Conceptual Design Study

SiteVisitandConceptualDesignStudy
AshevilleWhitewaterPark
Asheville,N.C.
February19,2015

Preparedfor:

BenVanCamp
AshevilleParksandGreenwayFoundation
P.O.Box2362
Asheville,NC,28802

Preparedby:

ScottShipley,P.E.
S2oDesignandEngineering
318McConnellDrive
Lyons, CO, 80540
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318 McConnell Drive | Lyons, CO | 80540
Contents
Introduction:.................................................................................................................................................4
Section1:WhitewaterParks.........................................................................................................................5
WhitewaterParksDefined........................................................................................................................5
TheWhitewaterDesignProcess...............................................................................................................7
DesignFactorsforWhitewaterFacilities:.................................................................................................8
Stability.................................................................................................................................................9
Costs....................................................................................................................................................10
TypicalEconomicImpactsofWhitewaterParks.....................................................................................10
Section2:SiteInformation........................................................................................................................11
Asheville,NC...........................................................................................................................................11
TheStudyReach:.....................................................................................................................................12
ChannelMorphology..................................................................................................................................14
Flowinformation:....................................................................................................................................14
FloodModelingWithintheReach......................................................................................................17
ProjectSites............................................................................................................................................17
JeanWebbParkSite............................................................................................................................18
BowenBridgesSite.............................................................................................................................23
PearsonBridgeSite.............................................................................................................................27
AdditionalConsiderations.......................................................................................................................30
HistoricStructures..............................................................................................................................30
EndangeredSpecies............................................................................................................................30
WhitewaterParkPotentialatTheseSites:.............................................................................................32
Section3:Proposedimprovements...........................................................................................................35
ProjectObjectives...................................................................................................................................35
DesignFunctionality................................................................................................................................36
JeanWebbParkSite................................................................................................................................40
ConceptualDesign..............................................................................................................................40
CostsofConstruction:.........................................................................................................................41
PearsonBridgeSite.................................................................................................................................44
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Design,Permitting,andEngineeringCosts.............................................................................................45
Section4:ProcessandPermitting..............................................................................................................46
Process....................................................................................................................................................46
FederalandStatePermitting:.................................................................................................................47
BuncombeCounty:..................................................................................................................................47
CityofAsheville:......................................................................................................................................48
ConstructionRequirementsAnalysis:.....................................................................................................48
OtherConstructionIssues:EndangeredSpeciesAct:........................................................................49
SiteEvaluation............................................................................................................................................49
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................50
AppendixA:BuncombeCountyPermittingChecklist.................................................................................52
Bibliography................................................................................................................................................63
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Introduction:
Asheville,NCisaCitythathasreinventeditselfanddevelopedabrand,nationwide,asadestinationfor
activeoutdoorrecreation.FormerlyacenterofindustryandcommercewithtiestotheVanderbilts,the
Cityhasexperiencedarenaissanceandhasbecomeamountaindestinationintheheartofthe
Appalachians.Ashevillescitycenterisnowatouristdestinationwithwalkingmalls,boutique
restaurantsandshoppingexperiences.TheCityhasworkedtocontinuethistransformationthrough
developmentoftheArtsDistrictinconcertwithgreenwaysandparkscreationalongtheFrenchBroad
River.TheArtsDistrictredevelopmentseekstotransformwarehousesandhistoricindustrialfacilities
intoathrivingdistrictthatwillfurthertheCitysreputationasadestination.Asapartofthiseffort,the
CityhasattractednationallyrecognizedbreweriessuchastheNewBelgiumBreweryandSierraNevada,
amongstothers,tothisarea.Oneoftheuniquecharacteristicsoftheartsdistrictisthatitabutsthe
FrenchBroadRiveralongareachthatispopularfortubingandfloating.Thecommunitywishesto
maximizethepotentialofthisrecreationalamenitybycreatingawhitewaterparkthatwillattract
kayakersandraftersandthatcanhostcompetitivewhitewatereventsintheheartofAsheville.
Whitewaterparksarecommunityparksthatarecenteredontheriver.Theparksincludewaves,eddies,
andotherfeaturesthatareattractivetoinstreamuserstopursuerecreationalkayaking,surfing,and
floating.Theseparks,surroundedbytrailsandrecreationalareas,havenotonlyachievedtheiroriginal
objectiveofattractingpaddlesportsenthusiasts,buthaveoftenexceededexpectationsbybecoming
focalpointsfortheircommunitiesandrecreationaldestinationsforoutdoortourism.Whitewaterparks
oftenplayhosttomajoreventscenteredonslalomorfreestylecompetitionsorhostriverfestivalsthat
featurelocalartsandculture.Inaddition,WhitewaterParkscanhaveapositiveeconomicimpacton
thelocalcommunity,asvisitorsspendmoneyatlocalrestaurants,lodging,andretailestablishments.
Somecities,likeGolden,Colorado;andReno,Nevadahavereportedimpactsonthelocaleconomy,
fromtourismgeneratedbythepark,ontheorderofmillionsofdollarsperyear.
Thetimingforthisprojectisideal.TheCityhasrecentlyreceivedsignificantgrantfundingfor
GreenwaysimprovementsalongthisreachoftheFrenchBroad.Additionally,significantprivate
investmentispoisedtodeveloptheArtsdistrict.Thecreationofthisparkwouldmaximizethe
reputationoftheArtsDistrictanddrawvisitorsonaregionalbasis.
ThisstudywascommissionedbytheAshevilleParksandGreenwaysFoundationtodeterminethe
viabilityofcreatingrecreationalimprovementsinthisreachoftheFrenchBroad.Theobjectiveofthis
studyistoidentifythefeasibilityofapotentialwhitewaterparkwithinthereachextendingfromCarrier
Park(nearAmboyRoad)tojustdownstreamofPearsonBridgeandtoidentifypotentialprojectsites
withinthestudyarea.
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Section 1: Whitewater Parks

