Comments on: Parks Agenda: Downtown, Dogs, Dams, DTE

By: Dave Fanslow

Dave Fanslow — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 18:55:02 +0000

The main channel whitewater feature would serve as a mixer/diffuser of the highly contaminated Allen Drain water that currently tends to flow in a distinct plume against the South bank until the constriction at the Broadway bridge forces it into the main flow. But if recreational water quality standards are followed the e-coli counts will likely prevent it from being a viable paddling site. Moving water is pretty, and it aerates the pollution, but dont sell a sewer outflow as a paddling site which seems like an explicit expectation in these discussions.

By: Larry Baird

Larry Baird — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:28:53 +0000

George, you hit the nail on the head – water allocation between the main channel and the Cascades. Is there enough water all summer long to support both “channels”?

Having used the old Argo headrace and portage numerous times over the years, I can recall seeing the old spillway with just a small stream of water leaving the headrace, nothing like the continuous flow passing through the Cascades all summer long.

Since the DEQ did not approve the initial whitewater design, it seems we are letting the design firm off a bit lightly given both the design flaw of the Cascades and the no-go on the “initial” whitewater design?

Hopefully there will not be a Strike 3 – potential closure of the Cascades at mid-summer or late summer – if there is not enough water flowing over the dam into the main channel of the river and the DEQ decides to enforce the rules.

By: Dan Ezekiel

Dan Ezekiel — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:26:37 +0000

I am not a dog owner, but I feel the reactions to the proposed dog parks is overdone. I visited a dog park in Boston with my dad and his dog, and it was nothing like what the neighbors fear. Dogs socialized happily and quietly on the site (half an acre or so), as did their owners. The site was completely clean, with pea gravel and a plastic liner. Owners cleaned up all poop. The dog park enhances my dad’s neighborhood.

By: Timothy Durham

Timothy Durham — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:00:58 +0000

Hi Mary,
I will pledge an extra $10 p/month to the Chronicle so that, when I click on them to get a closer look, I will get a BIGGER (even MUCH bigger) picture of the maps in your stories so I can read them. Thanks. Keep up the good work!

By: George Hammond

George Hammond — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 03:36:47 +0000

Larry, I agree that some caution is called for. I don't think anyone is proposing that a third livery be upstream of the white water feature in the main course of the river. A very tentative concept, with the livery below the white water features, was released in a draft report last week: [link] I share your concern about flows in the summer. When the water is low, I wonder how they will decide to allocate: water over the dam and past the whitewater feature, or water through the cascades? I think there might be some legal requirements to maintain flow in the main channel, requirements that might not have been observed last year, but I don't really know for sure.

By: Larry Baird

Larry Baird — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 23:26:26 +0000

I am having trouble understanding the logic behind this new idea (not on PROS plan) of building a third canoe livery on the Michcon site. If the Barton to Gallup trips are up from 7.5% to 27%, those canoes would still have to portage at Argo.

In addition, if the new livery is built up stream of the planned new whitewater, how would the canoes by-pass the new whitewater? How would those portaging closer to Argo Dam by-pass the new whitewater?

Finally, with the faulty engineering of the Cascades – originally designed for kayaks and canoes but resulting in Class 2 rapids declared unsafe for novice canoeists, how can we know for sure the water levels just below the dam would support a new livery at this location? Last summer that section of the river completely dried up as well as many parts of the Argo to Gallup stretch. In fact, there have been many past summers when the Argo livery stops renting canoes for the Argo to Gallup stretch due to the low water levels.

I would caution PAC to explore this idea very carefully and slowly. The Cascades have only been open one year. More time is needed to see what the long term impacts will be on this stretch of the river.

I also do not see the urgency when other long term PROS plan projects (such as the Bandemer to Barton trail connection)have been patiently waiting to receive funding.

I own three kayaks and an old A2 parks resale canoe and enjoy the river as much as anyone, yet I also enjoy the border-to-border trail too and would like to see it completed sometime during my lifetime.