S T A N D I N G W a V e s
ottawa, on
Growth oF a nation
the Pumphouse
Battling various levels of government
interference for the better part of the last
20 years, the Pumphouse was completely
shut down in 200 due to concern from city
engineers about the stability of its banks.
WhiteWater ParKs TAKE SEED IN THE URBAN JUNGLE
Located off the Ottawa River in a former
tailrace beneath the historic Fleet Street
catching a wave in saskatoon? Maybe soon. whitewater parks are springing up in upscale downtown districts
Pumping Station, the nationally recognized
and urban backwaters across the continent. almost any city with an open-minded council, deep pockets and
whitewater slalom course and
plentiful water with enough gradient has whitewater potential—no river required. From in-stream parks in existing
Olympic training venue reopened in
200 after major landscaping and a
watercourses to artificial super parks in improbable places, here’s a shortlist of whitewater playgrounds.
determined fight from the Ottawa
River Runners club.
WI
P
hoto: P
a
t
R
ick
c
NY
a
v
an B
R
own
WY
NV
UT
MD
CO
SC
Green river, wy wausau, wi
Green river Whitewater Park
TX
Wausau Whitewater Park
Opened in 2001, this play park on the Green has Behind the mall in downtown Wausau, this course
a friendly river-wide hole and a faster pocket hole rips through six playful holes, wave trains, a boulder
adjacent to Expedition Island. Additional features garden and a slalom course in an enhanced side
include the Power Plant hole a half-mile upstream channel of the Wisconsin River. The class II-III
of the island and another hole downstream. Best features emerge during scheduled dam releases
flows: 1000–1200 CFS. from June to September.
oGden, ut pittsFord, ny
Ogden slalom and Play Park lock 32 Whitewater Park
This park in the rail town of Ogden offers the Weber Straddling the Erie Canal, Pittsford is an affluent
River’s only whitewater paddling. Built in 2000 and
pueblo, co
suburb of Rochester and home to Lock 2, built in
improved several times since, it has three play Pueblo Whitewater Park 2000 in the bed of an old canal spillway. Open May
holes with large eddies, seasonal slalom gates and The Arkansas River drops over eight artificial ledges in a to October, the park has two holes, two waves and a
a top-to-bottom portage trail/bike path. Best flows half-mile through the town of Pueblo. Large eddies and set of squirt lines.
November-June. some of the warmest water in Colorado make the park
ideal for beginners, while mid-summer wave action is
dickerson, md
reno, nv
primo for playboaters. Flows are best above 600 CFS.
Dickerson Whitewater Course
truckee river Whitewater Park Forty miles from Washington, D.C., water from
In the five years since its construction, the half-mile-
Fort worth, tX
the Potomac River passes through the Dickerson
long Truckee River park has transformed Reno from trinity river Whitewater Park Generating Station into a cooling discharge channel.
a dusty gaming town to a booming adventure town. Texas is not known for playboating but this park’s In 11, visionary designers capitalized on this
Formerly sluiced through concrete walls in Reno’s three converted dams are a step in the right direction. year-round source of warm water by building an
back alleys, the Truckee now dances through two Designed by Gary Lacy—who has drafted more than Olympic-calibre slalom training course. Still featuring
channels—one with waves and holes for playboating 0 whitewater courses nationwide, including Reno’s technical and continuous class III rapids along
and another with a slalom course—and hosts the Truckee—the park has low flows most of the time, with its 00-foot length, the course uses 7 artificial
annual 0,000-strong Reno River Festival. bigger features following heavy rains. boulders to create adjustable whitewater features.
buena vista, co charlotte, nc mchenry, md
Buena Vista Whitewater Park u.s. National Whitewater Center adventure sports Center international
Colorado boasts over  per cent of America’s 0 or This artificial super park opened in 2006 at the Opened in 2007, ASCI uses the natural gradient and
so existing whitewater parks. Stretching along the staggering cost of $ million. Located just outside rock outcrops of its improbable mountaintop location
Arkansas River through Buena Vista’s downtown, this Charlotte, the facility features the world’s largest and to create 1,700-feet of self-contained whitewater in
play park is emerging as one of the state’s best. Five most complex recirculating whitewater “river”—100 a donut-shaped, conveyer belt-serviced course that
main features—two waves, two holes and a river run CFS of water is pumped around a /-mile concrete resembles a natural riverbed. Adjustable flows and
section—satisfy a wide gamut of paddlers and two channel divided into three courses containing class II patented Wave Shapers create rapids that vary from
new features are on the books for 2010. Optimal flows: to IV rapids. A paddle-on conveyer belt carries boaters class II to IV, and from continuous for slalom to pool-
00–2000 CFS. back to the course start in 60 seconds. and-drop with surfing waves for playboating. —VM
12 Rapid summer/fall 2009
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48