Whitewater Parks Defined
Figure1:TheHaweaSurfParkisanaturalrivertypesurfpark,placedintheHaweaRiver,NZ
WhitewaterParksareriverparksinwhichthewhitewaterhasbeendesignedinordertocreatea
regionalattraction1.Insomecaseswhitewaterparksarebuiltinnaturalriversandconsistofnatural
rockdropstructures.Athigherflowstheseparkscreatewaves,eddies,deflectorsandotherfeatures
conducivetorecreational,instructional,andoftencompetitionlevelkayakingaswellasrafting.At
lowerflowsthesefeaturesarelesspowerfulandallowforalltypesofinstreamusageincludingtubing
andotherfloattraffic.Theparksaredesignedtofunctioninanumberofwaysprovidingstreamside
accessforfishermenandothervisitorstotheparkaswellasviewingforspectatorsandspacesforthe
generalpublictogatherandrecreateonthebanksaswellasinthewater.
Inothercasescaseswherenaturalflowandgradientsufficientforwhitewaterdonotexist
whitewaterrapidsareartificiallycreatedthroughtheuseofpumpsandpurposebuiltchannels.These
systemsrecirculatewaterinthesamemannerthatthemeparksorfountainsdrawfromasinglesource,
anddonotrelyontheflowsofnearbyriversandstreams.Figure2,shownbelow,isanexampleofa
pumpedrecirculating,whitewaterpark:
WhitewaterParks,likemanyspecialtyfields,havealanguagealltheirown.Definitionsfortypicaltermsare
showninAppendixB
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Figure2:TheUSNationalWhitewaterCenterisapumpedwhitewaterparkthatpusheswaterfromthebottompondtothetop
whereitthenflowsnaturallythroughfourchannelsegments.
Figure3showstheUSNationalWhitewaterCenterinuse.Thesetypesofwhitewaterparksaretypically
designedtohostalltypesofusersfromhighlyexperiencedcompetitorswhocometothesewhitewater
venuesforOlympicstandardeventstofamiliesandtouristswhocometothesevenuestoexperience
whitewaterforthefirsttime.Thevenuesprovideforcommercialraftingwhereinvisitorsareableto
buyaraftingpassandtakeaguidedrafttripdownthechannels,aswellasrecreationalkayaking,
floating,streamsideseatingandevents.
Figure3:TheUSNationalWhitewaterCenterfeaturescommercialraftingaswellasanumberofotheractiveoutdooractivities.
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Bothinstreamandpumpedwhitewaterparkscanbecomesignificantregionalattractionsthatdraw
peoplenotjustfromsurroundingstates,butfromthroughoutthecountryandworld.Oftenthevisitors
aredrawnnotjustforthewhitewater,butfortheeventsthatarehostedattheseparks.
Designingwhitewaterparkstoaccomplishalloftheseobjectivesisaprocess.Oftentheprocessis
iterativeandincludesopportunitiesforlocalstakeholderstocommentandupdatethedesigns.The
followingsectiondetailsthisprocess.
The Whitewater Design Process
Figure4:WhitewaterParksaredesignedformanydifferingkindsofusers.
WhitewaterParkstypicallyrequireseveralstagesofdesign.Thesestagesinclude:
a) Feasibility/ConceptualDesignthisisthefirstmustdopartofaproject.Thisphaseistasked
withdeterminingwhetheraparticularprojectispossibleand,ifso,howitcouldlookand
functionandwhattheapproximatecostsoftheprojectwouldbe.Ifdonerightthispartofthe
projectisverypowerfulasitprovidestheclientwiththematerialsnecessarytopursuefunding
andgrants.Deliverablesincludeareportanddesigndocumentssuchasaconceptualdesign
andcostestimate,tasksrequiredtocompleteaproject,andpermitrequirements.
b) PreliminaryDesignthisphasegetstotheheartofthedesignelementsofproject.Ifthe
Feasibilityphaseisaboutidentifyingwhatneedstobedonetocompleteaproject,Preliminary
Designisaboutdoingthem.Itisaphasetaskedwithcompletingthenecessaryactionsrequired
tofinalizethedesignfunctionalityandlayoutandtogatherandprocessthedatanecessaryto
undertakedetaileddesign.PreliminaryDesignoftenincludesallofthetasksrelatedto
preparingforpermitting,surveying,creatingbaselinemodels,meetingwithstakeholdersand
agenciestodefineconstraintsandobjectives,andcompletingdesigndocumentstothe
permittinglevel.
c) Permittingpermittingisaprocessthatpermeatesmostofthedesignphases.Itistypicalto
workwithregulatoryauthoritiesduringthepreliminarydesignphasetoestablishcriteriaand
prioritiesfortheproject.Permitapplicationsaretypicallysubmittedfollowingthecompletion
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d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
ofPreliminaryDesign.Somepermits,asoutlinedbelow,havelengthyreviewtimesforspecialty
projectssuchasWhitewaterParks.
DetailedDesignthedetaileddesignisaboutgettingtothenutsandboltsoftheproject.Now
thattheprojecthasbeendefinedandadaptedtotheconstraintsandobjectiveslaidoutin
Preliminarydesigntheprojectisreadyfordetailedcalculationsandmodeling.Oftenthelevelof
computationsandmodelingisdefinedbythenatureoftheproject.Insomecases,suchasthe
HolmePierrepontWhitewaterPark,theprojectcanbeaccomplishedwith1dimensional
modeling.Inothercases,suchastheCalgaryWhitewaterPark,detailedphysicalmodelswere
undertaken.
ConstructionDocumentationthisistheafterdesignphase.Documentsarecreatedthat
helpdefinetheprojectforthecontractorincludingallsections,details,specificationsandbid
items.Oftenthewhitewaterparkdesignerwillworkwiththeclientorthecommunitytostep
throughtheseprocesses.
ProjectBiddingandConstructiontheprojectisputtobidbytheprojectowneranda
contractorisselectedandcontracted.
ConstructionOversightandInspectionthisisthedirtywork.Inthisphasethecontractorand
thedesignteamworktogethertobuildtheprojecttoourexactingspecifications.Oftenwe
haverepresentativesinthefieldvirtuallyfulltimetoensureanaccuratebuildthatis
aestheticallybeautifullyandhighlyfunctional!
CourseCommissioningthefinalphaseandtheonewherewefinallygettogetwet!Paddling
expertsgetinthewaterandtesttheproject,oftentuningwavecharacteristicsandproject
featuresuntiltheprojectisfullyfunctionalandmeetsdesignobjectives.
Theprocessofdesignisinformedbytheinputgivenfromlocalstakeholdersandregulatoryagencies
andistypicallybasedonastandardofcarethatisevolvingforthisnewindustry.Thefollowingsection
detailsthemanydesignfactorswhichimpactaproject.
Design Factors for Whitewater Facilities:
Figure5:AbeforeandafterviewoftheHaweaWhitewaterPark
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Figure5,above,showstheimprovementsmadetotheHaweaWhitewaterPark.Thispark,muchlike
theproposedAshevilleWhitewaterPark(s)wascreatedinarelativelylowsloperiver.Designcanbea
challengeinsomeriverenvironmentsduetothemanyfactorsthatmakeupariversmorphology.
WhitewaterParksareanewphenomenonandtypicaldesignstandardsarejustbeginningtobecreated.
Therearesomestandardsandguidelineswhichlendguidancetothedesignofinstreamwhitewater
parksthatoftendefinethecharacterofwhitewaterparksinagivenreach.Themostcomprehensiveset
ofstandardsdefinedforWhitewaterParkswassetbytheColoradoBoardofProfessionalEngineersin
theirreviewofGaryLacy,P.E.sworkontheSteamboatSpringsWhitewaterPark.TheBoardfoundthat
thefollowingtasksshouldbestandardforwhitewaterparkdesign:
a) Plansspecificationsandcalculationsshouldcontainthefollowinginformation:
Existingandproposedtopography
Exactdimensionsandproposedelevations/distancesforanyoftheimprovements
Methodsofwatercontrolanderosioncontrolduringconstruction,oranytypeof
constructionphasing.
b) Calculationsshouldcontainthefollowing:
Structurecalculations
Stabilityanalysis
Seepageanalysis
Backwatercalculations
Analysisofsequentdepthsandhydraulicjumpmovementtendenciesforsmallerorlarger
flows
Calculationsforsmallerorlargerflowsotherthanthedesignflows.
c) TechnicalSpecificationsshouldincludethefollowing
Stabilityanalysis
Backfill
Watercontrol
Erosioncontrol
Ungroutedrock/ripraporlandscaping
Stability
Thestructureswhicharebuiltintheriverbedneedtobestableandrobustandneedtobeanchoredin
suchawaythattheyarenotmovedbyflowsuptothe100yearfloodevent.Typicaldesignguidelines
forthesetypesofdropstructuresarefoundintheDenverUrbanDrainageHandbook(UrbanDrainage
CriteriaManual,2013)
Experienceshowsthatthestructurestendtofailfromscour/erosionandpiping.Thesefailuremodes
areafunctionofthesoilsuponwhichthestructureisbuiltwithbedrock,forexample,beingthemost
stablefoundationforastructure,andsandysoilsbeingthemostproblematic.Inordertodetermine
stabilityageotechnicalanalysisistypicallyconductedandascourandpipinganalysisareundertakenas
apartofthedesignprocess.
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GuidelinesforthestabilityofdropstructurescanbefoundintheUrbanDrainageandFloodControl
DistrictHandbookcalledtheUrbanStormDrainageCriteriaManual(UrbanDrainageCriteriaManual,
2013).
Costs
TherearemanyfactorsthatcouldaffectthecostofaparticularWhitewaterPark.Thesefactorsinclude
physicalconstraints,suchasthenatureofthesoilsorthewidthoftheriver.Structuresbuilton
unstablesoils,iffeasible,requireextensiveconstructioninordertoconstructastableplatformforthe
dropstructure.Insomecasesthisincludesexpensiverequirementssuchassheetpilecutoffwalls.
Widthoftherivercanalsoaffectcosts.Typicaldropstructuresarefoundedonarchedstructures
anchoredintothebedandbanksoftheriver.Archesaretypicallyexponentiallymoreexpensivewith
width.Anefficientdropstructureistypicallylocatedinanarrowpartoftheriversuchthatprojectcosts
arenotprohibitivelyhigh.
Thescopeoftheprojectcanalsoaffectcosts.Someprojects,suchaswhitewaterparksatthebaseof
dams,arenecessarilylargeinscopeandrequiremultiplestructures.Otherprojectsarecreatedin
locationsideallysuitedtosmallerscaleimprovements.Insomecasesaphasedapproachis
recommendedsuchthatmanageableportionsoftheprojectarecompletedperphase.
Locationoftheparkinrelationtosensitiveecosystemscanalsobeafactor.Parksthatareplannedin
criticalhabitataremoredifficulttodesignandpermitandoftenrequireextensivereviewperiodsand
costlyredesign.Selectionofasitethatisalreadyimpactedandthatcouldbenefitfromtheinclusionof
awhitewaterparktoprovide,forexample,fishpassage,canhavetheoppositeaffectandmake
permittingandapprovalseasiertoattain.
Typical Economic Impacts of Whitewater Parks

WhitewaterParksthathavebeenbuiltinsimilarTownsandCitiesintheUnitedStateshavebecome
significantattractions.Theybringenthusiastsandspectatorsaliketotheresidingcommunities,and
havesignificanteconomicimpactsthroughincreasedpropertyvalues,directspendingatthesite,
tourismdollars,anddollarsspentatlocalrestaurants,shopsandbusinesses.Awhitewaterparklike
theoneproposedinAshevillecanattracttouristsandhaveaneconomicimpactthatismeasuredinthe
hundredsofthousandsofdollarsperyear.InstreamwhitewaterparkslocatedinColoradohavehad
impactsashighas$79milliondollarsperyear.Table1,shownbelow,illustratessometypicaleconomic
impactsoftheseparks:
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Table1.EconomicImpactsofWhitewaterParks(peryearinUSDollars)(Multiplesources)
EconomicImpactsofWhitewaterParks
River
Location
UserDays
ClearCreek
Golden,CO
13,00014,000
BlueRiver
GoreCreek
SacandagaRiver
CuyahogaRiver
YampaRiver
Breckenridge,CO
Vail,CO
Saratoga/WarrenCounty,NY
Kent,OH
SteamboatSprings,CO
1,2002,300
10002,300
17,60025,400
10,00040,000
75,700
AdditionalSpending
$910,000$1.1
Million
$220,000$460,000
$3.5Million
$1.8$2.8Million
$200,000$800,000
$4.9Million
TotalImpacts
(Millions)
$1.32.2Million
$0.4$1.1Million
$3.5$4Million
$2.3$3.7Million
$0.5$1.7Million
$7.2Million
TheimpactsoftheseparksaremanifoldandarebasedonregularusageattheWhitewaterPark,aswell
asinstructionalprograms,competitions,festivals,andotherattractiveevents.Freestyleeventsthat
occurinColoradoeveryyearcanbringmillionsofdollarsintothelocaleconomyonasingleweekend
alone.Forexample,theTEVAgamesinVail,COhaveadocumentedyearlyeconomicimpactof$3.5
milliondollars.Inadditiontocreatingeconomicimpacts,theseeventsalsohelptomarketaparticular
communityasanoutdoortownandwhitewaterdestination.
Section 2: Site Information

