IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PARK CONTINUE

Waitin’ on the water

It won’t be long before the water starts to flow through the park again. I have been ‘Jonesin’ to get my boat out and into the water. So far we have had a few days where the air temperature has been good, but there just hasn’t been any water yet.

(A small glassy green wave is forming in Drop 5 wetting the appetite of local paddlers.)

I got in on January 1st for a few figid surfs in the P-Wave but that was more because of it being the first day of the year than it was about the water. The flows were about 79cfs that day and that was only about enough to get the bottom of my boat wet.

Work Continues on the Pueblo Whitewater Park

I had a few spare minutes yesterday so I decided to walk the length of the of the park to get an up-close view of the work that has been done and the work that is still in the process of being completed.

Originally the city said that their was no money to make repairs on the park after last seasons high flows caused a great deal of erosion damage. However, this has since changed and crews have been working on the channel and the river right bank for more than a week now.

I am happy to see that things are getting repaired. I think that there are still some things that need to be done, but hey, this is a good start. Hopefully additional repairs and/or improvements will be made in the not-too-distant future. And don’t forget that there is going to be a fair amount of construction going on this coming summer as the work begins to replace the W. 4th Street bridge. (That is the bridge at the top of the course for those of you from out of town.)


THE DROPS
(clicking on the photo makes it bigger)


Drop 1 (The P-Wave) There hasn’t been much done to this feature so far. The erosion on river right has diverted some of the flow from the main channel and will continue to eat away a the bank until some large rock is grouted into place above the drop.
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Drop 2 This feature hasn’t been affected by the high flows. It seems to be in good shape with the exception of the log in the channel which I am sure will be pulled out soon.
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Drop 3 Crews were working to mudjack the seive that appeared as water began flowing under the wing structure. This could have eventually become a very hazardous situation however the Army Corps identified the problem and is working to correct it.
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Drop 4 There was considerable erosion damage to this drop. The contractors hauled rock and dirt in to fill the space left by materials that were washed down stream. I was glad to see this, but I think that it may take some more big rock and grouting to keep from having to do this work after each season.
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Drop 5 More fill was replaced here but the damage to this wing was minimal and little more than a patch-job was necessary here. I did notice that the glassy green wave that makes this drop one of the favorites of locals to surf is showing up already even with the low flows.
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Drop 6 This is one of the favorite playholes of the entire park. Depending on flows it forms a decent foampile and is a very forgiving hole for boaters who want to work on a new trick. The high water did a real numer on the bank of this one as well as just down stream in 7. It appears that some fill was added, but that it could use another truck load or two to finish the job.
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Drop 7 The river right wing in this drop suffered the most pronounced damage of all the drops last season and was in desperate need of repair. The gaping trench has been filled and the runoff culvert has been re-situated. Hopefully this will do the trick. It certainly is an improvement over the erosion damage that caused it to be hazardous to anyone walking in the area.
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Drop 8 A deeper channel was dredged out of the pool in this drop, some stucture was added just above the drop and the wings were extended from both sides. After the work done on 8 last spring number 7 became less sticky and a surf-able drop. 8 also had a fun little wavetrain below it depending on the flows. I look forward to seeing how this round of work affects the way this mini rapid reacts.
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Take out. At the urging of John Zupancic (local boater and a driving force in the construction of the park along with Bob Walker) a boulder was placed near the take out to create an eddie making it easier to exit the park. I am personally very grateful to John for this as I scraped my hands up more than once trying to get my boat into a position where I could get out without losing my boat or paddle in the current. I truly had some less than graceful manuvers at the take out.

Thanks John!
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My friend here, and I will keep an eye on how things progress in the park. I am also planning on presenting beta soon on things like directions, parking, and even local establisments in the area near the park.

So stay tuned this is about to get good (the water I mean)...