Conceptual photograph of 'landscaped' 4th St dam.

Or this lowhead dam?

Existing dam, known by river experts as a 'drowning machine.'

Could Grand Rapids’ benefit from a picturesque new tourist attraction?  A wild, scenic, cascading waterfall right downtown?  It’s known by several names; The 6th Street Dam, 4th St. Dam, Fishing Dam and even The Falls.  The dam is appreciated by a few, ignored by most.  It was built in the mid 19th century to create a mill pond to provide water power for the huge furniture industry that GR was known for.  Today, it  simply serves the purpose of stalling seasonal anadromous fish en route to upriver spawning beds, indeed, providing a top, nationally recognized fishing hot spot (some would argue that additionally, the dam halts the lamprey eel from reaching theirs.)  But, it’s ugly and it is extremely dangerous (see Lowhead Dam Dangers on this web site). It does also create a vast pond that provides an urban recreational opportunity for water skiers, rowers and sea kayakers upstream at Riverside Park.  But, the dam kills people just as dead as if they went over Niagara Falls.

Is there an environmentally friendly way to mitigate the inherent dangers of the Fishing Dam and keep the existing river recreation?  GRWW believes so.  Face it! We propose* ‘facing’ the dam with landscape boulders,  stone and concrete made to look ‘real’ (see conceptual photo above -top.)  You can view such sculpted masonry work at various John Ball Zoo exhibits, Michigan’s Adventure Park and even miniature golf establishments.  By breaking up the perfect recirculating hydraulics of the lowhead dam, the flow is rendered harmless, save for a few bumps or bruises that might be experienced by a whitewater enthusiast.  The dam would also be a boon to our downtown economy, creating an important destination for visitors.  No one can say exactly how many jobs and businesses would be created, but it’s safe to say that everyone already living and working downtown would be do better.

Let’s face it, this just might be the win win solution we need.

Read more about the proposed changes to the Grand River downtown, please read Grand River Whitewater Park Preferred Alternative on this web site.

* GRWW does not propose going forward with any such alterations to the river or it’s surroundings until the proper environmental impact studies have been completed.

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/