Asheville, NC
AshevilleisaCityofapproximately83,000peoplelocatedinthemountainsofWesternNorthCarolina.
ThelargermetropolitanareasurroundingAshevilleincludesthecitiesofHendersonvilleandWaynesville
withatotalpopulationofover400,000people.AshevilleislocatedattheconfluenceoftheSwannanoa
andFrenchBroadRiversintheBlueRidgeMountains.Ithasmanynationalrankingsfromavarietyof
sourcesincluding,OneoftheBestOutsideTownsfromOutsideMagazine(Motsinger,n.d.)aswellas
oneofthetopwhitewaterdestinationintheUS(Kahn,n.d.).Ashevillehasmanywaterfalls,swimming
holes,andraftingopportunitiesnearbyandcanbeconsideredtobeatthecenterofAppalachian
whitewaterwithfamousboatingdestinationssuchastheNantahalaOutdoorCenter,thenarrowsofthe
Green,theChattooga,andotherpopulardestinationsinthenearregioninadditiontotheFrenchBroad.
ThereareanumberofsignificantcitiesinthenearregionthatcontributetoAshevillesgrowingtourist
economy.Ashevilleislocatedapproximately125milesfromCharlotte,thelargestCityinNorth
Carolina.TheSiteisalsoadestinationforvisitorsfromanumberofnearbysoutherncitiessuchas
AtlantaandKnoxville.Figure6,shownbelow,illustratesa100mileradiusaroundtheCityofAsheville
(FreeDemographics,n.d.).Atlantaliesroughlyanadditional50milesoutsideofthisradius.
11
Figure6:ThereareasignificantnumberoflargeCitiesthatcontributetoAshevillestouristeconomy(FreeDemographics,n.d.).
The Study Reach:

AshevilleisariverCityandthestudyreachisintheheartoftheCitysformerindustrialdistrict.
Historicallythisregionoftheriverfrontwashometoamanufacturingandwarehousingbasethat
includedtextile,tobacco,andmanufacturing.TheTownformstheconfluenceoftheSwannanoaand
theFrenchBroadRivers.ThelocationoftheriverintheCitysindustrialandArtsdistrictprovidesthe
opportunitytomaximizethepotentialimpactoftheproposedparkbyplacingitadjacenttorestaurant,
retail,andhotelopportunities.Figure7,shownbelow,showsthelocationoftheArtsdistrictandthe
studyreachofthisprojectinrelationtothecentralpartoftheCityofAsheville.Theentirestudyreach
islocatedalongtheFrenchBroadRiverandextendsfromCarrierParkdownstreamtobelowthe
PearsonRd.Bridge.
12
Figure7:TheprojectareawithrespecttoAsheville'sCitylimitsandtheRiverArtsDistrict
Threepotentialsiteswereidentifiedwithintheprojectreach.ThethreesitesincludetheJeanWebb
BridgeSite,theBowenBridgesSiteandthePearsonBridgeSite.Thesitelocationsareshownbelowin
Figure8.Designforthesesiteswashighlydependentupontheriversmorphologyinthisreach.
Figure8.TheprojectareaislocatedwestofdowntownAsheville.ThethreesitesincludetheJeanWebbParkSite,theBowen
BridgesSite,andPearsonBridgeSite.
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Channel Morphology
Fromitsheadwaters,highintheAppalachianMountains,theFrenchBroadRivercutsthroughgently
slopingtopographywithrelativelyexpansivefloodplainsalongtheriver'ssouthernreachesupstreamof
Asheville,NC.Hereaveragebedslopesareaslittleas3feetpermile.DownstreamofAshevilletheriver
channelnarrowsandbedslopesincreasetobetween16to30feetpermileastheriverdescendsintoa
seriesofgorgesasitapproachestheTennesseeStateline.
SimilartotheNewRiver,theFrenchBroadcutthroughtheAppalachiansastheyroseuparoundit.Here
themountainsareprimarilycomposedofmetamorphicrockthatwasupliftedduringrelativelyrecent
collisionsbetweentwocontinentalcrusts.
TheFrenchBroadRiverinthisreachismoderatelysizedriverthatischaracterizedasgenerallybroad
(hencethename)andslowmoving.Theriverbedislargelybedrockwithapparentoutcroppings
throughoutthereach.Therehasbeensignificantdevelopmentintherivercorridorincludingseveral
roadbridgesandroaddevelopmentalongbothsidesoftheriver.
WithindowntownAsheville,theFrenchBroadflowsthroughacombinationofresidentialand
commercialzonesdownstreamofitsconfluencewiththeSwannanoaRiver.Herethereisextensive
infrastructurewithintheactivechannelandfloodplainincludingresidentialandindustrial
developments,railroadlinesandfacilities,bridgecrossings,roads,andutilities.
Thereareasignificantnumberofstructureswithinthefloodplainincludingnumerousagingindustrial
buildingsandwarehouses.Someofthesebuildingshavebeenrestoredandcurrentlyfunctionas
commercialproperties.Othersareabandonedanddecrepitandareinneedofremovalor
redevelopment.Someofthesestructuresintheprojectarearesideintheactivefloodwayandremoval
ofthesebuildingsfromthefloodwaywilldecreasefloodriskstoadjacentpropertyandallowforthe
restorationofagreenbufferbetweentheCityandtheFrenchBroad.
Flow information:
TheFrenchBroadinthisreachseessignificantaverageflowsandcanhavelargefloodevents.Figure9
showsthemeanmonthlyflowdatafortheFrenchBroadRiveratAshevilleaccordingtotheUSGSGauge
03451500.FlowratesareshowninCubicFeetperSecond(CFS):
14
FlowsIntheFrenchBroadRiveratAsheville,NC.(cfs)
USGSGauge03451500
3,500
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Figure9:AverageMonthlyFlowsontheFrenchBroadRiveratAsheville(cfs)
Figure9,shownabove,showsflowsthataresignificantthroughouttheyearwithpeakflowsthat
averagealmost3,000cfsinthespringandflowsthataveragegreaterthan1500cfsthroughoutthe
remainderoftheyear.Theseflowsarehigher,onaverage,thanmostwhitewaterparksinAmericaand
aresufficienttocreateattractivewhitewaterwithinawhitewaterparkthatfeaturessufficientdrop.
FloodingwithintheFrenchBroadriversystemtypicallyoccursinthespringfollowingseasonalrainorin
thesummerorfallduringtropicalstormevents.ThefloodofrecordoccurredonJuly16th1916,withan
estimatedmagnitudeof110,000cfs,whereasthemeanannualfloodeventiscalculatedas16,663cfs.
ThemostsignificantfloodsinrecenthistoryoccurredonSeptember8th,2004withanassociated
magnitudeof43,100cfsandfloodingonMay6th2013withanassociatedmagnitudeof23,200cfs.
Findingalowwaterperiodoftimewithalesserriskoffloodeventswillhelptosetthelikelywindowof
constructionforthisfacility.
Ascanbeseen,floodflowsinthisreacharesignificantanddangerous.Thesizeofthesefloodsisof
concerntothisprojectandsignificantfloodmodelingwillberequiredtounderstandtheimpactsofthe
proposedstructureswithinthefloodplain.Table2,shownbelow,showsthe2,5,10,25,50,100and
200yearreturnfloodflowsfortheFrenchBroadattheAshevilleGauge.Notethattheregulatory100
yearflooddischargeis63,000cfsatPearsonBridgeontheFrenchBroadRiver(FloodRiskInformation
System,2014).ThiscalculationrepresentsahigherlevelofrecurrenceanalysisthanusedfortheTable
below:
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Table2:FloodRecurrenceIntervalsintheFrenchBroadRiver(OSU,2014)
RecurrenceInterval(years)
FlowRate(cfs)
2
5
10
25
50
100
200
11,551.86 17,764.19 22,724.91 30,021.74 36,275.41 43,269.49 51,113.03
Tabletwoshowsthatsignificantfloodingeventsoccuronaregularbasis.Ahistogramofhistoricalflood
levelsintheFrenchBroadRiverareshownbelowinFigure10
Figure10:PeakStreamflowsontheFrenchBroadRiveratAsheville,NC
Figure10,shownabove,showsthepeakfloodeachyearfortheperiodofrecordattheUSGSgaugein
Asheville.Thefiguredescribesariverinwhichhistoricflowsinthereachregularlyexceed20,000cfs
withmanynearoraround40,000cfs.ThesizeofthesefloodswithintheFrenchBroadRivercorridor
suggestsseveralprojectconcerns.AshevilleisapartoftheFederalFloodInsuranceProgram(FIS)which
placesseverallimitationsontheproposedproject.Inordertounderstandthelimitationsitisimportant
tounderstandhowtheFISdelineatestherivercorridor.
FloodplainTheFederalEmergencyManagementAgency,FEMA,regulatesdevelopmentwithin
the100yearfloodplainoftheriver.The100yearfloodplainisdefinedastheareathathasa1
percentchanceofbeingfloodedinanygivenyear.OneofthepurposesoftheFloodInsurance
Studyistodeterminetheboundariesandelevationofthe100yearfloodplainateachlocation
alongtheareaofstudy.Theareainundatedduringthe100yearfloodisdefinedasthe100year
floodplain.Developmentislimitedinthe100yearfloodplain.
Floodwaywithinthe100yearfloodplainanFISdefinesasubareaknownastheactive
floodway.Theregulatoryfloodwayisdesignatedastheriverandadjacentlandsrequiredto
dissipateflowswithoutincreasingthebasefloodelevationbyacertainheight,typically1ft
16

