Western Association To Enjoy Rivers
P.O. Box 2151
Grand Junction CO 81502

DATE: February 24, 1999

TO:  Jack Yates, Palisade City Manager

FROM: Monica Atkinson, President
  
SUBJECT:  Whitewater Parks on the Colorado River in Mesa County

The Western Association to Enjoy Rivers (W.A.T.E.R) is a whitewater rafting 
and kayaking club located in Grand Junction.  We have about 150 members that 
volunteer for a variety of activities related to whitewater boating in 
addition to being active boaters.  Members of the club have the knowledge and 
experience required to manage whitewater sports events, but due to lack of a 
suitable site in the Grand Valley area must go elsewhere. 

We believe the residents of  Mesa County would benefit significantly from the 
presence of a whitewater park on the Colorado River.  Several events have 
occurred recently that support the development of of a whitewater park at no 
cost to the municipalities in Mesa county:

1.  The Riverfront Commission has recently commissioned a study of the 
feasibility of building a whitewater park in the Grand Valley.  The results 
indicate three sites are suitable: near the new Palisade city park, near the 
Las Colonias/Watson Island area in Grand Junction, and near the old bridge in 
Fruita.  Consequently, in early February the Riverfront Commission applied to 
Legacy/GoCo for funding for whitewater parks at these sites.

2.  The Bureau of Reclamation is planning on either removing the Price-Stubb 
dam near Palisade or building an out of channel fish ladder for endangered 
fish in 1999. It has indicated that the Riverfront Commission can consider 
the expenditures for this project as matching funds for a Legacy/GOCO grant 
for development of whitewater parks near Palisade, Grand Junction and Fruita, 
and preliminary indications are that this approach will be acceptable to 
Legacy.  If the Bureau decides to remove the dam and if city of Paliside were 
to work with the Bureau on development of a near the damsite, the Price-Stubb 
site could become an even better alternative for a whitewater park due to its 
high gradient.

3.  The US Fish and Wildlife and Colorado River diverters are working on an 
agreement whereby water from Green Mountain Reservoir that is currently 
released in the winter could be released in the late summer for endangered 
fish, particularly if there were a beneficial instream use for the water.  A 
whitewater park would qualify for this use.

If the Legacy/GoCo grants are awarded, there is no need for the 
municipalities to invest significant capital.  The park(s) could be 
constructed such that there would be no long term maintenance costs, so this 
decision does not affect financial resources available for other projects.

One of the objections to the development of whitewater parks is the belief 
that they only benefit a small group of citizens.  The balance of this letter 
should dispel this belief:

1.  Following the introduction of whitewater racing to the world of 
spectators at the 1972 Olympic Games, paddle sports gained mainstream 
recognition.  Whitewater competition was an event in the most recent summer 
Olympic games and has been included in the next round as well.  It has become 
a popular spectator sport.   According to the Outdoor Retail Coalition of 
America (ORCA) in Boulder, paddlesports are now the fastest growing segment 
of outdoor recreation. 

2.  Over the past 25 years, numerous competitive whitewater organizations 
have developed nationwide programs, many of which are conducted at whitewater 
parks.  In 1999, there will be about 300 whitewater racing and rodeo events 
in the US, of which about 20 are in Colorado.   These events include rafts, 
kayaks, and canoes on mild to extreme whitewater.  With the exception of the 
Plateau Creek races near Mesa in May, none of the events benefit the Grand 
Valley area, which is located on Colorado's namesake river.

3.  Over the past 15 years, whitewater parks have been built in Golden, 
Boulder, Pagosa Springs, Salida, Durango and Steamboat Springs, and Gunnison 
is planning to build one soon.   These parks have been such a success that 
Golden and Salida are considering expanding them.  Well over a thousand 
people participate or watch the larger events in Golden, Boulder, Durango and 
Salida.  Of these people, about 80% are tourists which contribute over 
$100,000 per year in tourism dollars to each of their economies.

4.  The exisiting whitewater events in Colorado are limited to April through 
June due to lack of water in late summer and early fall.  The Colorado River 
in the Grand Valley has sufficient water all year for a whitewater park, even 
without the excess Green Mountain water.  Events could be scheduled to draw 
participants and spectators in July through October without competing with 
other areas in western Colorado.  These events would also contribute over 
$100,000 per year in tourism dollars to the local economy, with no capital 
investment by Mesa county municipalities if the Legacy grants are awarded.  A 
competitive whitewater event could also be combined with Dinosaur Days or 
other currently existing events to expand their size.  The town of Vail uses 
its whitewater festival (sponsored in May by Jeep) as a publicity forum to 
advertise other events.

5.  Both Fruita Monument High School and Mesa State College have kayak 
programs, but students must leave the Grand Valley to learn higher level 
skills because there is not enough challenging whitewater in the area.  If 
the park is developed, other high schools may start their own  programs and 
there is a high probability the park would become a site for inter-school 
competitive events - a training ground for Grand Junction's own Olympic Gold 
Medalist.

In addition to the economic and educational benefits, there are a multitude 
of others:

a.  The fish benefit from improved habitat (more pools and eddies).

b.  There is a scenic benefit - even riverside trail users enjoy watching 
waves and boaters playing on waves.

c.  The park can be designed so that anyone can pass safely - regardless of 
skill, age or handicap, and including upstream travel.

d.  The park can be constructed considering plans for development of river 
bank parks.

This is a win-win situation. Thanks for your attention.

Monica Atkinson, President
970-241-0441