Funding Shortfall Means Whitewater Park Unlikely

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Funding shortfall means whitewater park unlikely Funding shortfall means whitewater park unlikely Supporters currently $1.9M short in funding By MIKE WIGGINS and KYLENE KIANG The Daily Sentinel Wednesday, March 14, 2007 Pagel of 3 RANTS The U.S. Bureau of Reclam -ation on Tuesday slapped a $2.9 million price tag on a proposed whitewater park on the Colorado River east of Palisade, raising questions and doubts about whether backers of the park can raise money in time for the project's April deadline. "There's no one more disappointed than we are now," Palisade Mayor Doug Edwards said. The town and its partner in the project, the Western Association To Enjoy Rivers, have raised about $1 million so far and will have until April 12, or 30 days, to come up with the remaining $1.9 million. "It seems like we've been fundraising forever," said Edwards, who said he felt like he was "up a creek without a paddle, without a life jacket and without a boat." '11.9 million really feels like a bit much," he said, adding it probably will be difficult for Palisade to generate that amount. "We're a small town ... At this point it looks kind of hopeless," Edwards said. If the funds do come in, the Bureau of Reclamation will build the whitewater park in conjunction with its existing plans to construct a fish passage at the Price -Stubb Dam at the mouth of De Beque Canyon. Regardless of Palisade's fundraising efforts, federal officials will proceed with building the fish passage late this summer, in hopes of completing the passage by May 2008. The cost of the fish passage and whitewater park would be $12 million, while the cost of the fish passage alone is $9.7 million. The $2.9 million price tag for the park includes non - contract and contingency costs, Bureau of Reclamation area manager Carol DeAngelis said. The original estimated cost of the whitewater park ranged from $400,000 to $600,000. The Bureau of Reclamation later indicated the price could be closer to $2 to $2.5 million. In a letter to Grand Junction City Council members last fall, Palisade Town Administrator Tim Sarmo said he thought modifications to the design of the fish passage and park could reduce the cost of the park to around $1 million. The bureau listed the combined whitewater park and fish passage as its preferred alternative for dealing with the Price -Stubb Dam. The dam must be removed or altered for four species of endangered fish the Colorado pikeminnow, razorback sucker, humpback chub and bonytail to be restored to their http: / /cox.printthis. clickability. com /pt /cpt? action =cpt &title = Funding +shortfall +means +wh... 3/14/2007