Glenwood Springs: U.S. Freestyle Kayaking Team Trials May 30-31

From the Vail Daily:

The U.S. Freestyle Kayaking Team trials will take place in Glenwood Springs on May 30-31. The action runs from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday. The top kayakers in the nation will compete at Glenwood Springs’ highly acclaimed $1,000,000 Whitewater Park on the Colorado River at the Midland Avenue Bridge. Spectators are urged to come out and watch the exciting whitewater action and cheer on the athletes.

About 100 competitors will show their skills at the event, competing for a spot on the team that will represent the United States at the World Freestyle Championship to be held in Thun, Switzerland in August 2009. Kayakers willing to show off their skills, but not competing for a spot on the U.S. team are also welcome.

In freestyle kayaking, the goal is to throw as many different moves as possible in a 60-second time frame. The higher the degree of difficulty, the better. Judges award points based on difficulty, variety, and amplitude. The more moves performed, the more points a competitor can accumulate. Tricks will be performed on a standing wave, known as the G-Wave, and flows the last weekend of May are anticipated to be 15,000 to 18,000 CFS (cubic feet per second) with the spring run-off. Some moves may also be performed in a “hole” on the river, depending on what the water flow is on event day. Many freestyle kayaking moves can launch athletes and their kayaks inverted and up to four feet in the air.

Share this:
Bluesky
LinkedIn
Facebook
Email
Print
X
Like this:
Like Loading…

Yampa River Festival May 23 and 24

From the Steamboat Pilot & Today (Joel Reichenberger):

[Pete Van De Carr] said a strong test for damage the economy might bring will come with the Yampa River Festival, set for May 23 and 24. The festival will be largely unchanged from its format a year ago, he said. The only main addition is a riverboarding segment. The event again will be capped by the Paddling Life Pro Invitational, set for Memorial Day, May 25. “It’s going good,” Van De Carr said about the event’s organization. “It will definitely be fun again this year. This time we’re kind of going back to our bluegrass roots. We always used to have bluegrass bands play, but got away from it. Now we’re going back, and it should be a lot of fun.”

Whitewater sports starting up

From 9News.com (Matt Renoux):

In a matter of days, the rafting season will officially be under way in Colorado and rafting companies have already started preparing for customers…Rafters are optimistic this summer. They say even in a recession business should be good thanks to a strong and slowly melting snowpack in the high country. “The snowpack is great this season we’re looking at right above 100 percent of average on the Arkansas River,” [Campy Campton the owner of Kodi Rafting] said.

From the Vail Daily:

Avon, Colorado’s whitewater park is open and water is running at a good level for surfing…The Whitewater Park was constructed in 2006 and modifications and restoration continued through 2007. With the great snow season this year, the park promises to offer lots of fun throughout the spring and summer for boaters.

Pagosa Springs: Town’s whitewater park reconfiguration complete

Pagosa Springs “Davey Wave” whitewater feature is gone and work is complete in the town’s whitewater park. Here’s a report from Bill Hudson writing for the Pagosa Daily Post. From the article:

I happened to run into Town of Pagosa Springs Parks Director Jim Miller at the overlook parking lot Wednesday morning, and we paused for a moment to lean on the log rail fence and admire the Town’s new white water wave feature, bubbling and tumbling in front of the Bob Hand Visitors Center. The new rock-and-cement structure looked very reminiscent of the now departed “Davey Wave” — except it had its “dropped” low area on its eastern side, instead of on the western side as with the Davey Wave. The visual similarity no doubt had something to do with the fact that both white water structures — the old Davey Wave and this new, as-yet-unnamed feature, were designed by Boulder engineer Gary Lacy, of Recreational Engineering and Planning (REP). But I had a sense that the new feature was slightly less “artificial” looking — perhaps as a result of using more rock and less concrete…

Perhaps the new feature’s superior appearance also had something to do with the amount of time spent planning for it. The Davey Wave, built back in March 2005, had been installed under Lacy’s direction almost before the ink was dry on REP’s contract with then Town manager Mark Garcia — and before the project had even obtained the proper government permits. This new feature, meanwhile, was the result of four years of haggling and negotiations with the federal Army Corps of Engineers and the state Division of Wildlife.

