# BLM signs decision approving whitewater park at Pumphouse



## Hannah_at_BLM (Oct 20, 2010)

KREMMLING, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management signed a Decision Record Aug. 15 authorizing the proposed Gore Canyon Whitewater Park at the Pumphouse Recreation Site on the upper Colorado River.


Grand County submitted a right-of-way application to build the feature across the full width of the river upstream of the Pumphouse boat launch 2. The county was recently awarded historic water rights for constructing this waterpark. 


The feature consists of engineer-designed boulders and block-like concrete objects placed across the stream channel that would not be visible at normal flows and would allow for fish passage at all flow rates. Construction is scheduled to begin in November.


“The project will provide a unique recreational experience for the 60,000-70,000 people that visit the area each year,” said BLM Kremmling Field Manager Stephanie Odell. “It will also provide permanent protection for water flows supporting fishing and recreational floatboating.”


Developing a recreational in-channel diversion below Gore Canyon implements part of the Colorado River Cooperative Agreement among Denver Water and more than 30 Western Slope entities. 


The Decision Record, Finding of No Significant Impact and Environmental Assessment are available on-line at:www.blm.gov/co/kfo.


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## miker (Jan 26, 2006)

Does any party have plans to put up the money for this project?

BLM? Grand County?

Or, was this an attempt to secure water rights?


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## CaroBradford (Feb 27, 2012)

*Gore Canyon Whitewater Park funding*

Grand County has led the effort to build the Gore Canyon Whitewater Park which includes securing the water rights. Construction is scheduled for late 2014 pending a couple more steps in the process. Look for a grand opening of some sort in Spring 2015.

The funding is coming from several sources including Grand County which has committed approximately $600,000 to the project to get to this point. (Engineering, permitting, legal fees, water court process, etc.) Eagle County donated $340,000 to help built the Whitewater Park and members of the Colorado Basin Roundtable awarded $100,000. A grant from the Colorado Water Conservation Board for $400,000 and a grant from Department of Local Affairs for $200,000 are also helping to fund the project.

We pledged to the public funders that individual boaters were also willing to help pay for the project. It's time to turn those pledges and letters of support into dollars. To all the boaters out there reading this thread, please consider a donation to the Gore Canyon Whitewater fund at the Grand Foundation to help us break ground this fall. Hit the "Donate Now" button at
www.grandfoundation.com
A donation of $20, $50, $100 or more will help show that boaters support the construction of the Gore Canyon Whitewater Park this fall. 

See you at GoreFest to answer more questions or you can contact me by PM. Thanks for asking!
Caroline Bradford


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## Andy H. (Oct 13, 2003)

Thanks Caroline for the info. I just donated to the fund and it was a snap! Even though I'll probably never surf a wave in the park, it's great to know that Grand County will perfect a water right for the recreational in-channel diversion (RICD) at the park and in the process will help keep decent, boatable flows in the entire reach of the Upper Colorado River.

Thanks again for the work y'all are doing, can't wait to see the park next summer!

-AH


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## TenMileCreekKayaks (May 11, 2008)

*Awesome!!!*

Have been looking forward to this project for some time. Just posted link on fund raising on TMCK Facebook. Shoot out to Caroline Bradford and the rest of the crew in Grand County, this is huge for all involved! Hope to even work on project, was on Ten Mile Creek and also the one in Vail with River Restorations, Jason Carey, hope he and his crew does this one. 

Stoked,

TMCK

Keep the Hairy Side Up


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## Down River Equipment (Apr 12, 2006)

Posted on our facebook page as well.


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## Caleb125 (Oct 25, 2012)

Awesome!!!!!


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## deepsouthpaddler (Apr 14, 2004)

Fantastic. Can't wait for gore surf sessions (that don't involve tunnel or gore rapid!)


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## henrylightcap (May 11, 2012)

1.64 million dollars. How much is the total cost of this project?


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## bigben (Oct 3, 2010)

hi hannah, i gotta question for ya. you say the boulders and concrete won't be visible at "normal flows". 
we put in at launch 1 every day of the week. is this thing gonna be passable at low flows?? like 300 and below??


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## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

henrylightcap said:


> 1.64 million dollars. How much is the total cost of this project?


This is a ridiculously high number. I'm sure lots of it has been spent on litigation. I know the features on the Ark cost around 25-35k each for initial construction (at least from what I was told).

Regardless of cost this will be a very positive thing for the upper Colorado from a recreation perspective.


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## bolsito (Aug 26, 2007)

It's about time the BLM did something other than make rap videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EIKtGL6uAo


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## deepsouthpaddler (Apr 14, 2004)

The millionish range sounds in line with other park construction numbers I have heard. I spoke to one of the park designers about doing a project I had an idea for and I was told that the Army Corp of Engineers permits alone would cost somewhere in teh $30k range just to do the engineering work required for the permits. I recall a lot of the work on the ark being done pro bono with donated rock and donated time etc... My guess is the BLM will have to pay full price for engineering, permitting, constractors etc. To put in the structure they will likely have to make a temporary dam or diversion to dry up the river bed and then construct the park features. Seems like a lot of money... but on the heavy construction side of things... this is actually pretty small.


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## Hannah_at_BLM (Oct 20, 2010)

According to the engineering designs, at 250 cfs, the water depth would be six inches.


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