# Dallas Whitewater Park being closed



## bigdaddyd (Jul 23, 2008)

Before it ever officially opened, they're closing down the new WW park in Dallas. Because of one or two people, the City of Dallas has run and put its tail between its legs. And the press has been complicit in the process. They have only wanted a story about the city wasting tax payers dollars and refuse to interview or show those who are in favor of the WW park. WFAA was going to interview Dave Holl. When Dave told them he was excited about the park and for it, they never contacted him again. 

$4 million Trinity River attraction too dangerous to use | wfaa.com Dallas - Fort Worth 

Seriously, this is a Class II+ feature with portages for those not comfortable with it, concrete steps, and handicap access. It's quite benign and the hysteria and fear mongering is laughable.

Please feel free to berate these people at will. 

This is the reporter's email: [email protected] 

Charles Allen, who is the a-hole who single-handedly did more to destroy this project, doesn't have email, but his phone # is: 214-941-1757. You might leave him a friendly email message. 

Justin Blake is a kayaker I have never met. I've never seen him on a river. I don't know where they find these Class I paddlers and keep calling them experts. 

I will have more emails of some of the city officials who've abandoned us later today. 

But please, don't hold back. Our voice is small, but it can loud. 

David


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## gannon_w (Jun 27, 2006)

HA beat me by 3-minutes! I was going to start a thread about all the "Boondoggleness" going on down in Texas. (Remember I am now back in Little Rock) Those rapids are HUGE and KEEPERISH!!! 


Gary L. can you call these idiots in Dallas please. Not that I plan on ever paddling in Dallass but you never know when you may be passing through!!


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## soylent green (Jul 8, 2004)

I read the article and I think you are misrepresenting what it says. I agree that this is bad news for Dallas kayakers. Hopefully they will fix the park. I didn't see any plans to scrap the park in the article. I hope it turns out well for YA'LL.


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## rippnskier (Jun 4, 2006)

American Whitewater - Dallas: Trinity River Park Standing Wave(s) (PnP), Trinity Texas, US

Looks pretty dangerous...How do they fit in those little boats with there Cowboy Boots on?


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## BarryDingle (Mar 13, 2008)

Isn't this the same state that has a hard-on for riding bulls. Unbelievable.


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## rippnskier (Jun 4, 2006)

Its the same State that keeps Colorado in business as a tourist trap. When they Outlaw kayaking, only the Outlaws will kayak.


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## bigdaddyd (Jul 23, 2008)

soylent green said:


> I read the article and I think you are misrepresenting what it says. I agree that this is bad news for Dallas kayakers. Hopefully they will fix the park. I didn't see any plans to scrap the park in the article. I hope it turns out well for YA'LL.


Yes, it doesn't say it's completely dead, but on the ground here, they have locked it up, put no trespassing signs all over the place, have a watchman at the gate, and cancelled any plans for a grand opening.

The truth is, it's closed. The city council and certain park board members are trying distance themselves from it because they are fearful of more negative publicity. They were excited about it in the spring and wanted their pictures taken with kayakers, but now because one person has called the bypass channels unsafe and the press has pounced on it, they don't want to be a part of it.

I wish they would stand up to them and push back, but they don't have the will to do that. And the press has painted this in such a way, that spending more money to fix it will probably create some public/media backlash.

My hope is that behind the scenes, there are a few people still trying to find a way to get it opened. We'll see.


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## gh (Oct 13, 2003)

This is the same state that wont allow gambling yet watches everyone go to Louisiana and Oklahoma every weekend to gamble. The surrounding states love the revenue bump.


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## JC5123 (Mar 18, 2011)

Now, this is just me, but isn't kayaking (whitewater) considered in the realm of extreme sports? And isn't one of the criteria of said sports the fact that there is risk involved? I mean come on, just because one kayaker says that the park is unsafe? I question his interpenetration. Unless the designers really screwed the pooch and inadvertently designed the park full of low head dams, this should be no more dangerous than any other stretch of rapids that most of us paddle on a daily basis.


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## earthNRG (Oct 24, 2003)

All the pics in the article are framed to make it look as bad as possible, but looking at the video on the AW site makes it look pretty good, and less of a danger than many of the parks we have here in CO. This issue just adds to list of things I don't like about TX and some Texans.


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## rippnskier (Jun 4, 2006)

True, kayaking is a risk reward sport, and for them to take it out/revamp it on the word of 1 or 2 people is rediculous. Funny thing, there are low head dams all over, up and down the Trinity. There is one 100 yards behind my office in Dallas, Firefighters practice swiftwater rescue there all the time. And a few times a year they pull bodies out of the hole. It is your average big city beauracracy. Welcome to America. What is astounding is the money that has been spent and will be spent. I know a couple of Park designers in Salida that must be licking there chops. What really sucks is the bad press this will create for other cities, like Tulsa.


