Creating A Wave Feature On The Colorado River.

On Tuesday December 4, 2007, instead of shovels, local government leaders plunged kayak paddles into the earth to celebrate a project about seven years in the making: a whitewater park. The Glenwood Springs City Council awarded an $888,838 contract in November for construction of a ‘park and play’ whitewater feature in the Colorado River. A number of other groups and businesses also donated funds for the project.

Before Construction. Flat, Featureless Water.

After Installation.

Watch skilled kayakers and a surfer, yes, surfer, enjoy a glorious urban river experience.  This video was made at the Glenwood Springs Whitewater Park. 

Only the wave near the bridge is artificial. (1:28 – 3:06 features ‘real,’ water.)

Now check out the Construction Video.  See how this magnificent artificial wave was installed on the Colorado River.  Visit  http://gallery.mac.com/joemollica#100000

From Flat to Phat. Kayaker Paddling The New Wave.

And It's Urban

For a ‘boat load’ of photographs, and a live web cam, go to http://www.glenwoodwhitewaterevents.com/about-freestyle-kayaking#photos

Wednesday, May 13, 2009 is your next big opportunity to make a difference in our community.  Join us at 6:30 pm at Harrison Park Elementary School 1440 Davis Ave NW.  This is the final draft session of the Green Grand Rapids Process.  Nothing is more ‘cool’ than getting involved.

Purpose
What is Grand Rapids’ community vision for parks and greenspace? How do Grand Rapids’ leaders know what is more important to citizens – a neighborhood tot lot within a 10-minute walking distance or a trail system that connects every neighborhood to the Grand River? Are there different priorities for different areas of the city? A process is needed that will engage and listen to citizens throughout the city. Every piece of property must be re-evaluated to determine its relative value and contribution towards meeting parks and greenspace priorities within Grand Rapids.
Process
The Green Grand Rapids process will discuss parks, greenspace and sustainability issues with citizens. A broad-based public engagement strategy is crucial if a vision that represents our community priorities is to be developed. Green Grand Rapids will develop that much needed community vision. This will be a concentrated effort that will be respectful of people’s time and energies. Prior efforts will enable new discussions to be focused and meaningful. Existing plans, including the Master Plan and the diligent work of groups such as the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Parks and Recreation – that examined funding issues – will be recogni
zed and used.

Input
As part of the “grassroots” effort to create a green infrastructure plan, the City needs your input!  Citizen participation in Green Grand Rapids will inform policy makers, city staff, nonprofits and various interest groups about those things that are important to you.  There are a lot of tough challenges facing our community.  Your input will help guide where dollars are spent, how we use our infrastructure and what the cities green priorities should be.

Phase One:
Inventory and Ideas
The Green Grand Rapids project team collected a great deal of information about green infrastructure in the first project phase.  Much of this information has been transferred into our Green Atlas.  Citizens assisted in the colleciton of information and new ideas by playing Green Pursuits.  At the first citywide meeting, Green Gathering: Ideas participants charted a course for important ideas that they wanted to examine and discuss.
Phase Two:
Choices
Ideas generated from Phase One raised a number of questions about priorities and the choices that must be made to achieve community goals.  The feasibility of an idea, its cost and benefit, ability to provide equity and environmental protection, and overall effectiveness will be examined at Green Gathering: Choices.  Citizens will review inventory information and determine the best objectives, strategies and actions for a successful outcome.
Phase Three:
Plans and Actions
Plan concepts that capture the public’s input will begin to create a vision for what an implemented plan would look like.  Five special study areas, including the Grand River, Butterworth Landfill, 201 Market, Joe Taylor Park and Ball-Perkins Park will integrate the community’s ideas into a series of achievable plans.  Citizens will be asked to identify partnering opportunities, funding strategies and prioritize the City’s work plan at the final Green Gathering: Actions.

Confluence Park, Denver

37 25.818' N, 122 05.36' W

In 2004, Reno transformed a neglected industrial section of their Truckee River and Wingfield Park into a beautiful whitewater course and successful tourist destination. In an attempt to diversify its attractions, “The Biggest Little City” is selling itself as “America’s Adventure Place,” or so the tourist tag line goes. It speaks not just of the adventure of betting it all on the roulette table, but also of the outdoor variety, like biking, hiking, fishing, skiing and most visibly, kayaking within the whitewater park. The section of the unsightly Truckee running through downtown was fallow. Concrete and rusted steel reinforcements from botched construction projects jutted from its ripples. Opened, in the Spring of 2004, class II and III rapids now offer a prime playground for whitewater rafters, canoeists and kayakers. With terraced rocks leading down to the water, large lengths of river between the whitewater ledges and Wingfield Park are now beautified. It’s a fine setting to draw everyone to a Sunday afternoon there and that traffic has helped longtime renewal plans finally gain momentum. A bumper crop of restaurants, shops, galleries and a 12 – screen movie theater now thrive on the river’s banks. A bunch of cool new attractions – from cafes and galleries to a jazz club – have sprouted up between the old-growth casinos and it’s now possible to spend a couple of pleasant days without feeling culturally deprived. Building the park involved narrowing a stretch of the Truckee that runs smack in the middle of Reno’s downtown, yanking out the dams, jagged rocks and gnarly brush that made it dangerous, knocking down the concrete retaining walls that made it ugly and importing 7,000 tons of smooth granite boulders for both spectator seating and well sculpted whitewater. The result is the best section of whitewater rapids money can buy.

The new park cost $1.5 million for construction and $300,000 for on – site contract management. The architect is Gary Lacey of Boulder, CO., who has designed nearly 30 whitewater parks. The park is the first project in Washoe County to be financed under a 2002 statewide voter-approved bond that allocated $10 million for Truckee improvements. Mayor Bob Cashnell described the whitewater park as a great milestone for the city of Reno and the Northern Nevada region, which includes Sparks and Lake Tahoe. In May, 2006, 32,000 visitors came to the Reno River Festival (www.renoriverfestival.com ) and hung out downtown for four days. They bled two area ATM’s dry – withdrawing a collective $60,000 cash on day one and $180,000 over four days. They pumped somewhere between $3.8 million and $5 million into the Reno economy. “The whitewater park announced to everyone who lives here and visits Reno that downtown is accessible, clean, safe, fun and open for business,” said Pete Gillon, the administrator of the Reno Redevelopment Agency. It is estimated that 25% of attendees came from out of town and it really helped bring residents into the downtown. Local or visitor, they all bring money and all seem to congregate at the park. This unique attraction already has brought a vibrant new spirit to downtown Reno and a promise of great enjoyment in the years to come for citizens and visitors of all ages.

Informative links:

http://www.cityofreno.com/Index.aspx?page=311

http://www.rci-nv.com/featured-projects/truckee-river-recreation-plan-whitewater-park/