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Plans move ahead for whitewater park <br />Plans move ahead for whitewater park <br />By GARY HARMON The Daily Sentinel <br />Wednesday, November 01, 2006 <br />Page 1 of 2 <br />The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on Tuesday put out revised drawings for a combined fish passage and <br />whitewater park in the mouth of De Beque Canyon, officials said. <br />The revised drawings are the culmination of negotiations between the bureau and Palisade aimed at <br />reducing the difference between building a fish passage alone and one with the whitewater park. <br />In releasing the revised documents to bidders, the bureau moved ahead without Palisade's agreement to <br />a construction easement for the project, said Justyn Hock of the bureau's Grand Junction Area Office. <br />The easement is the latest sticking point in the continuing discussions between the town and the federal <br />agency about the project. <br />While the bureau lists the combined project as its preferred alternative for the Price -Stubb Dam on the <br />Colorado River, it has maintained that it can't spend federal money on a whitewater park, only the <br />passage for endangered fish. <br />Town officials insist that the project is unsafe without the whitewater park because boaters will be <br />tempted to negotiate the rapids there. <br />"As a demonstration of good faith, we're going to go ahead" with release of the revised documents as <br />scheduled, Hock said. <br />While the town hadn't committed, talks were moving well, she said. <br />Palisade officials couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday. <br />Once bids are in and have been evaluated, it will be up to the town and a private organization, the <br />Western Association to Enjoy Rivers, to make up the difference between the combined project and the <br />fish passage alone an amount that officials estimate at $175,000. <br />That number, however, could be far higher, depending on the final results of the bidding process, bureau <br />officials have cautioned. <br />The Colorado Riverfront Foundation last month pledged $25,000 to bridge the gap, and the association <br />said it has collected about $10,000 more in pledges in its "Making Waves" fundraising drive. <br />http: // cox. printthis .clickability.com /pt /cpt? action =cpt &title =Plans +move +ahead +for +whit... 11/2/2006 <br />