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## bigdaddyd (Jul 23, 2008)

Here are emails to Dallas City officials. Maybe lend a little support to some fellow paddlers. Thanks in advance.

Dallas City Manager: Mary Suhm
[email protected]

Park and Recreation Department Assistant Director: Willis Winters
[email protected]

Dallas Communications and Marketing Manager: Judy Schmidt
[email protected]


Here are pictures and footage from the wave at different levels (400 cfs and 2000 cfs). Hardly a death trap or killing machine. 

Big D Whitewater » Pre-Super Bowl Party on the Dallas Standing Wave

‪The Dallas Wave around 2000 cfs.mov‬‏ - YouTube

‪Dallas Standing Wave 2011‬‏ - YouTube


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## okieboater (Oct 19, 2004)

"What really sucks is the bad press this will create for other cities, like Tulsa."

In Tulsa, we are working hard to get approval for a WW park on the Arkansas. Been working on it for many years. Lots of studies and design work done. When Dallas did their WW park it did help us with the decision makers. The current Dallas publicity is not good for those of us working on WW parks across the country.

Maybe it will blow over, I sure hope so.


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## rippnskier (Jun 4, 2006)

Good luck, Okie....


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## Ed Hansen (Oct 12, 2003)

The waves in the videos looked fine. Has there been anhy silt build up since then? Has anything changed? 

I would image that the Tulsa designers have researched the many-many parks in Colorado that have been great successes and one would hope that would carry some weight over one failed, (or not really failed) park in texas. 

---There has to be a texas joke in here somewhere...........

One of my favorite texas jokes: What's the best thing about Okalahoma? It keeps texas from touching Colorado.... and now we can add that they haven't shut down their Tulsa wave park..... (yet?)

ps..... I have family in texas, so I'm just giving the little state of texas a hard time.


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## rippnskier (Jun 4, 2006)

The problem isnt with the wave, the design or the absolutely filthy water that flows thru it, The problem is that Dallas is currently being run by a bunch of Liberal Minorities, not there is anything wrong with liberal minorities. And then ofcourse the media never helps a situation, the media in Dallas hasnt had much to report on since the Mavericks won the NBA finals. Did you hear about the Texas Toilet paper, they had to take it off the market cause it wouldnt take shit off of nobody!


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## gh (Oct 13, 2003)

Does the Dallas city council have a night where they let citizens speak? Instead of bitching and complaining, volunteer to speak in support of the park and take your time to explain it to them. They are just ignorant of what the park is and what it can do, educate them. When their was a fatality in Pueblos park, a group of us went down and spoke in support of the park. Your case is easier, you dont have to tiptoe around the death issue.


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## Ed Hansen (Oct 12, 2003)

I could swear I paddled Browns with the c1 guy in the video on the AW site. Tom?


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## bigdaddyd (Jul 23, 2008)

gh said:


> Does the Dallas city council have a night where they let citizens speak? Instead of bitching and complaining, volunteer to speak in support of the park and take your time to explain it to them. They are just ignorant of what the park is and what it can do, educate them. When their was a fatality in Pueblos park, a group of us went down and spoke in support of the park. Your case is easier, you dont have to tiptoe around the death issue.


Yes, we have. I've met with city officials at least a half dozen times. I was invited to speak as a friend of the project at a park board meeting and city council meeting, but then they tabled the issue at the last minute. We've had the city council come to the wave in a bus and had 4 or 5 kayakers demonstrate the wave to them. We have been involved with the city, but since these few negative people went to the press, the folks in city hall are being mum and are distancing themselves from it.

This latest story is so new (it just ran last night), so we may need to go down and make a public appearance. But we haven't been sitting on the sidelines. You're right, it's about ignorance. And unwarranted fear.

But the coverage has been so one-sided and inaccurate that I'm just trying to make them aware that there is support out there and that it is safe and within reason for boaters to use it. Should a ski resort only be allowed to have green runs? Maybe not a perfect analogy, but it seems a bigger travesty to spend the money, build it and then not let those who are competent enough to use it enjoy it.


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## bigdaddyd (Jul 23, 2008)

Ed Hansen said:


> I could swear I paddled Browns with the c1 guy in the video on the AW site. Tom?


His name is Matt. He now lives in Salida. Great guy.


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## Bryan (Feb 3, 2005)

Someone needs to get the Dallas mayors kids into kayaking, then it would fly fo sure.


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## gannon_w (Jun 27, 2006)

BarryDingle said:


> Isn't this the same state that has a hard-on for riding bulls. Unbelievable.


