Our new whitewater park just opened on Monday. Wingfield Park in
downtown Reno is on an island in the middle of the Truckee River.
They diverted all of the water into the South channel while they built
a series drops in the North Channel. They have now sent water down
the North Channel and are working on adding seven features to the
South Channel.

The North Channel has four drops with various play features. Nice
stuff. Here is a link to pictures and a short video.

http://www.rgj.com/multimedia/galler...l/2003/09/262/


Randy

Randy,

I'm not from the Reno area, but I often have business that takes me
there. How does one find out if the whitewater parks is open or is it
open year around? Is there a local telephone number or an Intenet
site that can give me a current status on access and water level?

Thanks,
Bobo
(Randy Hodges) wrote in message . com...
Our new whitewater park just opened on Monday. Wingfield Park in
downtown Reno is on an island in the middle of the Truckee River.
They diverted all of the water into the South channel while they built
a series drops in the North Channel. They have now sent water down
the North Channel and are working on adding seven features to the
South Channel.

The North Channel has four drops with various play features. Nice
stuff. Here is a link to pictures and a short video.

http://www.rgj.com/multimedia/galler...l/2003/09/262/


Randy

It's open year round. With this warm weather people have been in the water as late at 10:00 in the evening.

Bobo wrote:

Randy,

I'm not from the Reno area, but I often have business that takes me
there. How does one find out if the whitewater parks is open or is it
open year around? Is there a local telephone number or an Intenet
site that can give me a current status on access and water level?

Thanks,
Bobo
(Randy Hodges) wrote in message . com...
Our new whitewater park just opened on Monday. Wingfield Park in
downtown Reno is on an island in the middle of the Truckee River.
They diverted all of the water into the South channel while they built
a series drops in the North Channel. They have now sent water down
the North Channel and are working on adding seven features to the
South Channel.

The North Channel has four drops with various play features. Nice
stuff. Here is a link to pictures and a short video.

http://www.rgj.com/multimedia/galler...l/2003/09/262/


Randy

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree :
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man

Now we paddlers have taken to creating our own pleasure domes though
this time it is not the marvellous sex that Coleridge wrote about in his
poem but we want to alter rivers to make our own play parks.

Where is kayaking heading? We have got to the stage where we are
building waves specifically for freestyle events next we will have the
rapid covered to keep the rain out and the heat in. Even if it does not
go that far will it get to the stage where river runs will be altered to
make sure the gradient drop on the run is used efficiently and the drops
are bundled together to make descent play waves rather than waste the
gradient on riffles and gravel bars and holes are made safe so as not
recirculate the unfortunate swimmer undercuts and syphons will be
blasted out to 'improve' runs. Tidy up nature she got it wrong (and make
sure the car parks at the put in and take out big enough).

There was I time when as a paddler you could have a superior attitude to
the sierra club members in that we did not leave footprints when we took
the photos!

Here's the poem just because it is so good!

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree :
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.
So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round :
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree ;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.
But oh ! that deep romantic chasm which slanted
Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover !
A savage place ! as holy and enchanted
As e'er beneath a waning moon was haunted
By woman wailing for her demon-lover !
And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething,
As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing,
A mighty fountain momently was forced :
Amid whose swift half-intermitted burst
Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail,
Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher's flail :
And 'mid these dancing rocks at once and ever
It flung up momently the sacred river.
Five miles meandering with a mazy motion
Through wood and dale the sacred river ran,
Then reached the caverns measureless to man,
And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean :
And 'mid this tumult Kubla heard from far
Ancestral voices prophesying war !

The shadow of the dome of pleasure
Floated midway on the waves ;
Where was heard the mingled measure
From the fountain and the caves.

It was a miracle of rare device,
A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice !
A damsel with a dulcimer
In a vision once I saw :
It was an Abyssinian maid,
And on her dulcimer she played,
Singing of Mount Abora.
Could I revive within me
Her symphony and song,
To such a deep delight 'twould win me,

That with music loud and long,
I would build that dome in air,
That sunny dome ! those caves of ice !
And all who heard should see them there,
And all should cry, Beware ! Beware !
His flashing eyes, his floating hair !
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honey-dew hath fed,
And drunk the milk of Paradise.