2009 US Freestyle Kayaking Team Trials

Here’s a release about the upcoming US Freestyle Kayaking Team Trials (May 30-31, 2009) from the Glenwood Springs Chamber of Commerce via PRNewsWire.com:

McNasty may not be a household word yet, but everyone will have a chance to see and learn about one of the most difficult moves in freestyle kayaking. The McNasty will no doubt be a crowd-pleaser at the upcoming US Freestyle Kayaking Team Trials in Glenwood Springs May 30-31, 2009. The 180-degree spin into a front flip maneuver is among the toughest tricks in the sport of freestyle kayaking and will certainly be a highlight as the top kayakers in the nation compete at Glenwood Springs’ highly acclaimed Whitewater Park.

Approximately 100 competitors from around the country will converge in Glenwood to show off their skills and compete for a spot on the team that will represent the United States at the World Freestyle Championship to be held in Thun, Switzerland in August. Current World Champions, Eric Jackson, his daughter Emily Jackson, and Junior Champ Evan Garcia have already clinched spots on the team and are not required to compete, but will mostly likely show off their award-winning style at the competition. According to the chairman of the Glenwood Springs Whitewater Events Committee, Davis Farrar, “Though freestyle kayaking is not yet an Olympic sport, events like the U.S. Team Trials and the World Freestyle Championships are paving the way toward that end.”

In freestyle kayaking, the goal is to throw as many different moves as possible in a 60-second time frame—and the higher the degree of difficulty the better. Judges award points based on difficulty, variety, and amplitude. The more moves performed, the more points a competitor can accumulate. Tricks will be performed on a standing wave, known as the Glenwood Wave, which can have flows ranging from 4,000 to 22,000 CFS (cubic feet per second). Some moves may also be performed in a “hole” on the river, depending on what the water flow is on event day. In addition to the McNasty, other wow-factor moves include the Phonix Monkey, Airwheel, Darkside/Jedi Flip, Tricky Whu, Pan Am and Lunar Orbit. Some of these moves can launch athletes and their kayaks inverted and up to four feet in the air.

There will certainly be plenty of whitewater action, but landlubbers will also find lots to do on shore thanks to the 7th Annual Yagatta Regatta. The event will help welcome athletes and set a festive tone for the weekend. It can best be described as a one-of-a-kind rafting flotilla and costume contest that brings together the local whitewater community. In addition to the raft race, spectators can enjoy micro-brews, food booths, live music, kid’s activities and more throughout the weekend at Two Rivers Park in Glenwood Springs. The Regatta is the primary fundraiser for Operation Vacation, a non-profit organization, which provides all-expense paid weekend getaways for deserving soldiers and their families. To learn more go to http://www.ColoradoYagattaRegatta.com.

The US Freestyle Team Trials begin with preliminary competition starting at 9:00 a.m. Saturday, May 30, followed by semi-finals on Saturday afternoon. Finals are scheduled for Sunday, May 31. Spectators are encouraged to come and cheer for the paddlers. Off-site parking and shuttles will be available.

For more information on the event, to register for the competition, and to book lodging and activities in Glenwood Springs, go to www.glenwoodwhitewaterevents.com.

Cañon City: Water projects

Here’s a recap of a recent meeting of the Cañon City Public Works Committee, from Debbie Bell writing for the Cañon City Daily Record. From the article:

City Engineer Adam Lancaster detailed the list of projects this week for the Public Works Committee. The continuing water system upgrade takes up the majority of the year’s budget with $4.6 million, including water main replacements and work at the new water-treatment plant. “You’re well aware of what we’re spending this money on,” Lancaster said, referring to the massive water main project currently under way on Main Street. Lancaster said the work there is on time and on budget, and he continued to praise downtown merchants and shoppers for dealing with the construction work in a positive manner…