 
Are you in some indirect way I can't decipher talking bad about Texas women?


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## Wang (Jan 2, 2008)

Maybe A Call To Chuck Norris Would Help?


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## mbannister (May 19, 2006)

That chick said "life preserver"...totally silly.


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## Joel_G (Jan 17, 2008)

How pathetic. If I had put as much energy into making this park happen as I know the Dallas boaters have, only to have this happen, I seriously think I'd move. Come to think of it, I don't know of a better way for you guys to let your city council know how you feel.

Vote with your feet.


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## Lin3Dawg (Jan 16, 2011)

So are they saying you can't trespass on the land surrounding the park? Cause if I were you I would just find a put-in upstream and float down to the park. When done playing just float down stream to an alternative take-out.


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## liquidphoto (Oct 22, 2010)

I have been boat'n hear in the Dallas Ft. Worth and TX. area sense 1990. I have never seen any of these people? None of them are pros and they should all find a new hobby! The lady that said she almost drown w/ a pfd, her earrings got hooked to her ego that was on the bottom! You don't have too be a bad ass to to kayak, but please, if you're a crybaby go to the Mall. 

Go big, Liquid P


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## SummitSurfer (Jun 23, 2010)

I wonder if a BV or Salida council member could call and share their policies and approach to their playparks? Dallas doesn't need to re event the wheel, just needs to learn how others are managing their playparks without any additional council liability, which it seems Dallas is running from because they don't fully understand this feature and it's obligations!


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## hojo (Jun 26, 2008)

Everyone.. don't you get it? You're fighting the wrong battle here. If they close a WW park because it's too unsafe for Texans then we should introduce legislation to close Colorado to all Texans on the same premises. It's brilliant!


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## mdignan (Dec 26, 2010)

hojo said:


> Everyone.. don't you get it? You're fighting the wrong battle here. If they close a WW park because it's too unsafe for Texans then we should introduce legislation to close Colorado to all Texans on the same premises. It's brilliant!


I just spit out my coffee :lol: :lol:


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## panicman (Apr 7, 2005)

Texas sucks! Now lets move on to something else.


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## gannon_w (Jun 27, 2006)

The guy kayaker is on the Arkansas buzz defending himself:

Arkansascanoeclub.com - View topic - Dallas Whitewater Park Closed

Says he was interviewed for 45min and they took the one bad sounding line.


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## deerfieldswimteam (Apr 17, 2006)

*Piece of my mind: sent*

Dear Jonathan,

I felt compelled to write you to let you know what a poor job you did on your article on the Dallas Whitewater park. Reporters working on whitewater stories often have a big knowledge gap about the sport, which is unfortunate but understandable. Your ignorance, however, was willful. You deliberately slanted the story and declined to interview any of the experienced, knowledgable kayakers and whitewater boaters in your community who support the project. One of the few real boaters you did speak to (Justin Blake) feels he was misrepresented--that you cherry picked his interview and took the single negative statement out of a 45-minute interview.

Standing waves can draw tourists, build boating communities, and help build beginning paddlers' skills. Of course you can talk about risks-- certainly whitewater carries some risks, but so does driving your car to work. Instead of educating your community on the risks and rewards of boating, you wrote a sensationalist piece that benefits no one. "City Government Wastes Money Building Death Trap" may be an exciting story, but that doesn't make it a true story.

I suggest you do a follow up on this first poor-quality piece, one where you talk to the experienced, knowledgable people who support this project. But the whitewater community, while small, is tight, and yellow journalism like this hurts us all.

Sincerely,
Lauren


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## ScubaSteve (Aug 30, 2010)

Sounds to me like yakgrrl101 moved down to Dallas and tried boating again?


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## mbannister (May 19, 2006)

I think gandhi and MLK would know what to do here: massive peaceful protest. Get as many people as you can (dozens, hundreds) in as many different types of watercraft as possible to float down the holes. Emphasis on the silly shit: tubes, inflatable animals, those NRS gigbobs, random swimmers, Fibark floats, etc. Give the media a heads up and bring your own cameras. If you watch enough tubers, canoes and floating dispensary's survive the hole no one can think its dangerous.


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## mvhyde (Feb 3, 2004)

This is absolutely silly. WFAA needs to fire that reporter. The City of Dallas needs to be sacked, and whomever that woman was, she needs to get back into the pool and learn how to roll or stay the hell away from rivers period. That drop is at best a Class II, with very minimal consequences. My son has paddled it and thought it was too tame, he's 10. It just makes me sick that so many people who worked so hard to make it a reality have been derailed by sloppy reporting (with an agenda apparently) and a couple of individuals who have no business being on the water.


