The Basic information about the proposal from REP & Eric Hall that was presented to the Hamilton Dam Sub-committee of the Flint River Corridor Alliance:

I have been working quite a bit recently with Recreation Engineering & Planning (REP) based out of Boulder Colorado. Initially I was working with the McLaughlin Group, but the level of support that is required in these early stages, to gain enough support and momentum to actually be able to present this proposal to the city, is quite large, and I simply wasn't getting the same level of support, documentation and answers to my specific questions from them as I have from REP. REP has been the trend setter in Whitewater Parks for over 30 years. In that time, Recreation Engineering and Planning has created 90% of all of the in-stream whitewater parks in the United States. These parks include the popular Reno Whitewater Park in downtown Reno, home of the Reno Whitewater Festival, the Vail Whitewater Park, which has hosted the Teva Mountain Games, and the Golden Whitewater Park, which is an example of how dramatic an effect these parks can have on the local economy.

REP's Parks are not just designed for the many kayakers and river enthusiasts who will visit them; they are designed for the communities in which they reside. These parks are community parks with trails, streamside seating, fishing, tubing, and family areas. It is this all-encompassing design that led the Mayor of Reno to call the Reno Whitewater Park the, "Best capital investment project I've seen."

Recreation Engineering and Planning has pioneered several in-stream design and restoration technologies. Among them are low-head-dam re-design projects that allow dangerous and impassable dams to provide safe passage, recreation, and help to restore the river's natural morphology in a way that allows fish to pass upstream and for a healthy and robust in-stream and riparian zone environment. REP has implemented these types of projects on small narrow low head dams, such as the existing structure at the Reno Whitewater Park and on large dams on wide rivers, such as the Bow River Weir Project in Calgary, Alberta that is more than 700 feet wide and drops more than 12 feet!

REP's Initial plan for the Hamilton Dam site was specifically formulated based on the two main requirements of the city that I provided to them. 1) The city must be able to maintain 100% active control of the flow of the river to ensure adequate water pooling above the dam to support the new water treatment facility and 2) Due to historical contamination, the city is voicing that the sediment in the river (ground water contamination etc.) must be able to be contained and controlled during the removal and replacement of the dam. The resulting plan is to repair the existing Crest & Head (or base structure) of the dam if possible. Add Obermeyer Spillway Gate System to the repaired Head structure, allowing complete flow control, or to a newly created base structure if the existing head can't be maintained. Create a series of stepped drop structures downstream of the existing dam crest that provides recreational opportunities and fish passage. Not only will the drops create rapids, but they will also create play spots for "Play Boat" kayaking or "Rodeo" kayaking (small specially designed whitewater kayaks that allow the paddler to do flips, cartwheels and other acrobatic stunts). By adding the stepped drop structures downstream from the dam, sediment levels and disruption during construction are not a concern.

Flint Michigan White Water Park Project

This is our group's page related to the potential White Water Park for the Hamilton Dam replacement project in Flint Michigan. As related in an article in the Flint Journal on Sunday October 14th, 2007, the 87-year-old dam is in critical need of being fixed. One proposed solution is creating a man-made section of white water that would both help the resident fish (namely Walleye) population, and create an otherwise lacking recreational opportunity for canoers and kayakers. Similar white water parks are becoming more and more popular across the country, and are often half the price of replacing such a dam. If you support the ideal, would like to know more or would like to support the cause, this is the place to be. We are trying to add some files from other similar projects that we have researched for your information.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Whitewater Park? “Whitewater Parks” are venues that have been partially or wholly augmented to facilitate whitewater recreation. Whitewater parks have been constructed at a wide range of sites including natural, modified, and artificial stream channels.

Why do People Create Whitewater Parks?: There are many reasons for the creation of whitewater parks, including: to create enthusiasm by attracting locals and visitors to the park, to create a venue for paddling competitions, to enhance the fish habitat in the river, to restore riparian vegetation along the banks of the river, to create a family-friendly and easily accessible creek/river-side park, to improve the aesthetics of the site, to provide local economic stimulation, and/or to improve general river safety by removing a hazard. The Iowa Whitewater Coalition has developed a video about river renewal through dam removal and whitewater feature construction. The video can be viewed online at: http://www.iowawhitewater.org/RORvideo.html

What kind of permits are needed for a whitewater park? Modifying a river channel for a whitewater park requires securing of necessary permits and approval from numerous state and federal agencies. Each agency has their own regulatory mandate for protecting public resources, which include water quality, fish, wildlife, and habitat. Agency jurisdiction is dependent on land ownership and issues associated with the park development. Most states have an agency that oversees state streams and rivers. The agency name varies by state but typically is referred to as the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). This state agency requires a stream alteration permit prior to any bank or channel modifications. Below is a list of agencies that may or may not have jurisdiction. Consult a map and respective agency staff to determine if approval is needed.

