All the rage: paddle your community into a new type of experience--the whitewater park.

As the demand for outdoor recreation increases, park and recreation professionals must increasingly consider the availability of resources suitable for these activities. According to the Outdoor Industry Foundation, participation in human-powered outdoor activities rose six percent from 1998 to 2004, with an overall growth from 126.2 million participants in 1998 to 141 million in 2004.

Canoeing and kayaking were reported as two of the four activities showing an overall increase from 1998 to 2004 with increases of 16.3 percent and 130 percent respectively. Some outdoor recreation participants, such as whitewater kayakers and canoeists, require specific recreation environments to participate--namely whitewater.

Whitewater is created and influenced by combining factors such as the velocity or speed of the water, the volume or amount of moving water, the river's gradient or amount of elevation drop, and obstacles. While these factors may be readily available in some areas, many live in areas void of such combinations. Building an artificial whitewater park is one solution to creating or enhancing whitewater recreation environments for your community.

Trends and Types

The development of whitewater parks is a worldwide trend. According to the Mississsippi Whitewater Park Development Corporation, there are approximately 34 whitewater parks completed or under construction in the U.S. Figure 1 and Table 1 on page 40 detail the building trend and identify the location of these whitewater parks throughout the county.

Figure 1. U.S. Whitewater Parks--Existing or under construction

Boulder, Colo.
Boise, Idaho
Breckenridge, Colo.
South Bend, Ind.
Buena Vista, Colo.
Williamston, Mich.
Canon City, Colo.
Dickerson, Miss.
Denver (Confluence Park), Colo.
Wisp, Md.
Charlotte, N.C.
Denver (Union Chutes), Colo.
Durango, Colo.
Reno, Nev.
Estes Park, Colo.
Sante Fe, N.M.
Golden, Colo.
Farmington, N.M.
Gunnison, Colo.
Rochester, N.Y.
Lyons, Colo.
Ducktown, Tenn.
Pagosa Springs, Colo.
Fort Worth, Texas
Pueblo, Colo.
Ogden, Utah
Salida, Colo.
Wasau, Wise.
Steamboat Springs, Colo.
Green River, Wyo.
Vail, Colo.
Casper, Wyo.
Horseshoe Bend, Idaho
Evanston, Wyo.

[TABLE 1 OMITTED]

In response to a growing need to share information, numerous whitewater developers, architects and citizen groups from around the world gathered in October 2005 for the first conference on whitewater parks, "Whitewater Courses & Parks: Enhancing Communities." Conference attendees visited a number of whitewater parks and met with individuals who helped to develop parks in their communities.

While these parks come in different shapes and sizes, they share the common thread of helping make whitewater sports more readily available to the public. According to Paddler magazine, "These courses across the United States are providing local communities with new recreation opportunities." Whitewater parks create greater accessibility, location wise and financially, to whitewater paddling, allowing people to participate in an environment which may previously have only been available in more remote settings.

A resident from Salida, Colo., home to a new whitewater park says, "My daughter is a paddler and it is so nice to know that she's right here, close by in a nice setting." Often these venues are developed in settings where whitewater doesn't naturally exist.

Whitewater parks generally fall into one of three categories: 1) in-stream courses that modify existing streambeds to best accommodate flow and gradient to create the course, 2) divided channel courses that are engineered adjacent to existing rivers in order to divert water to the course, and 3) re-circulating courses constructed in areas where no natural riverbed exists and for which the environment would have to be totally constructed.

Development Process

According to Gary Lacy, owner and professional engineer at Recreational Engineering and Planning, once a decision has been made to pursue a whitewater park in your community the steps involved would include, but not be limited to the following:

Step One: Gaining the support of your local politicians. Visits to successful parks should be a priority. Present information on the economic benefits of having such a park in the area. Contact a design firm to provide some preliminary drawings of the conceptualized project.

Step Two: Invite the design firm to public meetings with interested members of the community. Design firms ask questions at these meetings to determine the needs of the community in relation to the park and to ensure adequate park design.

Step Three: Construction permits should be obtained from the local city government, land management or other agency, as appropriate. Most design and construction firms can take care of this process as part of their cost.

Step Four: Construction phase of the project. Initiate construction when water levels are at their lowest. Make daily visits with the construction supervisor to ensure the design and construction firm is following the design plan.

Step Five: Plan a grand opening event to celebrate the completion of the project. It should focus on the recreational features and best practices advised for the safe use of the park and provide for viewing the intended use of the facility.

Benefits of Whitewater Parks

There are several potential benefits stemming from developing a whitewater park in a community. Probably the most significant benefit for most communities when creating whitewater parks is the increased spending of tourism dollars. For example, during a three-year period the Clear Creek Whitewater Park in Golden, Colo., was credited with attracting an estimated 45,000 users and creating an economic impact of $23 million to the community. Tourism operations in housing, service, goods arrangements, accommodations, and transportation will be positively effected.

In addition to direct tourism revenue, related businesses also are created, and can lead to new and different related economic functions throughout the city. In serious whitewater towns, all the accoutrements that go along with the sport are suddenly needed.

Some benefits aren't as measurable, including the cultural benefits and significance of having such a unique venue. It can soon define a city's recreation program. A city having such a venue becomes a destination with all of the benefits associated with significant tourist attractions. One resident in Gunnison, Colo., says that the town's whitewater park even attracts college students, exposing local businesses to a different clientele.

Whitewater parks can also serve as a catalyst for developing greenways, riverside parks and creating new river recreation opportunities. When a community begins to pay attention to a special feature (such as a river or stream), it can provide education opportunites. These parks can create a laboratory for applied learning to take place, as well as conservation.

Conclusion

Whitewater parks are being built around the world to accommodate a growing interest and need for accessible whitewater. These parks bring increased opportunities to whitewater paddlers and the communities in which they are found. Park and recreation professionals need to be informed so they are aware of the potential benefits to their communities and agencies.

A Salida, Colo., resident says, "The river brings people here from all over-it is one of the most exciting things the city has ever done."

For more information on bringing a whitewater park to your community, the authors recommend contacting a firm experienced in designing and building whitewater parks.

Raymond Poff, Ph.D., Bruce A. Larson, Ed.D., Steve Spencer, Ed.D. and Risa Shimoda