Other water projects include the installation of radio-read meters. Water main work also is scheduled for S. 10th Street, Allison Avenue from Fifth to Ninth streets, Pear Avenue from Orchard to 19th, and E. Main Street from Diamond Avenue to the Evangelical Free Church. Ongoing work at the water treatment plant includes completing the construction of the new backwash pump station and clear well, as well as transmission lines along U.S. 50 to First Street. The design consultant is working on the final phase, which will include a backwash recovery system and raw water pump station on the Hydraulic Ditch…

Another big chunk of city funds is scheduled for stormwater work, which is funded by money collected through city stormwater fees. “On South 10th Street, the old storm sewer is in trouble and needs replaced prior to a paving project,” Lancaster said. The city will replace that drainage system as well as work on Juniper Street, to help mitigate continuing flood problems there. “We also have vegetation management in floodwater channels,” Lancaster said. The city also has three floodplain studies under way, at Four Mile, the Abbey area and the proposed Whitewater Kayak and Recreation Park and Riverwalk. “We have to do a study for the whitewater park project and the future Riverwalk extension to the west,” Lancaster said. The city has another $750,000 budgeted for stormwater projects this year.

Pagosa Springs: Whitewater park re-construction

Bill Hudson and the Pagosa Daily Post wer on hand during the week to chronicle the removal of Pagosa Springs “Davey Wave” from their whitewater park, as ordered by the Corps of Engineers. Here’s his photo essay.

More coverage from Jim McQuiggin writing for the Pagosa Sun:

Currently, diversion dams have been set up to dry out the perimeter of the work area and facilitate digging down through the bedrock for the drop in front of the whitewater structure. Weather permitting, concrete will be poured starting early today in order to shore up the first structure.

Phase I of the project calls for the installation of a cross vane structure as well as the new whitewater feature being installed in front of the Visitor’s Center. The new structure will have a net drop in water surface of two feet, while the downstream cross vane structure, close to the former location of Davey’s Wave, will have a net drop of one foot. Work on the cross vane structure should begin early next week. The second structure will not have a radical drop in the way the first structure has (or was evident with Davey’s Wave) but will create a whitewater “run” that, although giving boaters a bumpy ride for several meters, is in place primarily to mitigate hydraulic effects from the first structure’s drop. Phase I also includes habitat structures installed near the 6th Street bend, complying with Colorado Division of Wildlife mandates for the “Fishing is Fun” project…

Phase II of the project is slated for this fall. However, the economy — and it’s effect on town revenues from local sales tax — is the ultimate arbiter as to if and when the second phase will proceed. Phase II of the project calls for the installation of one or two more whitewater structures installed in the portion of the river adjacent to Town Park. Before the structures can be built, however, additional ACoE and DOW permitting will be required. With permits normally taking three months to process, actual work on Phase II would not begin until the winter. In that phase, crews will be required to tear out several feet of bedrock in order to accommodate installation of the new structures. According to Phillips, the Wolf Creek ski area has again committed to donating equipment and paying rent on a rock breaker.

Southern Delivery System: Pueblo County wants Colorado Springs to spend $50 million on mitigation

Here’s an update on Colorado Springs Utilities’ 1041 permit from Pueblo County for their proposed Southern Delivery System, written by Chris Woodka for the Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:

The proposed conditions also seek continued funding of sewer improvements and stormwater controls in Colorado Springs, limits on out-of-basin water transfers, and new agreements on protecting Arkansas River flows and Lake Pueblo levels. Money would be earmarked for further study of flood control on Fountain Creek. Pueblo County commissioners will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Pueblo County Courthouse to hear public comment and consider the recommendations, which were released Wednesday and are posted on the county’s Web site. There is also an appendix that has a more complete list of conditions under the permit…

The $50 million would be paid out over five years after completion of the SDS pipeline. The funding would include a small amount, $300,000, for a study of a dam or dams for flood control on Fountain Creek. The remaining $49.7 million would go to support Fountain Creek upgrades listed in the Army Corps of Engineers 2008 report on the Fountain Creek Watershed, the Fountain Creek Corridor Master Plan and future projects not yet identified. If a Fountain Creek Flood Control and Greenway District is created by the state Legislature, it would manage the funds. Otherwise, the county and SDS partners would create a Fountain Creek Restoration Foundation to carry out the projects, according to staff recommendations…