What agencies are involved in whitewater parks? The Service, Army, National, and the U.S. Forest Service. State agencies in charge of Water Quality, Fish and Game, State Lands, and Local Zoning may also be involved.

What are some Design Resources? * John Anderson’s McLaughlin Rincon and Gary Lacy’s REP are two respected names in the field.

What about safety, liability, and insurance? Although injuries at parks throughout the world are rare, the potential for injury related liability must be addressed. Liability will be shared by requiring insurance from on-site operators, event organizers and public users. Generally, special events require special insurance while the river parks are covered under umbrella policies. Basic risk management and common sense site planning that is documented and applied throughout the process can easily mitigate the risks associated with most parks. Following the AW safety code when applicable greatly simplifies this process. Simple measures such as posting warning signs, clearly marking boundaries where boating is and is not permitted, and design measures that facilitate self-recovery are a few of the methods that have been employed by existing facilities to improve user safety. Removal of any in-stream hazards is recommend when feasible and will improve the safety of all park users. Minor site adaptation can further mitigate the risks of any remaining hazards. The increased presence of paddlers will also improve the overall safety for other river users. The use of any facility employing such measures should then be considered low risk.

How do you fund the design and construction of your whitewater park concept? Most existing whitewater parks were funded through county or city departments. Funding is often incorporated into the city or county tax structure. A few funding options are concessionaire fees, donations, capital funds, bonds, short-term borrowing, government grants and private foundation grants. For more detailed information on these options, link to funding.

Why a Whitewater Park?
•Modify the hazardous dam
•Attract visitors to the park
•Create a venue for paddlers
•Increase the city’s water supply
•Enhance the fish habitat
•Create a family-friendly and easily accessible river park
•Improve the aesthetics of the site
•Provide local economic stimulation

Users of the Park
• Down River Kayakers and Canoeist
• Play Boaters
• Tubers
• Fishermen
• Spectators
• Swift Water Rescue Training

Economic Impacts
• Recreation
• Tourism
• Competitions
• New Jobs & Businesses
• Environmental Awareness
• Construction of the River
• Enhance Land & Property Value
• Business Retention

WHITEWATER IN YOUR TOWN

You’ve been planning a whitewater course for months. Maybe for years. You’re excited about the possibilities and aware of the challenges, which may accompany a project of terrific proportion like the one, you and your group are undertaking. 

Then again…perhaps you’ve just recently heard that whitewater courses are being built “all over” and are simply curious to know what all the noise is about.

What do you need to know as you plan to build or enhance your whitewater course? What are the “must do” steps, as well as those, which are “nice to know?”  The McLaughlin Whitewater Design Group can help you navigate through the most important aspects of planning your whitewater course as you pursue funding, or develop a stakeholder outreach program. Our unique sets of skills and experiences — from hydrologic and civil engineering to architecture, stakeholder development and resources planning — offer both technical excellence and a broad vision.

This section of our web site outlines some important considerations as you start or review your plans for building a whitewater course in your town.

WHITEWATER IN YOUR TOWN
Course Types

The terms whitewater “courses,” “parks” and even “stadiums” are being used interchangeably to refer to both artificially enhanced rivers and completely self-contained venues. As this outdoor recreation expertise evolves, new terms will be added to our vocabulary. Here are a few to get you started:

In-Channel - courses, which modify the flow of water and create intentional hydrologic features in existing river or streambeds.  These are by far most common. Their design and construction can also be the most demanding, for the structural integrity of any in-channel structures must be high to withstand constant flow and extreme fluctuation.

Out-of-Channel - courses that create intentional features and flow on water which has been diverted from a river or stream.

Diversion - a structure or system, which obstructs or diverts water flow, like a dam.

Recirculating - courses which are self-contained and employ pumps to move water the site. There are a growing number of these around the world, still limited in number due their complexity. 

 WHITEWATER IN YOUR TOWN
Design Parameters

There are a few factors whose consideration will you help determine the scope of your project. They are common to the projects on which we work, and all are considered initially to determine how we can best meet your objectives.

Water Volume - How much water (flow rate in cubic feet or meters per second) are you planning to accommodate?  What is the ideal level for recreation for your project?  As you might guess, it is easier to build a set of diversion structures designed to manage 500 cfs than 70,000 cfs.