(Floodway,n.d.).Thefloodway,alsoknownastheconveyancezone,istheportionofthe
floodplainwhichthegovernmentpreservesinordertoensurethattheriveractivelyconveys
floodflowsthroughtherivercorridor.Developmentwithintheactivefloodwayistypically
limitedtochangesthatdonotcausearisetothe100yearfloodelevation.Suchaprojectcan
receiveanorisefloodplaindevelopmentcertificate.Thisisatypicalpermitapprovalfor
whitewaterparks.Insomelimitedcasesarisewithintheactivefloodwaycanbeallowed.This
requiresanextensiveLetterofMapRevision(LOMAR)processwithFEMA.Oneofthe
requirementsofapprovalforaLOMARisnonegativefloodimpactstoinsurablestructures
withinthefloodplain2.
GiventhewideandflatnatureoftheFrenchBroadinthestudyreach,creatingasignificantwhitewater
featurewithoutcausingafloodimpactwillbeachallenge.Thecombinationofthisgeometrywith
significantfloodflowsandanumberofinsurablestructureslocatedinthefloodplainrequiresaproject
thatartificiallycreatesdropatagivenlocationataverageflowswhilenotcausinganimpacttothe100
yearfloodelevation.Thiswillbeadesignchallengethatlikelyrequiresaninnovativedesignapproach.
Flood Modeling Within the Reach

Theexistingfloodmodelsforthereachareantiquatedanddoneinanearlierversionoffloodplain
modelingsoftware.TheseHEC2modelsarelimitedinaccuracyanddifficulttoupdate.Theproject
couldbemovedforwardunderanoriseifgeometryatthevaryingsitesallows,butthisisnot
advisable.S2orecommendsthatanupdatedfloodmodelingexercisebeundertakenandthatthis
modelbeusedtoaidinthedesignofinstreamstructures.Thistaskwouldincludemodelingofan
extendedreachoftheriverbedwithaccompanyingbathymetricsurvey.Dependingontheresultsofthe
study,itmayalsobeadvisablefortheCitytoundertakeaLetterofMapRevisionProcesswithFEMAin
ordertoadjusttheregulatoryfloodplaintomatchthenewandmoreaccuratestudy.Asitespecific
floodstudycouldbeundertakenforthisproject,however,thisstudywouldrequiremigratingHEC2
resultstoHECRASpriortobeginningthetypicaldesignprocess.
Project Sites
AsitevisitwasconductedbyS2orepresentativeson22ndofOctober,2014.S2otouredtheriverfrom
CarrierParktoPearsonRd.Bridgeandconductedmeetingswithprojectsponsors,stakeholders,and
representativesfromtheCitysRiverfrontDevelopmentOffice(Monson,2014).Threesitesalongthe
FrenchBroadinthestudyreachwereidentifiedaspossiblelocationsforaWhitewaterPark.These
includeJeanWebbPark,theBowenBridgesSite,andthePearsonBridgeSite.
Afulldescriptionofrequiredpermitsisshownbelowinthepermittingsectionofthisreport.
17
Jean Webb Park Site

Site Description
Figure11:JeanWebbParkislocatedneartheArtsDistrictandfeaturesexistingriveraccessandparking.
JeanWebbParkisanexistingparkfacilitylocatedalongRiversideDriveneartheArtsDistrict.The
parkingareaoftheparkislocatedunderneaththeHaywoodRoadBridgewhichcrossestheFrench
BroadRiver.
TheproposedGreenwaysprojectisfundedinthislocationandwillprovidetrailsandpark
improvementsinthisreach.Thereisalsodevelopmentandredevelopmentplannedalongboththeeast
andwestbanksoftheriver.ThewestbankwillfeaturethenewlocationoftheNewBelgiumBrewery.
Aproposedwalkingtrailwillalsobeconstructedonthissideoftheriver.TheEastbankfeatures
redevelopmentoftheindustrialdistrictintowhatisbecomingtheCitysArtsDistrict.RiversideDrive
willalsoberealignedinthisareaprovidingforadditionalonroadparkingaswellasadditionalpark
developmentspace.Figure12,shownbelow,illustratesthelayoutofthissite:
18
Figure12:AerialImageoftheJeanWebbParkSite(Google,2015)
TheriverinthisreachisbroadandlargelyflatwithaslightrifflecrestunderneaththeHaywoodRoad
Bridge.ThecrestiscomposedofbedrockandhadameasuredhydraulicdroponOctober22nd,2014of
approximately5inches.Figure13,shownbelow,showsthisrifflecrestamediumtolowflows:
Figure13:JeanWebbParkfeaturesaslightrifflecrestwithminimaldrop.
TheamountofdropavailableattheJeanWebbsiteisminimalincomparisontootherwhitewaterparks
aroundtheworld.Atypicalminimumamountofdropforwhitewaterparksisapproximately1.5feetfor
theamountofflowpresentatthesite.Theneedtocreatedropatthislocationwillpresentadesign
challengeatthesite.
DiscussionwithprojectproponentsindicatesthatthereisadeeppooldownstreamofHaywoodBridge
thatwasexcavatedaspartofafailedriverboatprojectattemptedinthepast.Thedownstreamlength
ofthisreachiscalmwithampleroomforrecoverybeforefloatersproceeddownstream.
19

Land Ownership
Figure14:LandOwnershipsurroundingtheJeanWebbParkSite(source:(BuncombeCounty,2014)
LandOwnershipatthesiteisdominatedbytwolandowners.Theentiretyoftheriverrightbank
throughouttheprojectareaisownedbytheCityofAsheville.Thedownstreamportionoftheriverleft
bankisalsoownedbytheCityofAsheville.However,theareaonriverleftfromjustdownstreamofthe
HaywoodBridgeextendingupstreamthroughoutthereachofthissiteisownedbyProgressEnergyof
theCarolinasandCarolinaPower.(BuncombeCounty,2014)
NotshownontheBuncombeCountyAssessorswebsiteistheownershipoftheriverbeditself.
OwnershipoftheriverispresumedtobebytheStateofNorthCarolina.Theownershipofsomereaches
ofriverinNorthCarolinaiscurrentlyindisputebetweenNorthCarolinaandAlcoa(NorthCarolinavs.
Alcoa,(Haughey,2013)).AnarticlebyBlueNCsummarizesthecurrentstatusofriverbedownershipin
NorthCarolina:
Thetitletoriverbedsisdeterminedundertheequalfootingdoctrine.TheStateownsthe
riverbedifthatsectionoftheriverwasnavigableinthecustomarymodeoftradeand
travelunderthenaturalandordinaryconditionsatthetimeofstatehood.ForNorth
Carolinathatwas1789.ThisisbasedintheU.S.Constitutionandisinterpretedby
federalcaselaw.InNorthCarolina,riverbedsthatarenotnavigableandthereforenot
ownedbytheStateareownedbyadjoiningpropertyowners.
Thepublictrustdoctrineappliestothepublicsrighttousethewatersoftheriversfor
fishing,boating,swimming,recreation,etc.Thisisgovernedbystatelaw.((Lance,
2012)
ATableshowinglandownershipneartheJeanWebbsiteisshownbelow:
20

Table3:LandOwnershipneartheJeanWebbsite(BuncombeCounty,2014)
PINNUM
OWNER
'963896679100000' PETERSONCHRISTOPHERJAMES
PROGRESSENERGYOFTHECAROLINAS&
'963897009200000' CAROLINAPOWER
'963887587300000'
'963897003700000'
'963897009900000'
'963897167400000'
CITYOFASHEVILLE
CITYOFASHEVILLE
CITYOFASHEVILLE
CITYOFASHEVILLE
'963896596900000' CITYOFASHEVILLE
PROGRESSENERGYOFTHECAROLINAS&
'963892348400000' CAROLINAPOWER
Itisimportanttonotethatthisstudydoesnotstatethattheselandswillbeacquirednorthat
thisistheCityscurrentintention.Thestudymerelystatesthat,inorderforconstructionto
occur,ownershiporeasementsarerequiredattheprojectlocation.
Flood Impacts
ForallFloodInsuranceRateMapsprovidedbyFEMATable4showsthenamingconventionusedto
delineatethevaryingfloodriskareas.
ZoneAE:FloodwayAreas:Thefloodwayisthechannelofastreamplusanyadjacentfloodplainareas
thatmustbekeptfreeofencroachmentsothatthe1%annualchancefloodcanbecarriedwithout
substantialincreasesinfloodheights.
ShadedZoneX:OtherFloodAreas:Areasof0.2%annualchanceflood;areasof1%annualchanceflood
withaveragedepthsoflessthan1footorwithdrainageareaslessthan1squaremile;andareas
protectedbyleveesfrom1%annualchanceflood.
UnshadedZoneX:OtherAreas:Areasdeterminedtobeoutsidethe0.2%annualchancefloodplain.
Table4:FEMAFIRMNamingConventionforFloodRiskAreas
FEMAZone
AE
X
PercentChance
1%AnnualChanceFloodHazard
0.2%AnnualChanceFloodHazard
NameConvention
Floodplain
500yearFloodEvent
Figure15,shownbelow,showsthefloodinsurancemappingfortheJeanWebbSite:
21
Figure15:FloodZoningInformationfortheJeanWebbParkSite.(BuncombeCounty,2014)
ThefloodhazardareashowninFigure15aboveissignificanttothisproject.Figure15featuresthree
flooddelineations.Ofsignificanceisthefactthatthewhitewaterpark,whichwillbelocatedinthe
activefloodway,issituatedinareachinwhichthereareasignificantnumberofinsurablestructures.
Figure15,shownabove,showsthatthefloodplainextendsacrossRiverside/LymanStreetandincludes
suchbusinessesasAshevilleRADand12BonesSmokehouse.Someofthesebusinesseswillbe
relocatedasapartofupcomingparkdevelopmentandtheRiversideRoadRealignment,butthe
requirementthattheparknotcauseanimpact(ameasurablerise)toinsurablestructureswillremain.
22
Bowen Bridges Site

