Additional work on whitewater park to continue throughout this month
Mountain Mail, September 16, 2003
by Michael D. Reed, Mail Staff Writer
Photo by Christopher Kolomitz
Crews from Lowry Construction
were working in the Arkansas River last week. The work looked more like
play as the heavy equipment operators toyed with rocks and drove through
the rushing water in their monster machines.
Earth-moving equipment returned to the Arkansas River Sept. 9 to finish work on the Salida whitewater park that began in the spring.
Mike Harvey, executive director of the Arkansas River Trust, said Colorado law allows riverbed work to be done from April 1 to Oct. 1.
“When the water comes up in late May, we have to get the machines out of the water and it’s not really feasible to be doing work while boaters are enjoying the park, so we really only have a month and a half in the spring and a month and half in the fall,” Harvey said.
He said this project is to stabilize the south bank from the Coors boat ramp to the west end of Bongo Billy’s Salida Café parking lot and establishing rain and snow melt drainage paths to prevent water damage to the parking lot.
“We’re also placing some boulders in the river to create eddies for kayakers.”
The work will continue for about another week and will be paid for by Arkansas River Trust.
“The city contributed to the spring project, but ART raised all the money for the fall project through the sale of bricks and with some grants we were awarded.”
Harvey said, “After a summer of operation, based on my experience with other whitewater parks, I think (Salida has) a showcase of what a white water park should be.”
He said the “Lowry men” who moved the rocks “have a great feel for how things should fit together. They did a really excellent job.”
Harvey said the big test was when the spring flow brought more water than the Arkansas River has seen in four or five years.
“Both play holes held together beautifully. If anything was going to shift or move, it would have done it then.”
The upstream play hole worked very well for the FIBArk canoe and kayak events and attracted high-level boaters all summer, he said.
Harvey said he is happy the downstream play hole worked well for highly skilled kayakers, beginners, swimmers and inner-tubers.
“I’m really proud of this (whitewater park). It’s great that so many different kinds of people can enjoy it.”
The walkway beneath the F Street bridge held together despite being submerged for more than a month.
Harvey said the city side of the F Street bridge support was designed to prevent water from drawing earth from under the new sidewalk.
“I was super pleased. It all performed really well. (Water) did undercut the pavement (of the walkway) in one area, but most of it did the opposite and deposited sand against the rocks we placed, reinforcing the walkway.
“That one area will be re-paired and it should last for many years,” Harvey said.
He said Arkansas River Trust worked hard to secure easements from four landowners to make the whitewater park a reality and the trust won’t seek more expansion of the park.
He said ART will be in-volved in additional improvements to Riverside Park.