping into the raging `, labor) there is
<br /> Dowd Chutes section of the Eagle. At high water the park _ w = now a clean and
<br /> consists of three components: a green wave, a break ng = ; exc
<br /> wave and a hydraulic. Info: (970) 476 -1000, whitewater
<br /> — Tracie Patterson , course from May
<br /> through October,
<br /> Red Cedar River, Williamston, Michigan .ttracth g 2,500
<br /> Though not known as a whitewater haven, central Lock and roll: the new Lock 32 course in Pittsford, N.Y. paddlers last year.
<br /> Michigan nonetheless has a fine whitewater park 20 miles Consisting of
<br /> east of Lansing on the Red Cedar River.The 1 00-yard-long course replaced a I I features, with an overall drop of 20 feet, the Class I1+ course has plenty to
<br /> dam built in 1840 and destroyed by a 1975 flood, When Michigan's DNR offer both slalom racers and rodeo tricksters alike. Williams hatched the idea
<br /> rejected the town of Williamston's bid to rebuild the dam, a plan was only after whitewater park designer John Anderson visited the region and
<br /> spearheaded by city council member Ed Noonan to create a whitewater park proposed what Williams called "a multi - million dollar type of deal." Knowing
<br /> that would allow fish passage and restore levels in the upstream impoundment that such a project was unlikely, Williams hit upon the Lock 32 site and armed
<br /> to accommodate flatwater activities.The landscaped, constricted riverbed with a $25 dollar canal permit, began his projectThe features were
<br /> features low flows and was built using a DNR Natural Resources Trust Fund constructed with innovative use of telephone poles sheathed in rubber.The
<br /> grant of $342,700 and $425,000 realized from the sale of bonds by the poles can be raised and lowered by hand by moving the rocks that support
<br /> Williamston Downtown Development Authority. Completed in time for the and cover them, meaning the course can always be easily adjusted and
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<br /> Permits contractor willing to work for 10 cents on the dollar and truckers willing to
<br /> Next, acquire a Stream Alteration Permit from the Division of Natural' move the rocks for free. We produced a $300;000 product for less than
<br /> Resources. This gives you and the city the right to alter a specific waterway. $30,000," Daniels says.
<br /> >: • Will the city really' alowyou to alter a waterway just so you can have. a park? Fru
<br /> Yes. "We anticipated environmental concerns that river runners might raise to Now you've got money, resourcefulness and /or some generous
<br /> our changing the riverbed, until Charlie Fagan, (Director of Golden Parks and connections.What Gar ou need is see profile). your
<br /> Recreation) pointed out many times Clear Creek had been altered by y y Lacy ( ) Lac y ,aloe along with y
<br /> generous contractor, can transform your aerial photographs and paper mace
<br /> gold miners and road construction crews," says the city's Greg Kapp: model into a whitewater oasis So you're done, `right? Now that you've
<br /> Raising, FUnds - pushed the bureaucratic train to motion, you can just climb inside the coach ;,
<br /> So fat, all you've invested in this project is a lot of time and perhaps a and hop off when it arrives at the finished park Probably not
<br /> little pride-That changes here-You're going to want to have something to Expect things to' go wrong. Daniels made the mistake of winning
<br /> show your possible donors. John Daniels, who spearheaded the play park in Ogden's City Administration's approval without going through the city
<br /> Ogden; Utah, suggests you acquire aerial photographs of the selected council. He found that volunteers had their own ulterior motives for their
<br /> ' .-section of river and a physical model of the play park. With the props efforts with the park. Contractors and truckers had other higherpriority
<br /> tucked delicately under your arm, it's time to start knocking on doors. Haw jobs that paid more than 10 cents on the dollar, ,causing delays.
<br /> hard you have to knock depends on the city you live in Another thing to watch out for is potential user - conflict. Durango,
<br /> Start with public money: City Parks and Rec is the agency that usually Colo:, ran into turmoil over modifications to their whitewater park in the
<br /> 'handles and funds such projects: State Parks and Rec will have more money winter of 2001.When the gem of the rafting run, Smelter Rapid, was
<br /> than their municipal counterpart, but less interest in putting the park in modified at the bequest of the kayaking`comrnunity, some in the rafting
<br /> your city, unless you've already rallied financial support from your city. community were upset by the hazard the augmented rapid created. Still
<br /> Golden acquired its $165,000 for the Clear Creek Whitewater Park from others were angry when the hole washed out in the spring, eliminating that
<br /> the state lottery needed feature from the run :The conflict highlights the need for consensus
<br /> Without the lottery, you might just have to rely on your amongst the paddling community when modifications at e made to an
<br /> resourcefulness and tenacity.When the last door closed in Daniels' face, he : existing community run.
<br /> had less than $30,000 to build the whitewater play park. But he also found a Christian Knight with reporting by Rebecca Hynes
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