“I’ve only looked at it real quickly, but it looks consistent with what our staff has talked about,” said John Fredell, SDS project director. “I’m hoping these are workable conditions.” Colorado Springs council members and management will take the county’s staff recommendations and compare the cost of complying with them against the cost of coming out of Fremont County to make a “good business decision,” Fredell said…

The recommendations seek a guarantee that Colorado Springs will spend an additional $75 million on sewer improvements by the year 2024, on top of the $114 million it has spent since 2000. Sewer upgrades are also required to meet the conditions of state health department compliance orders that were issued for more than 100 sewer spills by Colorado Springs dating back to 1998. There are other conditions specific to Fountain Creek, which is central to SDS even though the 14-mile route of the pipeline goes to the west of Interstate 25, from Pueblo Dam through Pueblo West and Walker ranches before entering El Paso County. The pipeline is a total 50 miles long, and the project includes a treatment plant and two reservoirs to the north on Fountain Creek. Colorado Springs would commit to sediment control on Clear Springs Ranch, located south of Fountain, and would include Pueblo County in its adaptive management plan for Fountain Creek, as outlined in the Bureau of Reclamation’s environmental impact statement. Additional conditions would commit SDS funding for Corps recommendations to dredge in Pueblo to maintain the effectiveness of flood control levees. Colorado Springs would assure that peak flows and volume during flooding would not increase from current levels, primarily through its stormwater enterprise, according to the recommendations…

The recommendations would put constraints on SDS as well. Any increase in water moving through the pipeline beyond the 78 million gallons per day for Colorado Springs, Security and Fountain and 18 million gallons per day with Pueblo West would trigger a permit review. Any water sold or leased must stay within Arkansas River basin. If any other areas of El Paso County contract for water, they must comply with a list of Fountain Creek protections…

Elsewhere, in addition to insisting on compliance with the flow management program on the Arkansas River through Pueblo, the recommendations ask for new agreements between Colorado Springs and the Pueblo Board of Water Works. One pact would create a pool of water in Lake Pueblo to supplement low flows – those below 50 cubic feet per second – in the river. The current agreement simply restricts exchanges when flows drop below 100 cfs and allows for voluntary releases for such things as kayak events in the Downtown Whitewater Park. Security and Pueblo West would be required to sign on to the flow management program, which already includes Colorado Springs and Fountain.

In a separate pact, Colorado Springs Utilities would also be required to execute a sharing agreement for the North Outlet Works. The county also would require a separate review of the North Outlet Works by the Reclamation in order to assure dam safety…

There are also provisions dealing with Lake Pueblo. One is a lake level management program suggested by Ray Petros, a Pueblo County water lawyer, in January. The details of the program are intentionally vague, since Colorado Springs and its SDS partners do not have control of the total volume in Lake Pueblo…

The recommended conditions also would include Pueblo County as a partner in any future discussions about the enlargement of Lake Pueblo. The recommendations would provide three years for Colorado Springs to begin construction, subject to obtaining the necessary state and federal permits.

Here’s a look at the prospect of guaranteed flows in the Arkansas River through Pueblo if an agreement is struck between Colorado Springs Utilities and the Pueblo Board of Water Works as part of the proposed Southern Delivery System, from Chris Woodka writing for the Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:

The agreement is one of two the Pueblo water board and Colorado Springs are looking at as part of Pueblo County mitigation for the Southern Delivery System. The other would clarify which outlets at Pueblo Dam could be used to supply water. Both agreements will be considered Tuesday by the water board at its monthly meeting…

The new flow program would go beyond the provisions of the plan set up under the 2004 intergovernmental agreement between the city of Pueblo, the Pueblo water board and Colorado Springs by creating a pool of water at Lake Pueblo to release into the Arkansas River during extreme low flows, said Alan Hamel, executive director of the Pueblo water board. “The Legacy Program has given us more flexibility,” Hamel explained, referring to an effort to improve fish habitat and recreation on the Arkansas River that began in the 1990s. “The fresh water released from the pool will help keep the oxygen levels up for fish.” The 2004 IGA, also joined by Fountain, the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District and Aurora, prevents exchanges during times when the flow of the Arkansas River drops below 100 cubic feet per second. That agreement would remain in place if Pueblo County commissioners and Colorado Springs agree on mitigation for SDS proposed this week by county staff…

