Initial Information Part 1

The Basic information about the proposal from REP & Eric Hall that was presented to the Hamilton Dam Sub-committee of the Flint River Corridor Alliance:

I have been working quite a bit recently with Recreation Engineering & Planning (REP) based out of Boulder Colorado. Initially I was working with the McLaughlin Group, but the level of support that is required in these early stages, to gain enough support and momentum to actually be able to present this proposal to the city, is quite large, and I simply wasn't getting the same level of support, documentation and answers to my specific questions from them as I have from REP. REP has been the trend setter in Whitewater Parks for over 30 years. In that time, Recreation Engineering and Planning has created 90% of all of the in-stream whitewater parks in the United States. These parks include the popular Reno Whitewater Park in downtown Reno, home of the Reno Whitewater Festival, the Vail Whitewater Park, which has hosted the Teva Mountain Games, and the Golden Whitewater Park, which is an example of how dramatic an effect these parks can have on the local economy.

REP's Parks are not just designed for the many kayakers and river enthusiasts who will visit them; they are designed for the communities in which they reside. These parks are community parks with trails, streamside seating, fishing, tubing, and family areas. It is this all-encompassing design that led the Mayor of Reno to call the Reno Whitewater Park the, "Best capital investment project I've seen."

Recreation Engineering and Planning has pioneered several in-stream design and restoration technologies. Among them are low-head-dam re-design projects that allow dangerous and impassable dams to provide safe passage, recreation, and help to restore the river's natural morphology in a way that allows fish to pass upstream and for a healthy and robust in-stream and riparian zone environment. REP has implemented these types of projects on small narrow low head dams, such as the existing structure at the Reno Whitewater Park and on large dams on wide rivers, such as the Bow River Weir Project in Calgary, Alberta that is more than 700 feet wide and drops more than 12 feet!

REP's Initial plan for the Hamilton Dam site was specifically formulated based on the two main requirements of the city that I provided to them. 1) The city must be able to maintain 100% active control of the flow of the river to ensure adequate water pooling above the dam to support the new water treatment facility and 2) Due to historical contamination, the city is voicing that the sediment in the river (ground water contamination etc.) must be able to be contained and controlled during the removal and replacement of the dam. The resulting plan is to repair the existing Crest & Head (or base structure) of the dam if possible. Add Obermeyer Spillway Gate System to the repaired Head structure, allowing complete flow control, or to a newly created base structure if the existing head can't be maintained. Create a series of stepped drop structures downstream of the existing dam crest that provides recreational opportunities and fish passage. Not only will the drops create rapids, but they will also create play spots for "Play Boat" kayaking or "Rodeo" kayaking (small specially designed whitewater kayaks that allow the paddler to do flips, cartwheels and other acrobatic stunts). By adding the stepped drop structures downstream from the dam, sediment levels and disruption during construction are not a concern.