--
Dave Manby
Details of the Coruh river and my book "Many Rivers To Run" at
http://www.dmanby.demon.co.uk

Dave Manby ) writes:

Where is kayaking heading? We have got to the stage where we are
building waves specifically for freestyle events next we will have the
rapid covered to keep the rain out and the heat in.

Not to mention keeping out nasty territorial attack geese and
biting-stinging insects. Where they are going is called "virtual reality",
Fantasyland for paddlers brought to you by Disney Corp., water slides for
kayaks. No birdwatching. No nature photography. Buy your photos at the
souvenir counter. Get your photo taken with a DisneyCorp certified
paddling instructor. Its paddle their way or the highway.


--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
William R Watt National Capital FreeNet Ottawa's free community network
homepage: www.ncf.ca/~ag384/top.htm
warning: non-freenet email must have "notspam" in subject or it's returned

William R. Watt posted:

Dave Manby ) writes:

Where is kayaking heading? We have got to the stage where we are
building waves specifically for freestyle events next we will have the
rapid covered to keep the rain out and the heat in.

Not to mention keeping out nasty territorial attack geese and
biting-stinging insects. Where they are going is called "virtual reality",
Fantasyland for paddlers brought to you by Disney Corp., water slides for
kayaks. No birdwatching. No nature photography. Buy your photos at the
souvenir counter. Get your photo taken with a DisneyCorp certified
paddling instructor. Its paddle their way or the highway.
--------------------------------------------------------

Nearly every river in the continental US has been ruined, or modified (somewhat
ruined) by industry and "progress". Reclaiming a few of those waterways for the
public good is a worthy goal. A good example would be a the Milltown Dam in
Missoula MT; An obsolete and worthless dam. Could be a fine whtewater park that
would serve the public for generations. Another good site is in Minneapolis MN;
the old dam at St Anthony Falls. Don't know if these projects will ever happen,
but they'd be a hell of a lot better than what's there now. And, next time I
get through Reno, something to do besides **** away my money at the casinos.

Dennis

World ending, film at 11.

--
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mary Malmros
Some days you're the windshield,
Other days you're the bug.

Dave Manby wrote:

Where is kayaking heading? We have got to the stage where we are
building waves specifically for freestyle events next we will have the
rapid covered to keep the rain out and the heat in. Even if it does not
go that far will it get to the stage where river runs will be altered to
make sure the gradient drop on the run is used efficiently and the drops
are bundled together to make descent play waves rather than waste the
gradient on riffles and gravel bars and holes are made safe so as not
recirculate the unfortunate swimmer undercuts and syphons will be
blasted out to 'improve' runs. Tidy up nature she got it wrong (and make
sure the car parks at the put in and take out big enough).


Dave,

I don't totally disagree with your sentiment. Leave nature alone!
You really can't improve it. On the Other Hand, the new round of
whitewater parks, such as the one I am most familiar with in Reno
Nevada, are NOT impacting nature. They are in URBAN areas. In our
case, the river in this section had been chanelized, confined between
two vertical cement walls. A low-head dam was also removed. The
Whitewater Park isn't nature but it certianly is closer than what you
find in most urban rivers.

Another thought is that one of the effects of these parks is to
concetrate river use in a small area. The effect is, perhaps, to
lessen the impact on our wilderness runs.

Randy Hodges

(Bobo) wrote in message . com...
Randy,

I'm not from the Reno area, but I often have business that takes me
there. How does one find out if the whitewater parks is open or is it
open year around? Is there a local telephone number or an Intenet
site that can give me a current status on access and water level?


Bobo,

The Whitewater park is open all year long. It really isn't controlled
in any way. It is just there. Show-up whenever you want and use it.
Some people have been on it after dark.

The best flow site is probably
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/uv...ter_cd =00060

That will give you the flow a dozen miles up stream. The flow at the
park will be 80-90% of that.

Randy

Speaking of Nevada rivers, do any know anyone who has paddled
all or parts of the Humboldt river in eastern Nevada?

Every time we drive by on the way from California to Idaho,
we make jokes about canoeing it, but I'm wondering if anybody
has actually undertaken an expedition.