The county also would require Security, Pueblo West and any future users of SDS to join the flow program as well, if staff recommendations are accepted. The new program would kick in at flows that are dangerously low for fish, under 50 cfs. Flows approach those levels at times during winter months when there is little water in the river and most of that is being stored under the winter water program. It happened in 2005, and in 2007 was averted by an emergency lease of water from Pueblo by the Division of Wildlife. There is nothing in the 2004 IGA that requires any release of water to make up the deficiency Under the new agreement, Pueblo and Colorado Springs each would store 1,500 acre-feet to hold available for release. The 3,000 acre-foot pool would be enough to provide additional flows of 50 cfs to the river for about one month. However, the full amount would probably not be needed on 30 consecutive days, according to historical records. As under the existing flow program, there would be exceptions for dry years. Under the new agreement, Pueblo would not have to store water if it did not have sufficient water for its annual program of leasing raw water to other users in the Arkansas Valley. Colorado Springs would not be required to provide water to the new pool if its storage supplies were below 70 percent or if river flows were projected to be below average by May 1 federal forecasts…

The second agreement would protect Pueblo’s use of the Joint Use Manifold below Pueblo Dam on the south side of the Arkansas River and proposes sharing the North Outlet Works, which would be constructed on the river outlet on the north side of the dam, Colorado Springs has proposed for SDS. It also would restrict SDS deliveries through the Joint Use Manifold if Pueblo were unable to receive gravity-fed flows at the Whitlock Treatment Plant. Pueblo, the Fountain Valley Authority and Pueblo West all use the south manifold now, but there is excess capacity. In the future, however, Pueblo and the Arkansas Valley Conduit would use that capacity. The agreement sets out ways Colorado Springs and Pueblo could share both the existing manifold and the North Outlet Works, perhaps with an interconnecting pipeline. Pueblo could share in some of the costs if it chose to connect with the north side works.

More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.

Pagosa whitewater park update

Here’s an update on work in the Pagosa Springs whitewater park, from Jim McQuiggin writing for the Pagosa Sun. From the article:

With approval letters from the Army Corps of Engineers and Colorado Division of Wildlife received by Pagosa Springs staff on Wednesday, Riverbend Engineering started work first thing Thursday on Phase I of the river restoration project.

Aside from the removal of Davey’s Wave, Phase I of the project calls for the installation of an upstream cross vane structure as well as a new whitewater feature to be installed in front of the Visitor’s Center. The new structure will have a net drop in water surface of two feet, while the cross vane structure, just upstream from the current location of Davey’s Wave, will have a net drop of 1 foot. Phase I will also include habitat structures installed neat the Sixth Street bend, complying with Colorado Division of Wildlife mandates for the “Fishing is Fun” project. “Work on the whitewater structures are our first priority,” Phillips said, “But as work on those structures slows down, we’ll start moving manpower and equipment for the installation of those structures, probably by early next week.”

Kayak park for Basalt?

Recreational In Channel Diversions are one way to help keep water in streams. The increased flows also mitigate against storage projects upstream from the RICD due to the need to deliver water at the point of the RICD instead of storing it. Steamboat Springs’ RICD has been cited as having this effect.

