Whitewater Park in the Northwest? Yes/No? Where? How?

[shanerobinson]

Is there interest in building a whitewater park in the Northwest?

Where? Seattle? Portland? Olympia? North Bend? Sultan? Where else?

I have heard salmon make it more difficult, but there aren't any salmon in North Bend, which has the S. Snoqualmie flowing right through it.

What are some of the other obstacles? Have people tried in the past?

Shane

[aoby]

Is there interest? Yes. Lots.
Organization or a plan? None.

Good point about salmon in N. Bend. No way those guys can jump up a 270 foot waterfall.

Does anyone here have experience in whitewater park building? I don't even know where to start. Who generally funds these things? Perhaps we should talk to some of the CO towns that have active playparks (Golden, Steamboat Springs, etc).

[localpaddler]

Portland or Seatle would be good. Check out this website for a company that works with urban whitewater parks:Class 6 Kayak (http://www.class6kayak.com)

[localpaddler]

You are right about Western Washington...there isn't much Class 3-4 play runs around. But It is great that there is the Class V.

[Rusty]

Super down for a spot in washington. We have a prime population for increasing the draw to paddling....like The Ricker stated previously you either have to be Super Gnarly creeker or apathetic floater.

North Bend is a great local...right off the 90 corridor.

Last time I checked you need some big nuts to build one.

O'keefe might be a resource for some details. I think he might have been involved in the Whistler debachle.

Rusty trombone