On Monday the 25th, many of our state representatives will be visiting Gunnison to "check out" our white water park. They are looking for use and possible economic impact. If we want to maintain our Water Right, a good turn out by all park users is strongly recommended! I do not know when or for how long they are will be there to observe. If we can have a strong showing on this day, it could have an impact on the fate of our RICD (Recreational In-Channel Diversion) and obtaining a permanent water right for recreational use.
I know some are frustrated with the quality of our park. This can be changed. If an RICD Water Right is denied, we can say good-by to fixing what we have.
If you have any questions contact Cary Denison (Colorado Land and Water Specialists. LLC)
970-249-6027
My guess is that they would be here mid-day. I would suggest that we try to be on the water durring lunch breaks or set aside time in the late morning and early afternoon to go boating. Please tell your friends.
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you know sometimes i wish i would have chosen something like baseball but, i didn't and i'm a kayaker so this is what i do." -Nick Turner (Wehyakin)
There are a lot of folks who want to see Gunny retain it's RICD (I didn't think they could be overturned so quickly once established), keep the Whitewater park and improve the ww park- you guys have so much water going through all the time we could have good features there from April- November. Many of these people probably can't physically be there on Monday.
I would suggest composing a letter/petition to the representatives that will be evaluating the WW park's value which summarizes: 1) The importance of the RICD to recreation and to the community as a whole (yikes...big, complex topic), 2) the ww park's positive economic and recreational impact, 3) the fact that the public supports the park 4) anything else....????
Then post this letter to let us 'sign' and email to the given representative (you'll need to provide that info as well- who to email it to), have us cc the email to you and distribute a print copy to this group.
This way, these powers that be will see that there is significant support for the park.
I would suggest composing a letter/petition to the representatives that will be evaluating the WW park's value which summarizes: 1) The importance of the RICD to recreation and to the community as a whole (yikes...big, complex topic)
Check this out, I found it a few days ago surfing americanwhitewater.org and I posted it to paddle.gunnison.com (but it gets no hits) .. it should should get a hit here. This is a fantastic document complete with sourced statistics.
As far as a letter goes .. I got enough caffeine running through me to do it but input would be nice.. I like the idea, we get all the signatures we can before Monday and have a rep (probably Lee/Greg) give it to the officials when they are at the park.
on sunday i will be there all day with petions, i'll have my car stereo for music and probablly a bag of chips, so come down and support.
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you know sometimes i wish i would have chosen something like baseball but, i didn't and i'm a kayaker so this is what i do." -Nick Turner (Wehyakin)
You don't have any freakin chips, don't abuse these poor people.
But really, if you can, stop by Sunday, let Vaultman14 take your picture in the hole.
But really, in the very near future the fate of a lot of Gunnison's water will likely be decided. Our whitewater park is largely viewed as a huge waste of time and money by the people of Gunnison but it is plain as day to anyone who looks how valuable projects like it in other communities around the country have been. If you have any way of of just saying 'I bothered once,' that you could ship back at us here in Gunnison, we would probably all really appreciate it right now. I mean pictures you may have taken at the park, just because you had a camera. Or maybe the story about how once you stopped, it was cold, you looked around Gunnison. With your consent, it could probably be used to make people realize what an asset lots of water in a nice whitewater park could be.
Better yet (because it is the easiest way so far): If you have ever visited the Gunnison play park, just respond to this thread and help us form a more sale-able basis for estimation.
The truth about the Gunnison whitewater park is that it isn't maintained properly so it doesn't get much use by paddlers. If the park was good it would be obvious to everyone that there is an economic benefit from it. I regularly drive to Buena Vista or Salida from Crested Butte to paddle the play parks there because the Gunny park is not worth going to in the condition that it has been in the last few years.
We visited haphazardly a year ago. I was visiting a Gunny based friend, had my boat but hadn't done any boating on my 9 day road trip, but we put in at the park so he could learn.
The park was mellow enough that he didn't feel intimidated and I recruited a new boater to the fold. I really liked the park for something to do at lunch, after work or for learning and teaching others.
Being a 9 hour a day work slave I know all too well the woes of the weekend warrior. Having a playpark near me (Golden) is an enormous blessing. I don't care if it's not the best whitewater in the world, it's some holes and waves that give me the features needed to get a few kicks in and work on my skills. Granted, Gunny's park is nowhere the level of Golden, but again it's a good enough place, close enough by that you can get your kicks in and work on skills with limited time.
The other feature of playparks is that they are true learning facilities. Not only do you have a place for beginners to thrive and bring new boaters (and customers) into the industry but you have a place for your children. As a boating parent I know I want my kids involved in the rivers and it will be a while before I'm comfortable with the on anything but mellow playpark water with reasonable drops and safe runouts. Gunny is perfect for the kids.
We were at Golden last night watching the rodeo and there were kids everywhere, games and races, families pikniking...it was awesome. It wouldn't be hard for the gunny park to do to Gunny what the Golden park did for Golden.
Plus, everytime I head to the park I grab a quick bite on the way...which means buying it from a local vendor because I have less time to make food at home.
It's definitely a benefit to the community as a whole, especially for one leaning towards a family environment.
I went to school at Western and graduated the spring after the whitewater park was built. I attended all the planning and zoning meetings and was park of Mark Gibson's class that did some planning on it. I remember checking in on it every day to monitor its progress, and as soon as it was more or less ready, we would jump on it and surf like crazy even though it was 34 degrees with spitting snow showers and 190cfs I was very proud to have it in town. The first warm weekend that spring, the eddies were overflowing with people in every sort of craft, including squirt boats, creekers and sit on tops. Everyone was enthusiastic and there was a feeling like the best was yet to come. Regrettably, I moved away before I experienced high water in the park, but am disappointed to hear of its lackluster status. I hope it all turns out. It is a shame that Psychedelic gets manipulated so much as well. I remember that it was an awesome drop and we would lap it until we got tired of climbing out of our boats, but here now that its just downright dangerous. Best of luck and hello to all in Gunnison
I, for one, didn't think the waterfall, Psychadelic, was that bad. It's a little sticky, but in what seemed like a typical early summer flow at about 700 CFS it wsn't bad and seemed safe and the runout afterwards is a freakin' lake. I REALLY liked the two lower holes at those flows and were really fun for spins, blunts, low angle cartwheels, etc...
I can't loop yet, so I can't speak for it, but it may be a tad shallow at normal flows for looping. But hey, are the majority of Gunny locals going to be looping? Or just practicing on surfing, spinning, etc?
IMHO it's perfect for risk free dork around play that can teach the beginning boater a TON about boating and get them on some more interesting rivers with more skills.
In a lot of ways I wish the Golden playpark had as safe a feel as the Gunny playpark. I love Golden, but it's pretty much fast water all the way to Coors and if no one bumps your boat it'll probably get lost.
Gunny rocks and I would love to have it in my backyard.
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you know sometimes i wish i would have chosen something like baseball but, i didn't and i'm a kayaker so this is what i do." -Nick Turner (Wehyakin)
I was very proud to have it in town. The first warm weekend that spring, the eddies were overflowing with people in every sort of craft, including squirt boats, creekers and sit on tops. Everyone was enthusiastic and there was a feeling like the best was yet to come. Regrettably, I moved away before I experienced high water in the park, but am disappointed to hear of its lackluster status. I hope it all turns out. It is a shame that Psychedelic gets manipulated so much as well. I remember that it was an awesome drop and we would lap it until we got tired of climbing out of our boats, but here now that its just downright dangerous. Best of luck and hello to all in Gunnison
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