Site Description
Figure16:TheBowenBridgessiteislocatedintheunusedspacebeneaththeI26bridges.
TheBowenBridgessiteislocatedunderneaththeInterstate26eastboundandwestboundbridges.The
Siteiscurrentlyundevelopedwithaprimitiveparkingarealocatedamongstthebridgeabutmentson
theeastsideoftheriver.ThesiteisaccessedfromRiversideroadandislocateddownstream
approximately2100feetfromtheJeanWebbSite.Thesitehasseveraladvantages:
TheCityhasplanstofurtherdevelopthissiteaswell.Cityrepresentatives(Monson,2014)havelooked
atseveraloptionsforimprovingthissitewhichcouldinclude:
Apossiblebicycleamenity.
ConnectingofthegreenwaythroughthepropertyprovidingtrailaccessuptoJeanWebband
theartsdistrict.
Constructionofapedestrianbridgejustupstreamofthesitethatwouldprovidedirect
pedestrian/bicycleaccesstoNewBelgiumBrewingsnewfacility.
PossibleremovalofthewarehousebuildingslocatedtotheeastandwestofRiversideDrivejust
upstreamoftheinterstatebridgesontheeastbank.Basedonthecurrentlocationoftheactive
floodway,thiswouldprovidesomeopportunitytocreateadropthatismoreconstrictiveatthis
sitethanisavailableattheothertwosites.
TheriverinthisreachissimilarinnaturetotheriveratJeanWebbPark.Figure17,shownbelow,
illustratesthecharacteroftheriveratthissite:
23
Figure17:TheBowenBridgessiteisalsobroadwithagentleslopeandaslightrifflecrest.
TheFrenchBroadinthisreachisalsowideandslowwithaslightrifflecrest.Measurementsatthesite
suggestthatthereisapproximately11inchesofdropat1,310cfs(USGS,2014)onOctober22,2014.
Theriverbedinthislocationisalsopredominatelybedrock.AsshowninFigure17,bridgepylonsare
presentatthislocationaswell.
Figure18,shownbelow,showstheaerialimageoftheBowenBridgessite:
Figure18:AerialimageoftheBowenBridgesSite((Google,2015)
24

Theaerialpictureofthesiteshowsthatthedominantfeatureistheinterstate.Theareasurrounding
thesiteishighlydevelopedindustrialwithanumberofbridgesinthereach.Riversidedriveparallelsthe
riverrightbankoftheriverandanindustrialsiteislocatedacrosstheriverfromthesite.Afull
descriptionoflandownershipatthesiteisshownbelow.
Land Ownership
Figure19:LandOwnershipsurroundingtheBowenBridgesSite(BuncombeCounty,2014)
TheownershipmapinFigure19showsthattheriverleftbankisownedbytheCityofAsheville.The
riverrightbankisownedbyacombinationofownersincludingtheplotlabeled4862(Anders)andthe
plotlabeled3302(RiversideLLC).Theremainderoftheriverfrontlandinthereachofinterestiseither
ownedbytheCityofAsheville,oristherightofwayfortheInterstate.Theimplicationsofthisrightof
wayneedtobeinvestigatedpriortoconstructionofthewhitewaterparkaspermissionforthe
structureswillberequired.Cityrepresentatives(Monson,2014)haveimpliedthatdiscussionswith
regardstoutilizingtherightofwaybeneaththebridgeatthislocationhavealreadybeenconsidered.
TheCitysrepresentativehasalsosuggestedthattheAnderspropertymayalsobeacquiredinaflood
mitigation/recreationprocess.Table5,shownbelow,listslandownershipintheprojectarea:
25

Table5:LandOwnershipatBowenBridges(BuncombeCounty,2014)
PINNUM
OWNER
'963888781900000' T&TENTERPRISES
'963887587300000' CITYOFASHEVILLE
'963878964600000'
'963888486200000'
'963889330200000'
'963879461600000'
CITYOFASHEVILLE
ANDERSWARREN&ANDERSMARIE
233RIVERSIDELLC
FIRCWESTGATELLC
Flood Impacts
Figure20:FloodZoningInformationfortheBowenBridgesSite(BuncombeCounty,2014)
FEMAfloodmappingshowsthattherearealsoasignificantnumberofinsurablestructuresinthe
floodplainatthislocation.However,theconfigurationoftheactivefloodwayincludestheAnders
propertieswithintheboundariesoftheactivefloodway.Ifthisand(possibly)thebuildingontheT&T
property(7819inFigure19)areacquiredandtorndownasapartofthisproject,thentherecouldbe
significantroomforawhitewaterstructureatthislocationwithoutimpactingtheexistingconveyance
26

throughthisreach.Inanyevent,designtominimizefloodimpactsatthissitewillbeasignificant
challengeandwillrequireextensivemodelingaswiththeothertwopotentiallocations.
Pearson Bridge Site

Site Description
ThePearsonBridgeSiteisthedownstreammostsiteofthethreeidentified.Thissiteislocatedjust
downstreamofthePearsonStreetBridge.Thesitehasmanyadvantagesincluding:
Thesiteislocateddirectlyadjacenttoanexistingriveraccesspoint.Theputin/takeoutisprimitive
nowbutisslatedforimprovementsinthenearfuture.Theimprovedaccess/egresspoint,andstepswill
provideeasyaccessdirectlytotheproposedsiteandwillleverageexistinginvestmentintothe
Asheville/FrenchBroadRivercorridor.
Thesitehasexistingpublicparking.
Thesiteisadjacenttoanexistingriveroutfitterlocation.
Thereisanexistingrifflecrestintheriver.
PerhapsthesitesbiggestdisadvantageisthatitisfarfromthegrowingArtsDistrictlocatednearJean
WebbPark.Itisa1.8milewalk/drivefromPearsonBridgetothenearestpointoftheartsdistrict.
Whilethisiseasilyattainableonfoot,bike,orinacar,itdoesnotprovidetheCitysdesireddirect
connection.
Thesitefeaturesadefinedriflecrestthatextendsfromupstreamofthebridgeandendsinacalmpool
downstreamofthesite.Levelmeasurementonthedayofthesitevisitsuggestapproximately13inches
ofdropwithinthereachat1,310cfs(USGS,2014)onOctober22,2014.Typically18inchesofdropis
optimalforfreestyleparkandplaytypefeatures.
27
Figure21:AerialimageofthePearsonBridgeSite.(Google,2015)
Figure21showsamapofthesite.AlthoughthissiteislocatedthefurthestdistancefromtheArts
District,thereareseveraladvantagestothelocationincluding:
Thesitehasanexistingimprovedpublictakeout.
Thesitehasanexistingimprovedparkingarea.
Thesiteincludesanexistingpaddlesportsshopatthislocationthatwouldbenefitfromthe
increasedtrafficandbusinessatthislocation.
ThesiteiseasilyaccessiblefrombothPearsonRoadandriversideroad.
Land Ownership
Theimagebelowshowstheparcelnumbersandlandownershipinformationforthelandsurrounding
thepotentialwhitewaterpark.
28
Figure22:LandOwnershipsurroundingthePearsonBridgeSite(BuncombeCounty,2014)
OntheriverrightbankRiverlinkLLCistheprimarylandownerthroughoutthereachofinterest.The
riverleftbankappearstobearailroadrightofway.Railroadrightofwayscanbeachallengetothe
constructionofpublicparksastheseentitiestypicallyhavestrictdevelopmentrequirementsthatare
definedbytheneedtoensuresafetyalongthetracks.Inotherlocations,publicimprovementsadjacent
torailroadrightofwayshaverequiredsafetyfences.Negotiationswiththerailroadshouldbegin
immediatelyafterthissiteisselectedinordertoensurethattheimprovementscanbeimplementedat
thislocation.
ThetablebelowprovidesadditionalinformationregardingtheparcelsshowninFigure22.
Table6:LandOwnershipinformationforlandsurroundingthePearsonBridgeSite
PINNUM
'963965540200000'
'963965668300000'
'963967080200000'
OWNER
ROBERSONENTERPRISES
CITYOFASHEVILLE
OSHUNMOUNTAINSANCTUARYINC
METROSEWERAGEDISTOFBUNCO
'963966201400000' CO
29

Flood Impacts
Figure23:FloodDataforthePearsonBridgeSite(BuncombeCounty,2014)
Thisreachisalsoextremelyfloodprone.Theactivefloodwayiscontainedwithintheriverbedinthis
reachbutthefloodplainiswideandflat.The100yearfloodplainfeaturesacentralislandtheremuchof
thedevelopmentexistsbutthereareinsurablestructureswithinthe100yearfloodplainadjacenttothe
site.Aswithallofthesitesidentifiedalongthisreach,floodriskswillbesignificant.
Additional Considerations
Historic Structures
TheNationalregisterofHistoricPlaceslistsseverallocationsthatareregisteredashistoricplacesin
BuncombeCounty(Wikipedia,2014).Twoofthelistingsareneartheprojectarea.Theseinclude:
TheClingmanAvenueHistoricDistricwhichincludes33buildingslocatedinwhathashistorically
beenanAfricanAmericansectionoftheTown.
TheRiversideIndustrialHistoricDistrictwhichincludes27buildingsandanadditionalstructure
ofanindustrialnature.
Nosignificantimpactstothebuildingswouldoccurfromtheproposedproject.
Endangered Species
AlistofallendangeredspeciesintheregionaccordingtotheU.S.FishandWildlifeServiceisshown
belowinTable7.Thespecieshighlightedinredarethosethatareeitherthreatened(T)orendangered
(E).AllothersarelistedasFederalSpeciesofConcern(FSC),andarenotdefinedinthefederal
EndangeredSpeciesAct.ThiscategoryisdefinedinNorthCarolina,bytheAshevilleandRaleighField
OfficesoftheUSFishandWildlifeService(Service)asthosespeciesthatappeartobeindeclineor
otherwiseinneedofconservationandareunderconsiderationforlistingorforwhichthereis
30

