Idaho Whitewater Association has their new schedule up which includes events this winter and next spring/summer. I’ve added them to the WorldKayak Events Calendar or you can check them out on the IWA events page HERE!
Posts Tagged ‘Events’
Idaho Whitewater Association Events
11.08
Results from Boise Whitewater Park Meeting
11.02
Jackson Regional Team Member Mark Cecchini reports on the results of the planning meeting last week.
For those of you interested in this sort of thing, here are my observations from last night’s Boise WW Park Meeting.
Last night, the City of Boise Parks and Recreation Department along with representatives of McLaughlin Water Engineers presented the updated design for the whitewater park and the preliminary design of the planned Ester Simplot Park. First I have to say that the city appears to be doing its level best to include all of the stakeholders in the design process. The stretch of river where the park will be built has two irrigation diversions with water rights extending back to the mid-1800′s. Thus, one major challenge for the design is to maintain these diversions while improving the safety, recreational opportunities, and riparian habitat of the river. Creating a whitewater park without altering the existing floodplain is another major design challenge.
As it stands now, the plan is to begin removing the upstream Thurman Mill diversion (the site of the 36th Street Wave) and replacing it with a new navigable and adjustable structure in the Fall of 2009. As presented last night, the design of this structure includes both a Vail-style Bladder system and a ASCI-style “Waveshaper”. According to park designer Nick Turner, the Waveshaper will provide a year-round boatable channel while at higher flows the Bladder system will allow for a fully adjustable whitewater feature. It was unclear from the presentation what flows would be needed to spill enough water over the bladder portion of the structure to create a feature without disrupting the irrigation diversion.
Four or five conventional fixed whitewater features were also included in the plan. However, there was not much detail provided about these features, possibly due to ongoing negotiations with the downstream diversion controlled by the Farmerand’s Union Ditch Co. Other improvements to the site include: bank terracing/stabiliza tion, improved riparian habitat, raised viewing areas, and a “lazy river” connecting three ponds adjacent to the the river. Turner stated that the whitewater portion of the park is being designed for a beginner to intermediate skill set, but that the adjustability of the Thurman Mill feature will allow for a competition- worthy spot at normal summer flows ~1,200 cfs.
During the question and answer session, community members raised a host of issues. Some boaters where concerned about how the park would handle sediment and flood debris. A concerned citizen questioned the impact that park would have on the bald eagles that can be seen on the stretch during the winter months. Others raised questions about the location of access, the cityand’s plans for educating the public about river safety, traffic congestion and safety near the entrance to the park, and plans for providing a natural park setting suitable for “unstructured play.”
All in all, the Boise WW park apears to be on track to begin the first phase of consrtuction next Fall, with the adjustable feature in place by spring 2010. The second phase of construction, which will install the downstream features, is planned to start in the Fall of 2010. However, only about $2 million of the projected $6 million total cost has been committed to date. In appreciation of the Neef family’s generous $1 million donation to the project the park will be known as Ray Neef, MD River Recreation Park. Additional funds have been contributed by the city of Boise and private donations through Friends of the Park (http://www.boiseriv erpark.com/ default.asp). The park is an exciting development for paddlers in the Boise area and it promises to greatly improve the aesthetics, safety, and habitat on this stretch of river.
Whitewater park on Boise River to be built next year
10.30
BOISE — After nearly a decade of planning construction is set to begin on Boises first river recreation park next year.
Read the rest of the KTVB article HERE!
Idaho : Meeting to discuss Boise Whitewater Park
10.29
Please join us for a discussion of the planned Boise River Recreation Park
Meeting will be held at Whittier Elementary Gymnasium at 6:00 PM on Thursday, October 30th
Idaho : 315 Miles Of Rivers Are Up For Protection
10.05
Water rights are major hurdle for Wild and Scenic Rivers
Congress is steering a bill through the final rapids that would add 315 miles of Idaho rivers to the Wild and Scenic Rivers system that Idaho Sen. Frank Church helped create 40 years ago this month.
See the full Idaho Statesman article HERE!
IR Awards Vacation to Hell #3 to Idaho’s ‘Team Low Pressure’
09.29
Immersion Research is sending Idaho’s Team Low Pressure to Madagascar!
Check out the video HERE or go the the IR WebSite.
Idaho’s SF of the Snake Is Highest In 40 Years
09.02
The last time the Snake Rivers SF peaked over 10,000 CFS on Sept. 1st was 1966
Check out the Idaho Statesman article HERE!
Devon Barker – Update from Switzerland
08.26
I just got this update from Devon Barker -Gary-
Dear Friends, I wish you could all be here with me. Enjoy the photos and thanks for all of your support!
Devon
Scootering, biking, and kayaking in Thun, Switzerland
It is amazing here in Thun. The wave is just down stream of a covered bridge decorated with flowers. The bridge has gates to release the water from the lake that makes Thun a wonderful summer time attraction. Many of us are camping on the lake 4 KM from the wave. There are free bikes or scooters for use during the day but cost 10 Swiss Fr. if you want to keep them over night. Ruth Gordon and I are biking back and forth. I scootered the first morning but it was a long trek. The bike ride is along the lake with castles on the shore and scattered beaches and houses along our route. The wave is a wonderful color blue but a little flat. It is a little like Couch wave at the low levels but the scenery does not look like the Salmon River in Idaho at all! The VW Multivan River Jam is the third event on the World Cup Tour. Prelims begin on Thursday and we wrap up the event on Sunday. Enjoy the photos!
My best to all of you from my tent on the lake in Thun, Switzerland!
Devon
Devon Barker Update From Worlds
08.24
Greeting from Augsburg, Germany.
I have been here, the site of the 1972 Olympics andamp; 1995 Freestyle World Championships, for a week. It has mostly rained but the famous feature, Washing Machine, is great. The loops are super fun and the super clean cartwheels are the best. I was in 7th but ended up in 10th after semis. I would have like to do better but this World Cup Tour has been a blast with lots of great training.
The camping in the rain is a little hard but on a few dry moments we have been able to play uno, monopoly, and I borrowed Jason andamp; Karen Craigandrsquo;s scooter to go to town in the sunshine this morning. Enjoy the photo as they speak more to our experience here in Germany than I could write.
Live from the campground in Augsburg! Devon