From: The Kentucky Standard
RiverRestoration.org surveyed Beech Fork River near Rubble Dam Thursday as part of Phase I of the Beech Fork whitewater park project.
River Engineer Jason Carey with the Glenwood Springs, Colo.-based company, which focuses on river restoration, preservation, enhancement and use of ecosystems, will be in Bardstown through Saturday.
The whitewater park project is a joint effort between Bardstown Boaters and Bardstown City Council. The emphasis of the River Recreation Enhancements design is to enhance Rubble Dam on the Beech Fork River for whitewater recreation and to improve the water supply.
A plan for a whitewater park has been under way for about two years, Bardstown Boaters President Spalding Hurst said.
“We had a really good spot to build a whitewater park,” he said, “and since that time, we have been raising money and looking for ways to bring in some designers to start the work on this. That’s where we’re at today with RiverRestoration.org.”
RiverRestoration.org is the first developer Bardstown Boaters has hired to survey the area. Bardstown Boaters raised $10,000 — $6,000 from the club, $2,000 from City Council and $2,000 from tourism — to bring Carey, who has more than nine years of experience as a river engineer, to Bardstown. Carey has a master’s degree in civil engineering and a bachelor’s degree in physics.
“We had explored the idea of going with another firm from Colorado,” Hurst said. “For a while, we were going to try to go with a professor at the University of Louisville that does stream restoration, but it didn’t work out with them. They felt the scope of work was not what they could do and the timing wasn’t right. So, we went back to the Colorado engineers and found Jason.”
Carey, along with Hibbs Engineering, will be conducting topographic and channel surveys and taking photographs of the river channel. Carey will also be meeting with officials to discuss what can be done and what is allowed at the river. Hurst said RiverRestoration.org was chosen because the club felt Carey developed three of the best whitewater parks in Colorado.
“We do a lot of different kinds of river projects all over the place, but we’ve currently been getting involved in recreation enhancements, mostly whitewater kayak parks,” Carey said. “We really think they are great projects because they kind of bring communities back to their river ways and they introduce people to the river system and make the rivers a great place to be.”
Carey said Bardstown had a perfect location for a whitewater park near Rubble Dam, which serves as a back-up water supply for Bardstown.
“The city is interested in improving this system for municipal water supply as well as making it an amenity for the community,” he said. “I think there is a lot of opportunity here.”
Kayak parks are becoming increasingly more popular in cities, Carey said.
To create a whitewater park, rocks are rearranged and reform the channel hydraulics to create waves that allow surfboards, inner tubes and kayaks to float in moving water.
The information Carey collects from the surveys will be converted to a computer model to compare the information to hydraulic models to predict what would happen to the river at different levels.
“In the computer, we can stimulate water running through here and make it as deep as we want to,” Carey said. “[It will also help us] understand how the river system works right here to understand what opportunities we might have for improving it.”
RiverRestoration.org will work with the Division of Fish and Wildlife to help protect vegetation, wildlife and river species.
“We will investigate the opportunities and constraints, such as do we have issues with the bridge? Do we have issues with flooding? What are the constraints of the site? We work with the resource agencies and the habitat issues and figure out what can be done,” he said. “Possibly, we could enhance the habitat.”
The data Carey collects will be presented to Bardstown City Council and from there, the city would decide what the next step of the project would be. The project could cost between $300,000 to $1 million and could take at least a year to complete.
The Bardstown Boaters support a whitewater park, stating it could modify the hazardous Rubble Dam, attract visitors to the park, create a venue for paddlers, increase the city’s water supply, enhance the fish habitat, create a family-friendly and easily accessible river park, improve the aesthetics of the site and provide local economic stimulation.
According to its Web site, economic impacts of a whitewater park could provide recreation, tourism, competitions, new jobs and businesses, environmental awareness, construction of the river, enhance land and property value and business retention.
To view some of RiverRestoration.org’s whitewater river projects, visit http://riverrestoration.org/projects/index.html.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
National Geographic Recognizes Bardstown & Whitewater Park
On Bardstown, National Geographic wrote: “We ain’t gonna lie: Bardstown’s status as the world’s bourbon capital drew us in, but its rivers flow as freely as the whiskey. Paddlers convene at Sympson Lake, and a whitewater park is in the works downtown. Not in the liquor business? Lexington and Louisville are both less than an hour’s commute.”
Now we just need to deliver on that whitewater park so we can truley make Bardstown a great adventure town!
Article: Kentucky Standard
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Club Stickers
Bardstown Boaters offers the original, exclusively printed Club stickers which are being sold with a minimal markup to cover our expenses. It's the best proactive way that we know to make sure that this image that was produced by the volunteer efforts of the few, end up in the hands of the many. Get it here.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Bourbon City Challenge Adventure Race 2008 in Bardstown, Kentucky
Central Kentucky Canoe and Kayak - a vital supporter of last year's race - joins hands with more than a dozen other event supporters already whom have pledged their support. And we're still five weeks out from race day.
"Supporting this event is a given for me," Mike Hammons, CKCK owner said. "I had a great time last year and with many of the same supporters on board this year, we'll again see this event grow into one of Kentucky's most enjoyed races."
Thanks to the canoe and kayak livery of Central Kentucky's acceptance of the title sponsorship, this is sure to be another great year for the Bourbon City Challenge Adventure Race.
CKCK joins a generous and dedicated group of supporters - the majority of which turned out last year for the event's inaugural - of whom all are critical to the event's success.
Red Bull, Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, Beam Global Spirits, Makers Mark, Flaget Hospital, Ale-8-One, Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, Bardstown Boaters, Honaker Aviation, Joe Hill's Equipment, Lonely Goat Productions, and many others are on board again this year to support the event and we invite and encourage others to lend their support.
The cooperation of the city, county, and state governments, their departments and the Bardstown-Nelson County Air Board must also be recognized, because only with their cooperation can this event be what it is.
This year's Bourbon City Challenge Adventure Race in Bardstown, Ky., Sept. 14, 2008 begins Sunday at 9 a.m. at the Bardstown-Nelson County Airport on U.S. 62 just a mile west of Bardstown.
The first year's event was a great success drawing 70 racers, 40 sponsors and more than 100 spectators and race fans. This year is sure to attract even more.
The multi-sport race combines running, paddling, navigation and road cycling in a race designed to challenge the person of average athletic ability and provide die-hard athletes a great venue to compete in.
The Bourbon City Challenge is followed by a week filled with activities in Bardstown, during the Kentucky Bourbon Festival's full-week of events. The world renown festival is a celebration of Bardstown's 200-year distilling heritage.
The race begins with a run leaving the Bardstown-Nelson County Airport and continuing across adjoining property with Sympson Lake, where a paddling leg of the event takes place. After the paddle, racers mount bicycles to head their way back to Bardstown on a 12-mile ride in and around Bardstown.
The event offers three categories of racers: solo male, solo female and team relay.
The team relay category allows participants to partake in only portions of the race, while teammates fulfill other legs.
"This keeps the event open and fun to all, not just the hardcore athletes," Bob White, race creator said. "That's what we're here to do is have a great time running, paddling and cycling in the outdoors."
Entry fee for the 2008 race is $30 per racer. The price includes free camping and party activities the night before, a gift bag filled with neat stuff from our sponsors, and a chance at winning prize packages.
Learn more about the event and register online for the race at www.kyrace.com. Bardstown Boaters and Horizon Hoppers Adventure Services are hosting the event along with Bob White, a news reporter for Landmark Community Newspapers Inc. Those interested in sponsoring the event, being an event vendor, volunteering, or media interviews, should contact Bob White.
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