insufficientinformationtosupportlistingatthistime.Subsumedundertheterm"FSC"areallspecies
petitionedbyoutsidepartiesandotherselectedfocalspeciesidentifiedinServicestrategicplans,State
WildlifeActionPlans,orNaturalHeritageProgramLists(EndangeredSpecies,ThreatenedSpecies,
FederalSpeciesofConcernandCandidateSpecies,BuncombeCounty,NC,2014).
Table7:ListofEndangeredSpeciesforBuncombeCounty.
CommonName
Scientificname
FederalStatus
Neotomamagister
Clemmysmuhlenbergii
Glaucomyssabrinuscoloratus
Dendroicacerulea
Myotisleibii
Myotisgrisescens
Cryptobranchusalleganiensis
Erimystaxinsigniseristigma
Myotisseptentrionalis
Aegoliusacadicuspop.1
Desmognathuswrighti
Loxiacurvirostra
Neotomafloridanahaematoreia
Sorexpalustrispunctulatus
Sphyrapicusvariusappalachiensis
FSC
T(S/A)
E
FSC
FSC
E
FSC
FSC
P
FSC
FSC
FSC
FSC
FSC
FSC
Speyeriadiana
Cambarusreburrus
Microhexuramontivaga
FSC
FSC
E
Packeramillefolium
Calamagrostiscainii
Euphorbiapurpurea
Abiesfraseri
Hexastylisrhombiformis
Liliumgrayi
Saxifragacaroliniana
Sileneovata
Hexastyliscontracta
Buckleyadistichophylla
Geumradiatum
Monotropsisodorata
FSC
FSC
FSC
FSC
FSC
FSC
FSC
FSC
FSC
FSC
E
FSC
Gymnodermalineare
Vertebrate:
Alleghenywoodrat
Bogturtle
Carolinanorthernflyingsquirrel
Ceruleanwarbler
Easternsmallfootedbat
Graybat
Hellbender
Mountainblotchedchub
Northernlongearedbat
Northernsawwhetowl(SouthernAppalachianpopulation)
Pygmysalamander
Redcrossbill(SouthernAppalachian)
SouthernAppalachianeasternwoodrat
Southernwatershrew
Yellowbelliedsapsucker(SouthernAppalachianpopulation)
Invertebrate:
Dianafritillary(butterfly)
FrenchBroadcrayfish
Sprucefirmossspider
VascularPlant:
BlueRidgeRagwort
Cain'sreedgrass
Darlington'sspurge
Fraserfir
FrenchBroadheartleaf
Gray'slily
Gray'ssaxifrage
Mountaincatchfly
Mountainheartleaf
Piratebush
Spreadingavens
Sweetpinesap
NonvascularPlant:
Lichen:
Rockgnomelichen
TheprojectwillneedtoconsultwithFishandWildlifetoensurethatthereisnothabitatforspeciesof
concernintheprojectarea.Ifthereishabitatforconcern,theprojectwillneedtoworkwithFishand
Wildlifetodetermineiftheproject,indesignorimplementation,canminimizeimpactsinanacceptable
manner.
31
Whitewater Park Potential at These Sites:
Figure24:Whitewaterparkshavethepotentialtocreatesurfingwavesthatareattractivetoalltypesofusers,notjust
experiencedkayakers.
Therealquestionforthesesitesis,giventhelowamountofslopeandthereforelimiteddrop,isa
whitewaterparkfeasibleattheselocations?TheInternationalCanoeFederation(ICF)whichisthe
internationalgoverningbodyofpaddlesportsattemptedtodefinepotentialforwhitewaterparksina
studyconductedin1989.Atthetime,thestudywastargetedatidentifyingsitesthatwerecandidates
forfuturedevelopmentintowhitewaterparks.Themetricthatwascreatedasaresultofthisstudywas
calledthePowerSurfaceIndex(PSI)
The Power Surface Index
Understandingthepotentialenergyavailableatthesiteiskeytounderstandinghowgreata
potentialresourcethisprojectcouldbe.Onewaytoquantifythispotentialenergyistousethe
PowerSurfaceIndex,anditsderivatives,tocharacterizethepotentialenergyavailableatthis
site.
AstudywasundertakenbyGoodmanandParr(R.Goodman,1994)3fromGreatBritaintotryto
developanempiricalmethodfordeterminingthesuitabilityofparticularsitesforWhitewater
Parkimprovements.ThestudysauthorsweretheoriginaldesignersoftheHolmePierrepont
32

NationalWatersportsCentre4.Thestudyusestypicalflows,widths,andchannelslopeto
determinethePowerSurfaceIndex(PSI)foraparticularvenue.Thenumbercreatedthough
largelytargetedatslalomdevelopmentsatthetimeofthestudyprovidesawaytocompare
potentialenergyavailablefordevelopmentofWhitewaterParksatvariouslocations.
ThePowerSurfaceIndex,createdbyGoodmanandParr,Equation1andEquation2,considers
factorsincludingwidthoftheriverandsurfaceroughness.Thismetricmeasurestheavailable
powernormalizedbythefactorsthatcausediffusionofthispower,namelyroughnessoverthe
surfaceareaoftheriver.ThePowerSurfaceIndex(PSI)isshownbelow:
ThePSIcanbeexpressedas,
10000
Equation1
forsmoothconcretechannelsand,
10000
2
Equation2
Fornaturalwaterways.
Thismetriccanbeusedtoestablishthatasitehasadequatedropandslopetoprovideforan
internationallevelslalomwhitewaterpark.Howevernotallofthesitesanalyzedinthisstudy
arenecessarilyslalomsites.Anothercommonusage,asshownabove,isFreestyle,ortrick,
kayaking.Anothermetrichasbeencreated,theFreestyleSurfaceIndex,toaidintheanalysisof
potentialforthistypeofWhitewaterParkaswell.
The Freestyle Surface Index
Withregardtofreestyleattractions,thereisnoexistingmetricthatcanbeusedtoestablish
potentialforafreestylefeature.However,itisofnotethatthePowerSurfaceIndexwas
intendedtoquantifytheavailablepowerataslalom/boatingparksiteandrelateittoother
slalomsites.Asimilaranalyticalapproachforexistingfreestylesites,thoughitmaysufferfrom
someofthesameshortcomingsasthepreviousmetric,willhelptocompareclaimsanddesign
choicesmadeataoneparkwithothersimilarparks.AmodifiedPowerSurfaceIndexcanbe
usedtoconsideravailableenergyatthedropnormalizedbyareaofthedropstructure.This
modifiedindex,called,forpurposesofclarity,theFreestyleSurfaceIndex6(FSI)canbeused
Theauthorofthisstudywasapartofaredesigneffortofthischannelin2008
NotethatinEquation1andEquation2thevalueof10,000hasreplacedthepublishedvalueof104from
GoodmanandParrsdocument.Recalculationoftheirtablerevealedthatthisconstantwaslistedincorrectly.
6
Notethattheauthoracknowledgesthatthisisnotauniquemetricofhisowninvention.Thenamehasbeen
modifiedtoprovideclarityinthisdiscussion.
5
33

tocompareavailableenergyateachdropnormalizedbyroughnessoverthewidthoftheriver.
ThisindexissimilartothePowerSurfaceIndexwiththeexceptionthattheconstantof10,000
hasbeenchangedto10toputthenumbersinarangemoreeasilyunderstood.
10

Equation3
ForthiswhitewaterparktheFSIisthemetricofmostinteresttothestudy.
ThePowerSurfaceIndexforthissiteisinteresting.Whilethedesignneedstomeetcertainminimums(it
hasbeenfoundthroughexperiencethataminimumof1.5ofdropisrequiredforthistypeoffeature),
thepowersurfaceindexallowsthepotentialofthisprojecttobecomparedtootherprojects.Figure25
shownbelow,illustratesthePowerIndexforthissitevs.otherprojectsthathavebeenbuilt:
Comparison of Freestyle Surface Index for Existing Boating Parks
70.0
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
Dur, Corner
Pocket, 1400
Dur, Smelter,
1400
Stmbt, Lower
Hole, 1400
Stmbt, CHole, 1400
Salida, Lower
Hole, 1400
Salida, Upper
Hole, 1400
Salida, Lower
Hole, 1700
Salida, Upper
Hole, 1700
Ash. Adj.
3500
Ash. Adj.,
2000
Ash. Existing,
3500
Ash. Existing,
2000
0.0
Figure25:ThepowerindexoftheproposedsitesinAshevilleincomparisontothoseofother,similarfeatures,thathavebeen
built.7
Note:Thefirstsetofbarsaretheavailablepowerintheriverwithoutartificiallyraisingthewatersurface
elevation.Thesecondsetshowstheavailablepowerintheriverwiththeuseofadjustablefeaturesthatallowthe
waterleveltoberaised.
34

Figure25showsthatthereisatremendousamountofpotentialenergyavailableatthesesitesif
sufficientdropcanbecreated.Thiswouldtypicallyrequireanadjustableheadgateofsomekindwhich
oftenaddscoststoaproject,butalsoaddsversatility.
Section 3: Proposed improvements

