A beginner-level kayak park in the Roaring Fork River in Basalt is taking a step towards becoming reality.
Pitkin County has recently issued a request for proposals seeking qualified firms to bid on the design, permitting and construction of a whitewater park, which would be built from “in-stream and shore-based improvements,” according to the document.
“The purpose of the project is to create high-quality in-stream wave features for kayakers while protecting or insuring safe passage for other river users,” the RFP states. “These features should (be) accessible to a broad range of skill levels (and) provide shore-based amenities to accommodate both ‘park and play’ kayakers as well as passive users ... .”
Proposals are due by Aug. 8, and the county hopes to announce the top-ranked proposal on Aug. 15.
The kayak park would be located downstream of what is known as the “upper bypass bridge,” where Highway 82 crosses the Roaring Fork River upvalley of downtown Basalt. It would be just off Two Rivers Road across from Fisherman’s Park, which today includes a small parking lot and a picnic shelter.
The stretch of river that would be included in the kayak park, like Fisherman’s Park, is mainly in Pitkin County, but also includes the town of Basalt boundary. There is a crude river-access portal across from Fisherman’s Park today, but the new river park proposed for the area would improve that.
The McLaughlin Whitewater Design Group in Denver prepared a conceptual design for the project in March. “The concept is intended to increase river access and use to multiple groups, including: kayakers, rafters, tubers, hikers and fishermen,” the McLaughlin report states. “When flows in the Roaring Fork are above 200 cubic feet per second, the proposed whitewater features will provide a local draw suited for beginner and student paddlers. Project stakeholders indicated the desire to create fun play spots that can be enjoyed by multiple users, since they are not interested in attracting advanced kayaking freestyle boaters.”
A new kayak wave opened this spring in West Glenwood Springs that has proven to be a big hit with advanced boaters. It is quickly gaining a reputation as the best kayak wave in the state, in part because it is on the Colorado River, which enjoys consistently higher flows than other rivers.
The McLaughlin report says that a stretch of river above the Basalt bypass bridge was considered as a location for the kayak park, but private property issues and the dangerous bridge pilings below the highway ruled that area out.
The plan includes one, and perhaps two, kayak waves that would be formed by placing boulders in the river to create a standing wave kayakers could ride. The river work would also create deep pools that are expected to improve the fishing in the area.
The right riverbank in the area would also be improved with a new boat ramp, as an earlier ramp was destroyed during flooding in 1995. Other improvements include additional parking, a path along the bank and “terraced boulder bank edges” that will provide viewing areas.
The McLaughlin report states that the project is consistent with Basalt’s River Stewardship Master Plan, and also discusses the possibility of removing rocks and dirt that have been piling up in the river around the pilings of the Basalt bypass bridge.
The county’s request for proposals states that the firm that takes on the project will be responsible for obtaining all permits, including a 404 permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is intended to address environmental issues surrounding construction near waterways or wetlands.
The Pitkin County commissioners are reviewing an amendment to the land-use code that would allow dredging and filling in local rivers and streams if the project would help “restore” a section of the river.
bgs@aspendailynews.com
