Boosting Local Economies The up-front cost of these parks can be daunting–construction of the public Reno, Nev., park was tagged at $1.5 million, not including feasibility studies and other costs. But the positive economic impacts can be significant. An economic report compiled by the Bardstown Whitewater Organization for a proposed park in Kentucky found that the whitewater features in Golden, Colo., created $2.3 million in annual revenue for local businesses, including hotels, restaurants, bars, and shops. A similar study for the proposed Binghamton park estimated the average boost to local economy from a whitewater park at about $2 million per year, but said it could reach $12 million annually from the traffic created by visiting and local kayakers, as well as river festivals and competitions.
So why haven’t northeastern communities built more parks? Many park boosters will tell you that their small municipalities have much less tax revenue to dole out than a place like Vail, Colo., which built a whitewater park in 2001 and is flush with income from tourism and second-home ownership.
Affecting Fisheries
Whitewater parks affect the rivers in which they are built and the native fish species that thrive there. In Steamboat Springs, Colo., the native fishery has been significantly improved with the implementation of two whitewater holes. Elevation drop was enhanced in the riverbed, so when water pours over, it creates a backwash with a deep pool behind it for fish to feed in and spawn.
“The fishing was already good,” says Johnny St. John, a local driftboat manufacturer and kayaker. “But those pools have definitely helped the fishing, especially in more sensitive areas in the middle of town.”
On the Willimantic, the group plans to destroy one of the dams on its property to try to help native fish like Atlantic salmon and herring reestablish historic migration patterns. Plus the waves the group plans to build feature a unique design element called a catcher’s mitt. The builders constrict the river so the force of the water creates a sizable wave. When creating a “hole” feature–where water continually crashes like an ocean wave that has closed out–the water can pour over a ledge across the entire river, essentially creating a low head dam that makes it difficult for smaller species to migrate. With the wave feature (think the glassy part of an ocean wave), fish can line up in the eddies next to the wave and wait to squirt through the pinch in the river. This design creates less stress for fish already maxed out during a long migration.
Such successes require smart design. If parks are incorrectly built, they can actually inhibit fish passage, according to Rick McLaughlin of McLaughlin Whitewater Design Group. “They can also destabilize banks and increase sediment if the drainage isn’t dewatered during construction or the construction isn’t done during a dry period.”
Regulations aim to prevent such problems. Dredge and fill activities in a river, which are common in whitewater park construction, usually require a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Park construction may also require other environmental assessment, depending on local rules.
“Environmental review when developing a whitewater park is part of the process and appropriate because rivers are owned by the public,” says Ken Kimball, AMC’s director of research. “The alteration of a river, if engineered improperly, can result in negative outcomes like increased flood and erosion risks. Well-designed whitewater parks can complement river restoration efforts, adding essential structure to the river ecosystem that can benefit aquatic biota, paddlers, and local economies.”
Attracting Fans
While whitewater parks might be seen as competing with natural whitewater runs, some paddlers view them as a way to get more people interested in outdoor recreation. “When we first started talking about a whitewater park, we were worried that the rafting companies would rebel against it because it would take away from their business,” says Greg Dore, chairman of the Run of River Committee in Skowhegan, Maine, a group trying to create a park on the Skowhegan Gorge. Maine has a thriving river industry on world-renowned stretches like the Penobscot and Kennebec. “But they came to us and were excited about the process because it complemented their business so well,” Dore says. “This process has brought together a whole new group of people who love the outdoors.”
The prospect of these new features has many locals excited. “We’re really fortunate to have such beautiful rivers in the Northeast,” says Paine, the outreach director for American Whitewater. “A lot of times, kayakers have no place to network unless they go to a college club. This just makes it easier to meet other paddlers, play in the park, or go run another river. And these parks do so much to enhance these communities.”
Joe Carberry is the managing editor for Canoe & Kayak magazine. He has paddled rivers all over the world and spent the better part of a decade as a journalist writing about whitewater.
Photo courtesy of ASCI.