Fluctuation - Your river probably fluctuates during the year: what is that range, and in how much of that range do you want your artificial or enhanced river features to function? To extend the previous example, designing a whitewater course that will be useful at a range of 500 to 1,500 cfs is different than addressing a river whose average annual fluctuation is 500 to 70,000 cfs and whose users have an expectation that the whitewater course will be useful up to 30,000 cfs.

Length - How long do you want your course to be? Do you need the length of a slalom course so that it will be available as a future race site? Do you need a site long enough to allow slalom paddlers and freestyle paddlers to train simultaneously? Do you want beginners to have a section in which they can learn basics in complete comfort, while intermediates can hone their skills on larger, more complex features?

Depth - How deep do you want your course to be?  Depth may not be an issue at all. However, if your project usage will include inner tubers, squirt or freestyle boaters, consider your required minimum and ideal depth at both the pools and in the rapids.

Width - The wider your channel, the longer your diversions will need to be. Whether the project requires one or a number of constructed features, wider projects require more “structure.”

Flexibility – In whitewater courses, this can refer to systems, which can be changed when the water is turned off, to allow a replacement or realignment of the structures, which create the rapids. The McLaughlin Whitewater Design Group offers expertise in designing features, which can modify the characteristics of drops to create a variety of types of rapids without having to shut off the water flow.

WHITEWATER IN YOUR TOWN
Financial Aspects

Financial planning is a critical element for any successful whitewater course. Whether you are pursuing initial capital to design and build the course or the ongoing plan to fund operations and maintenance, the following financial aspects are important to consider:

Sources of Capital – We work with our clients to explore funding opportunities. Public financing has been common, private sources have played a major role, and many courses have leveraged private / public matches.

Sustainability - You will not have to worry about maintenance costs on a fixed McLaughlin Whitewater Design Group whitewater venue. However, your whitewater park sustainability model may include operational overhead. If you are providing public services, you will need to work with the leaders of your local Parks and Recreation and Public Works department to maintain the access and amenities.

Economic Impact - Whitewater courses and parks have been funded, promoted and otherwise buoyed by aggressive projections of economic benefit for new venues. Vail and Golden (CO), and the Adventure Sports Center International (MD) have projected annual revenue in excess of $1m. While economic impacts are tough to measure (given the variety of external forces in play), whitewater courses and parks are generating new or rejuvenated tourism dollars at lodging, eating and other retail establishments.

The McLaughlin Whitewater Design Group can advise you about the bases for your assumptions if you plan to conduct an economic impact study.

Liability and Risk Management - Your intention is to facilitate the creation of an exciting new outdoor recreational facility for your community, so it is important to consider the steps you can take to minimize the likelihood of your having to face a frivolous lawsuit.  We are neither lawyers nor insurance experts, but can advise you on the alternatives you have as an operational group and have access to experts in pertinent specialty fields to help you establish a solid risk management plan.

WHITEWATER IN YOUR TOWN
Community Involvement

One of the most important processes for you to follow is in the development of your organizational leadership. You may want to establish a 501(c)3 to benefit from tax–exempt donor ship. Identify your greatest challenges and find professionals with the appropriate strengths. Look for professionals with expertise in the business, sport and political realms, as they each will open the necessary doors at critical times.  When you assemble your team, make sure you develop your internal relationships so that you can avoid potential adversity with one voice and vision.

We have worked on and with many complex stakeholder groups and are looking forward to helping you maximize your efforts.

Whitewater Parks – Considerations and Case Studies.

American Whitewater -Whitewater Parks Policy Statement Developed May 2007

The Mission of American Whitewater is “to conserve and restore America’s whitewater resources and to enhance opportunities to enjoy them safely.” To that end, American Whitewater does not actively participate in whitewater park projects that are outside of existing river channels. The new generation of closed system pump parks is outside the scope of American Whitewaters’ mission.

In channel whitewater parks are highly diverse in their potential benefits and potential impacts to rivers and their enjoyment. American Whitewater is an organization focused on protecting and restoring rivers, and therefore we have a direct interest in whitewater parks that will either significantly impact a river or that will restore significant ecological or social values to an impaired river. We feel that any modifications to an impaired river channel should be made with the utmost caution, care, and commitment. It is our policy that natural un-modified river channels should not be modified for the creation of whitewater parks. Whitewater parks exist in a complex and dynamic context of river management, and we consider proposed parks in this context on a case-by-case basis.