Project Objectives
Figure26:SpectatorswatchingtheAnimasRiverDaysevent.
Theprojecthasmultipleobjectives.TheprimaryobjectivewithwhichS2owasoriginallytaskedisto
createaninstreamWhitewaterParkneartheCitysgrowingartsdistrictinordertocreateoutdoor
brandingandpositiveeconomicimpactstotheregionwhilecreatingarecreationalamenitythatcould
beusedbymanytypesofboaters.
Thedesignofthesewhitewaterfeatureswillneedtomeetthecurrentregulatoryrequirementsforwork
withinwatersoftheUnitedStates.Insodoing,itwillneedtoshownonetnegativeimpacttothe
regulatoryfloodplainandwillneedtobeofadesignandconstructionmethodthatisforeseentoallow
forpermittingundertheFederalCleanWaterAct.Additionally,thedesignsshouldbedesignedtoallow
fortherestorationofinstreamandriparianhabitataswellasthemigrationoffishupstreamthrough
thesite.InAsheville,wheredigitalfloodmodelsofacurrentstandarddonotexist,thisisproblematicin
theconceptualstages.Afloodmodelmustbecreatedinordertobetterunderstandtheimpactsofthis
projectoradesignmustbecreatedthatcanreasonablyexpectedtohavenoimpactto100yearflood
elevationsinanyscenario.ThisisthedesignapproachtakenbyS2ointhisinstance.
Inascenarioinwhichmultiplesitesareconsidered,asthisstudyhasdoneinAsheville,itistypicalthat
thestudywouldutilizethesitespecificcharacteristicsofeachlocationinordertocreateuniquedesigns
basedontheconstraintsandadvantagesofeachlocation.InthisinstanceS2ohasproposedthesame
designateachlocation.Thedesignproposedisadaptableandcanbedesignedtohavenoimpacton
floodelevations.Thissolutioncreatesauniquevenuethatcanbeconfiguredfordifferingtypesof
recreationatvaryinglevelsandcanalsobearticulatedtoalowimpactconfigurationduringhighflood
events.Theuseofarticulatingstructureshasasignificantimpactonprojectcosts.Thesecostscanbe
minimizedduringpreliminarydesignthroughtheuseofaccuratefloodmodelingwhichwilldecrease
articulatingparts.
35

Thepark,orparks,dependingonwhichlocationsarechosenforconstruction,willcreaterecreational
whitewaterthroughdropstructuresthataredesignedtoallowforsurfingandriverrunningaswellasto
createeddies,chutes,wavetrains,andotherfeaturesthatwillbeattractivetowhitewaterboaters.Due
totherelativelylowslopeofthereachthestructureswillbespacedfarfromeachother.
Thoughshowninconceptonlyinthesedrawings,thefinaldesignshouldincludeparkingandaccess
improvementstoallowforthegeneralpublicaswellasboatingenthusiaststoresponsiblyaccessand
utilizethesite.Theseaccesspointsshouldincludeareasforaccessandegresstotheriverviadesigned
andmaintainedpathways.Thethreeproposeddesignsareshownbelow:
Design Functionality
Figure27:EachofthedesignsutilizesalayoutthatconstrictstheriverusingObermeyerGatesintoamainwaveformingchute.
Thedesignswouldconsistofamainwavefeatureinthecentralportionofthestructure..Inthe
conceptualdesignofthisprojectthemainfeaturewouldbeaRapidBlocscompatiblefeatureinwhich
thewavecouldbeadjustedandconfiguredtoanoptimumshape.Thiswouldallowforadynamic
featurethatwastunedduringlowfloweventsandthatwasthanadaptabletoevolveasthesport
evolves.
36
Figure28:ThewaveformingchuteutilizesRapidBlocs(tm)tocreateareconfigurablewave.
Theremainderoftheoverflowportionoftheriverwouldbeanarticulatingdamfeatureknownasan
ObermeyerGate.Thesetypesofpneumaticallyadjustablegatescanberaisedandloweredandcanbe
furtherconfiguredtodeflateautomaticallyduringlargefloodingevents.Duringlowandnormalflows
thearticulatinggatescouldbeusedtoraisethewatersurfaceelevationby12therebycreatingdrop
overthemainwavefeaturethatdoesnotexistinthecurrentconfiguration.Loweringofthegates
wouldalsoallowforfishpassage,floodconveyance,orthepassageofotherwatercrafteitherthrough
twochutes(waterallowing)orduringtimeswhensurfingisnotoccurringatthevenue.Theamountof
articulatingstructurethatisrequiredwillbedesignedduringthedetaileddesignphasesandcanbe
minimizedtosaveonprojectcosts.Theremainderwillbefacedinnaturalrockfromtheregioninorder
tocreateanenvironmentallyfriendlyandaestheticallypleasingstructure.
37
Figure29:TheObermeyergatesarearticulatedpneumaticallyusinganairbagthatliftsthemainplateofthestructure.
OneofthekeytechnologiesthatmakesthisdesignapproachviableistheuseoftheObermeyertype
gate.Thisgate,shownbelowinFigure30,allowstherivertobemodulatedbutthen,athigherflood
flows,collapsesandhasnoimpactonfloodwatersurfaceelevations.
38
Figure30:TheObermeyergatesareactuatedpneumatically.S2oproposestouseamorenaturalappearingversionofthis
gate.
Thegateswouldprovidemanyfunctions.Byutilizingtheversatilityprovidedbytheactuators:
Certaingatescouldbeopenforprovidingabypasstothewavefortheexistingtubing.
Certaingatescouldbeopenedformaintenanceatthesite
Certaingatescouldbeactuatedtoallowforfishpassage.
Allofthegatescouldbecollapsedtoprovideforcapacityduringafloodeventortocreateaflat
watersiteintheeventofasafetyissue.
Certaingatescouldbeactuatedforadjustingthecharacterofthewave.
WhileFigure26showsalargeamountofconcreteandmechanicalitems,S2oproposesadesignthat
wouldbemorenaturalappearingandthatwouldbefurthercamouflagedbyexcesswaterflowingover
thegates.Additionally,whilethegatesarecurrentlyshownasariverwideimplementationinthe
conceptdrawings,detaileddesignwouldallowS2otominimizetheamountofObermeyergateused,
therebyminimizingcostsaswellasimprovingtheoverallaesthetics.
Thisdesignfortheprojectsignificantlycontributestothesafetyofthepark.Expertfeaturecanbe
configuredinthemainflowwhilebeginnerbypassescanbeconfiguredonthesideoftheriver.
39

Theroleofthenovicechannelisimportanttothisdesign.Thenovicechannelwilloperateinparallel
withthemainfeatureandwillprovidefortheexistingusageintheriverincludingtubing,rafting,and
inexperiencedhardboaters.ThisnovicechannelwillprovideaclassIIIoptionthatcanbeeasily
navigated.
Additionally,differinggatescanbeactuatedintheeventthereisanissueinordertoaidintherescue
effort.Thistypeofdesignisidealforaccommodatingexistingusers,suchastubersandrafters,while
allowingforexpertlevelboaterstouseamoreadvancedfeature.Thedesignofboththemainfeature
andthenovicechannelwillincluderoughenedbedelementsalongthebankstoprovideforfishpassage.
Designofthesefeatureswillbedoneincooperationwithlocalgovernmentalauthoritiestoensure
compatibilitywithnativespecies.
Jean Webb Park Site

Conceptual Design
Figure31:RenderingoftheWhitewaterParkattheJeanWebbParkSite.
40
Costs of Construction:
Project: Asheville Jean Webb Design
Issue Date: 1/12/2015
Developed By: DW
Phase 1: Estimated Construction Costs

Description
Quantity
Unit
Unit Cost
Item Total Cost
1.0
1.0
2.0
LS
LS
LS
$
$
$
Drop Structure &Terracing

Install Equipment Access Ramps & Roads
Reclaim Equipment Access Ramps, Roads, & Staging Areas
Furnish & Install Rapidblocks
Furnish & Install Boulder (Avg 36" B Axis)
Furnish & Install Unistrut Rails
Furnish & Install Pneumatic Gates
Excavate & Grade Native Alluvium
Excavate & Grade Native Bedrock
Furnish & Install Bedding Material
Furnish & Install Mirafi 180n Filter Fabric
Furnish, Install, & Finish Concrete Ramp (CDOT Class D)
Furnish & Install #5 Rebar
Unclassified Hauloff
2.0
2.0
45.0
1118
300
136
250
250
329
590
239
8895
500
EA
EA
EA
Tons
LF
LF
CY
CY
Tons
SY
CY
LF
CY
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
1,500.00
2,500.00
100.00
85.00
3.05
4,000.00
22.00
50.00
30.00
6.00
300.00
2.00
20.00
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
3,000.00
5,000.00
4,500.00
94,997.46
915.00
544,000.00
5,500.00
12,500.00
9,861.33
3,541.67
71,644.44
17,790.00
10,000.00
Circualtion Path & Access Steps

Furnish & Install Concrete Walkways
Furnish & Install Class 6 Road Base
Furnish & Install Quarried Limestone Steps
Excavate & Grade Native Material
195
264
11
390
390
CY
Tons
Tons
CY
CY
$
$
$
$
$
200.00
35.00
300.00
15.00
20.00
$
$
$
$
$
39,040.22
9,223.25
3,259.26
5,856.03
7,808.04
Additional Included Items

Additional Excavator Time as directed by S2o
80
HR
220.00 $
17,600.00
PROJECT SUBTOTAL
976,036.71
Contingency (20%)
195,207.34
CONSTRUCTION SUBTOTAL
$ 1,171,244.05
Construction Bonding/Ins
Mob and Demob
Construction Stakeout
Construction Monitoring
$
$
$
$
35,137.32
35,137.32
10,000.00
75,000.00
TOTAL PROJECT COST OPINION
1,326,518.7
Site Setup
Traffic Control
Install & Maintain Best Management Practices
Operate & Maintain Water Control
5,000.00 $
5,000.00 $
50,000.00 $
5,000.00
5,000.00
100,000.00
BowenBridgesSite
41
Conceptual Design
Figure32:RenderingoftheWhitewaterParkattheBowenBridgesSite.
42
Project: Asheville Bowen Bridge Design
Developed By: DW

Description
Quantity
Unit
Unit Cost
Item Total Cost
1.0
1.0
2.0
LS
LS
LS
$
$
$

2.0
2.0
45.0
1410
300
136
250
500
415
744
206
7695
750
EA
EA
EA
Tons
LF
LF
CY
CY
Tons
SY
CY
LF
CY
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
1,500.00
2,500.00
100.00
85.00
3.05
4,000.00
22.00
50.00
30.00
6.00
300.00
2.00
20.00
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
3,000.00
5,000.00
4,500.00
119,808.56
915.00
544,000.00
5,500.00
25,000.00
12,436.88
4,466.67
61,866.67
15,390.00
15,000.00

