# New whitewater park Animas river, Durango, CO



## InflatableSteve (Jun 12, 2013)

We took our duckies to Durango, CO a couple weeks ago. We had done the run through town once before years ago. When we got to the Cabin we were renting in Lighter Creek, I found a magazine with a artical about the new and improved whitewater park starting at Smelter rapid. It is a nice improvement INMO. Nice easy float for most of the trip, then a few drops to get your attention. The water was low (about 600 cfs) so it wasn't much of a challenge.

About a week later we were taking our new raft through Browns canyon. After the trip we drove to Salida to and stopped at Riverboat Works. Unfortunately they didn't have what we needed. Anyway, we had dinner at BoatHouse Cantina and I saw a similar rapid structure as in Durango. I was just wondering if any of you had details on how these were built, and how they made the rapids to be bigger, yet safer.


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## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

I can't speak for who designed Durango's park, but REP has been the company behind all the features in both the Salida and BV parks Recreational Engineering and Planning 

I can't speak for the hydrology either, but I know its not easy. Several of the features at BV have had to be reworked from their original designs. The new rapid/hydraulic at the Silver Bullet is an excellent example.


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## Star kitty (Aug 11, 2012)

lmyers said:


> I can't speak for who designed Durango's park, but REP has been the company behind all the features in both the Salida and BV parks Recreational Engineering and Planning
> 
> I can't speak for the hydrology either, but I know its not easy. Several of the features at BV have had to be reworked from their original designs. The new rapid/hydraulic at the Silver Bullet is an excellent example.


Where is the "Silver Bullet" rapid?

We heard this summer they are getting a feature built at Pumphouse on the Colorado. Anyone hearing the same thing?


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## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

The Silver Bullet is a rapid formed by a headgate to a ditch a mile or 2 below Buena Vista. It had to be closed to commercial rafts this summer because the bottom drop created a sticky hydraulic at high water.

http://www.mountainbuzz.com/forums/f41/silver-bullet-54214.html

Sounds like the play feature(s) at Pumphouse are moving forward.

http://www.mountainbuzz.com/forums/...oving-whitewater-park-at-pumphouse-54995.html


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