Here’s a report on efforts by Pitkin County to back a new kayak park in Basalt from Brent Gardner-Smith writing for the Aspen Daily News. From the article:

Ely has been developing the Basalt kayak park idea for months and says so far he has received positive feedback from “individuals in the kayak and rafting communities, fishermen, representatives of CDOT, officials from the town of Basalt, and members of the consulting firm that worked on the Basalt River Master Plan.” “Although the idea of a river park began as a vehicle for enhancing and improving the environmental condition of this particular reach of the Roaring Fork, it became readily apparent that such a recreational resource would be highly prized, widely accepted and utilized by a great number of kayakers and rafters in the mid-valley area,” Ely wrote in a memo to Town Council…

“The concept of a river park or kayak course began as a vehicle with which to enhance stream flows on this reach of the Roaring Fork River, to enhance the natural riparian habitat that could develop in this area and to stimulate active recreation and use of real property already owned by Pitkin County in this area,” Ely wrote. Pitkin County paid for a preliminary feasibility study by The McLaughlin Group, which found that flows in that stretch of the Fork were generally high enough to create play waves for kayaks, but that they would be much smaller than the monster kayak wave recently built in the Colorado River in West Glenwood Springs…

With funding from Pitkin County Open Space and Trails, Ely has also hired Jason Carey of River Restoration — who created the Glenwood wave — to do a preliminary conceptual design for the Basalt whitewater park. Carey’s design includes a sidewalk and parallel parking spaces between Two Rivers Road and the river, as well as accessible multi-level overlooks and stairs leading down to the river. In the river channel itself there would be two “whitewater structures” and two groupings of “habitat boulders” at either end of the whitewater park.

Wild and scenic designation for Colorado River and Deep Creek?

Here’s an update on efforts to manage stretches of the Colorado River and Deep Creek as Wild and Scenic without seeking the formal designation and all the red tape that would entail, from David Frey writing for the Aspen Daily News. From the article:

A diverse group, which includes Front Range municipalities that want water for their taps and environmental and recreation groups that want it for fish and kayaking, has been working together to try to hammer out their own agreement that could protect the Colorado River without a federal designation. “There are times when I think we’re making progress. There are times when everyone wants to throw up their hands,” said Steve Smith, of The Wilderness Society, who represents a coalition of environmental organizations on the working group. “I don’t know if we can pull this off or not.”[…]

Like wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers can be recommended by land agencies, but they must be dedicated by Congress to protect key waterways. The designation comes with land protections alongside the river in addition to protecting the flow. While Colorado has lots of wilderness areas, though, it has only one wild and scenic river, the Cache la Poudre, which runs through Fort Collins. Both Deep Creek and the Colorado River come with controversies, but the working group, which met Friday in Summit County, is focusing on the Colorado. It carries age-old rights by farmers and municipalities that tap into the waters. Among those most concerned is the Glenwood-based Colorado Water River Conservation District, which convened the group. “We feel that a locally run river is better than a federally run stretch of river,” said Mike Eytel, water resource specialist for the district…

Eytel said the district is mostly concerned about a federal water right that could stand in the way of water diversions and other projects along the Western Slope. Other water users, including Denver Water, the Northern Colorado Water Conservation District, Colorado Springs and Aurora, also have concerns. Joining them at the table are groups like Trout Unlimited, American Whitewater and commercial rafters who want to keep water in the river…

In a two-step process, these rivers have been found to be eligible for the designation, but the agencies are in the midst of determining if they’re “suitable.” A draft suitability determination by a contractor working on the project was due out this week, but is being kept under wraps until the BLM releases an overall draft land-use plan revision this fall…

The Colorado river district has some concerns about Deep Creek’s designation. It has conditional water rights on the creek, Eytel said. But most of its concerns revolve around the Colorado, including what it might mean for future hydroelectric projects and the river district’s Wolford Mountain Reservoir in Grand County. Unlike Deep Creek, the Colorado is well on the beaten track. Interstate 70 curves above it. Kayakers, rafters and anglers play in it. Farmers, ranchers and municipalities take water from it…

Smith said The Wilderness Society would like to see protections in place for Glenwood Canyon, but it hasn’t taken a position on wild and scenic designation yet, and in the meantime, it’s giving the working group a chance to find a consensus that could bring together a variety of interests. “You know you’ll have fewer fights in the future if what is chosen has strong buy-in,” he said. The group plans to present its findings to the BLM and Forest Service as an alternative to federal designation. “We just think the Colorado River within Colorado should be managed by Colorado folks, not federally controlled,” Eytel said.