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## ch678 (May 6, 2007)

*Dallas play park closed just when I was ready to use it.*

Unbelievable!!! Texas good ol' boy politics at it again!!!! I'm from Colorado and picked up a temp assignment in El Reno, Ok. Hauled my boat down knowing there is a new play park on the Trinity, but only to learn when I arrived in OK that the park has been closed because of a silly girl and a reporter with a chip on his shoulder. Unsure what the drive length is to the park, but, heck, anything with a couple of play holes would be fantastic. Okay, I have to ask now...is there an alternative run around Dallas, OKC, or even Arkansas areas? I am a little knowledgable about potential runs in norther Arkansas from a lady friend in Fayetteville, but she is not a boater by any stretch of the imagination. So, before I spend a ton of time searching, can any of you Dallas guys give me a few locales to explore? Class IV boater here but haven't been in the boat this year yet due to this new job. Your assistance will be much appreciated. Thanks, and I am up to helping ya'll do something about convincing the council that the run is a safe and not one stupid swallow makes a unsafe park. Don't know who the designer was, but he/she probably had more novices in mind when he/she designed the drops. The designer should be contacting the council and giving them an ear full of advice regarding how he designed it based on different boating skills. Just my two cents.


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## chepora (Feb 6, 2008)

Boat it and it will be open.


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## okieboater (Oct 19, 2004)

"I have to ask now...is there an alternative run around Dallas, OKC, or even Arkansas areas?"

The best WW play spot with releases this time of year, I know that meets your request is Rockport at Malvern AR which is close to Hot Springs AR. Check the Arkansas Canoe Club message board to know when it is running.


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## kayakingphotog (May 25, 2007)

Heck all you have to do is put up some picnic tables and let the local rif raf (non-boaters) come and spend the day grilling fajitas, throwing their trash on the ground, and letting their 2 year olds float down in tubes laughing and screaming. Claim its an economic benefit to the community at large (we all know us kayakers pinch our pennies) and the city council will sit up and take notice....


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## Randaddy (Jun 8, 2007)

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Texans are so stupid.


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## kayakingphotog (May 25, 2007)

your daddy is from tejas right? snicker.....


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## mvhyde (Feb 3, 2004)

The only alternative (when they release) is the Grapevine Wave below the Grapevine Dam. It is basically a pretty good spot when it does run, but again, it is Texas and warrants maybe a Class II+ at about 850 to 1,000 cfs.

There's a park over in Fort Worth, but that is pretty much rain driven. The waves are pretty good at 2,500 cfs though and a lot of fun if you like city runoff manky water.


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## ch678 (May 6, 2007)

chepora said:


> Boat it and it will be open.


LOL Yeah, I can boat it and pay the piper in jail afterward. Oh, the trials and tribulations of we boating addicts. We sort of had the same situation at Number 1 because of a land owner on the east side (the same area CWWA used for their outings many, many years ago.) A couple of boaters intentional put-in there and ended up in jail later -- which was the intent to start the litigation process.


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## ch678 (May 6, 2007)

okieboater said:


> "I have to ask now...is there an alternative run around Dallas, OKC, or even Arkansas areas?"
> 
> The best WW play spot with releases this time of year, I know that meets your request is Rockport at Malvern AR which is close to Hot Springs AR. Check the Arkansas Canoe Club message board to know when it is running.


Thanks for the advice, Okie. Didn't know there was another park other than the Dallas one.


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## ch678 (May 6, 2007)

mvhyde said:


> The only alternative (when they release) is the Grapevine Wave below the Grapevine Dam. It is basically a pretty good spot when it does run, but again, it is Texas and warrants maybe a Class II+ at about 850 to 1,000 cfs.
> 
> There's a park over in Fort Worth, but that is pretty much rain driven. The waves are pretty good at 2,500 cfs though and a lot of fun if you like city runoff manky water.


Manky!!!! LOL We call the rapids at the Confluence Play Park on the South Platte, Hepatitis Rapid. The Platte picks up a lot of junk through town for a long way before the park. Which brings to mind, the Union Street play park below the dam and further upstream in town seems to be a bit cleaner. At least the aeration is white.


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## chepora (Feb 6, 2008)

ch678 said:


> LOL Yeah, I can boat it and pay the piper in jail afterward. Oh, the trials and tribulations of we boating addicts. We sort of had the same situation at Number 1 because of a land owner on the east side (the same area CWWA used for their outings many, many years ago.) A couple of boaters intentional put-in there and ended up in jail later -- which was the intent to start the litigation process.



The only illegal part is the put-in right? Are there no places upstream to put-in at?


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