230
310
11
459
459
CY
Tons
Tons
CY
CY
$
$
$
$
$
200.00
35.00
300.00
15.00
20.00
$
$
$
$
$
45,940.89
10,853.54
3,259.26
6,891.13
9,188.18

80
HR
220.00 $
17,600.00
Site Setup
Traffic Control
5,000.00 $
5,000.00 $
50,000.00 $
5,000.00
5,000.00
100,000.00
PROJECT SUBTOTAL
$ 1,020,616.77
Contingency (20%)
$ 1,224,740.12
Mob and Demob
$
$
$
$
36,742.20
36,742.20
10,000.00
75,000.00
1,383,224.5
204,123.35
43
Pearson Bridge Site

Conceptual Design
Figure33:RenderingoftheWhitewaterParkatthePearsonBridgeSite.
44
Project: Asheville Pearson Bridge Design
Developed By: DW

Description
Quantity
Unit
Unit Cost
Item Total Cost
1.0
1.0
2.0
LS
LS
LS
$
$
$
2.0
2.0
45.0
1620
300
164
250
500
476
856
221
8235
750
EA
EA
EA
Tons
LF
LF
CY
CY
Tons
SY
CY
LF
CY
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
1,500.00
2,500.00
100.00
85.00
3.05
4,000.00
22.00
50.00
30.00
6.00
300.00
2.00
20.00
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
3,000.00
5,000.00
4,500.00
137,690.44
915.00
656,000.00
5,500.00
25,000.00
14,293.13
5,133.33
66,222.22
16,470.00
15,000.00

39
52
29
77
77
CY
Tons
Tons
CY
CY
$
$
$
$
$
200.00
35.00
300.00
15.00
20.00
$
$
$
$
$
7,722.00
1,824.32
8,555.56
1,158.30
1,544.40

80
HR
220.00 $
17,600.00
Site Setup
Traffic Control
5,000.00 $
5,000.00 $
50,000.00 $
5,000.00
5,000.00
100,000.00
PROJECT SUBTOTAL
$ 1,103,128.70
Contingency (20%)
$ 1,323,754.44
Mob and Demob
$
$
$
$
39,712.63
39,712.63
10,000.00
75,000.00
1,488,179.7
220,625.74
Design, Permitting, and Engineering Costs

Thedesigncosts,withintheaccuracyofthisstudy,aresimilarforeachsite.EstimatedCostsareshown
below:
45

Table8:EstimatedEngineeringCosts
Phase 1: Estimated Engineering Costs Per Site
Description
Site Setup
Survey Costs
Detailed Floodplain Study
HEC-RAS Study
Physical Model
Permitting
Detailed Design
Construction Documents
PROJECT SUBTOTAL
Quantity
Unit
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
1
1
Sites
LS
LS
LS
LS
LS
LS
Unit Cost
$
$
$
$
$
$
35,000.00
27,000.00
27,000.00
195,000.00
35,000.00
48,000.00
332,000.00
Design Contingency (20%)
66,400.00
398,400.0
$
$
$
$
$35,000
27,000.00
27,000.00
195,000.00
35,000.00
$48,000
$14,500
Item Total Cost
GiventhatworkisbeginningattherecommendedsitewithintwoyearsS2ourgesthatthefinancingand
designphasesbeginearlyinordertobeapartoftheprocessforthissite.S2orecommendsundertaking
adetailedbathymetricsurveyofthesiteandupdatingtheCitysexistingHEC2modelinthisareatoa
HECRASmodel.Thisprocess,combinedwithdesigntothe30%levelwillallowforpermittingatthe
site.
Aphysicalmodelisalsorecommended.GiventheamountofinvestmentintoasinglestructureS2o
recommendsthatthephysicalmodelbeundertakeninordertoensurethemaximumutilityandofthe
proposedproject.PermittingcanoccurinparallelwiththePhysicalModelStudy.
FollowingpermittingS2orecommendscompletingdetaileddesignandconstructiondocuments.In
preparationforconstruction.Thisestimatehasbeenmadebasedoncostsforsimilarprojects.
Section 4: Process and Permitting

Process
Thisstudyhasevaluatedthreesitesandsuggestedonepossibledesignsolutionforeachthatwould
meetthesiteconstraintsandrequirementsandthatwouldprovidearecreationalattraction.Thisisnot,
however,acompleteddesignthatisreadytobeconstructed.Typicallyourdesignprocesswould
incorporatePreliminaryDesign,DetailedDesignandConstructionDocumentsdesignphases.Following
thepreliminaryphasepermitswouldbesubmittedandwouldneedtobeattained.Thismayrequire
somedesignadjustment.Itisalsosuggested,giventhelackofavailableinformationandextensiveflood
risksinthecorridor,thattheCityalsoundertakeafloodplainmodelingexercisewhichwouldinclude
someregulatoryprocesswithFEMAaswell.Thedesignandpermittingphasesofaprojectofthistype
aretypicallyapproximately2yearsbutcanbeacceleratedifrequired.
Onceconstructiondocumentshavebeencompletedandthepermitshavebeenattainedtheprojectwill
needtobeconstructed.Typicalconstructiontimesforaprojectofthissizewouldbeapproximately4
46

months.Constructiontypicallytakesplaceduringthemonthswhentheflowsarelowerandwhenthere
islessimpactstoinstreamspecies.Constructionwindowsareoftensetbypermittingauthorities.
TheprojectwillrequireFederal,State,andLocalpermitsinordertobecompleted.Ataminimumthe
projectwillrequire:
Federal and State Permitting:

U.S.ArmyCorpsofEngineers(USACE)
Clean Water Act, 404/401 Permits (Joint Application): Although there are numerous
federal and state laws that affect wetlands, the Clean Water Act (CWA) is the main
regulatorytool.TherearetwosectionsoftheCWAthatareofparticularsignificance:
Section404oftheCleanWaterActenablestheUSACEtograntpermitsforcertain
activities within waterways and wetlands. Construction projects affecting
wetlands in any state cannot proceed until a 404 permit has been issued. In
deciding whether to grant or deny a permit, the Corps must follow certain
guidelines,whicharediscussedbelow.
Section401oftheCleanWaterActgivesEPAtheauthoritytoprohibitanactivity,
includingaconstructionproject,ifitcanadverselyimpactwaterqualityorhave
other unacceptable environmental consequences. For most states, EPA has
delegatedthisauthoritytostateenvironmentalagencies.InNorthCarolina,the
DivisionofWaterResources(DWR)isthestateagencyresponsibleforissuing401
water quality certifications (WQC) . When the state issues a 401 certification
(whichisrequiredforanyfederallypermittedorlicensedactivitythatmayresult
in discharge to waters of the U.S.), this certifies that a given project will not
degrade Waters of the State or violate State water quality standards. (North
CaronlinaDivisionofEnvironmentandNaturalResources,2014)
WhitewaterParkstypicallyrequireanindividual(404)permitwhichcanbealengthy
reviewprocessthatincludesreviewofallimpactsoftheparktotheenvironment
includingbothinstreamandriparianzoneaswellasimpactstoaffectedstakeholders.
Itwouldbetypicalthatotherdepartments,suchastheDepartmentofEnvironmental
Conservation,fishandwildlife,andotherswouldbeconsultedasapartoftheprocess
Buncombe County:
BuncombeCountyprovidesacompletechecklistcoveringpermittingandplanningrequirements
foranydevelopmentwithincountylimits.ToseethefullchecklistpleaserefertoAppendixA:
BuncombeCountyPermittingChecklist.Whileallstepsmustbecompletedonthischecklistthe
mainplanningrequirementsincludecontactingBuncombeCountyPlanningDepartment
regardingbothzoningrequirementsandfloodzoneinformation.Thepermittingrequirements
arealsooutlinedinthisdocument.Themainitemsofimportancetothisprojectinclude:
47

StormwaterManagementPermit(Ifdisturbing>1acreofland)
ErosionControlPermit(Ifdisturbing>1acreofland)
FloodplainDevelopmentPermit
BuildingPermit
Anumberoftaskswillberequiredinordertoattainthesepermitsincludingadetailedsite
surveywithwetlanddelineation,afloodmodeltoestablishnorise,anddesigndrawings
stampedbyalicensedprofessionalengineer.Otherstudiesmayberequiredinordertoassess
habitat,environmental,orotherimpacts.
City of Asheville:
TheCitywouldrequireafloodplaindevelopmentpermitthatshowsnofloodimpactstoother
properties,andagradingpermit.Thecontractorwilltypicallyalsorequireastormwaterrunoff
permitpriortotheonsetofconstruction.
Construction Requirements Analysis:

Theconstructionofwhitewaterparkstypicallyrequiresadetailedconstructionplan.WhitewaterParks
normallyrequirealargestagingareaformaterials,accesstoandfromtheriverbed,andtheabilityto
controlthewaterthroughtemporarybermsordamsthatwillcreateadryworkarea.
Figure34:TheDurangoWhitewaterParkwasconstructedin2014duringalowwatertimeperiodandusingwatercontrolto
maintainadryworkareaper404and401permitting.
ThetypeofconstructionshowninFigure34whereinwaterisdivertedawayfromtheworkareais
typicalofinstreamconstructionofWhitewaterParks.Typicallylowflowsarerequiredforthistypeof
work.InariverofthesizeoftheFrenchBroadwatercontrolcanbeasignificantcostitem.
AnothertypicalconcernforWhitewaterParkshastodowithfishpassageupanddownthestructure.
S2owillworkwithregulatoryagenciesduringthedesignphasesofthisprojecttoensurethatthe
structuresarepassablebynativefishspeciesinthereach.
48

Riveraccessisalsoaconcern.Thecontractorwillrequireastagingareaaswellasvehicleaccesstothe
riverbed.Oftenthisrequiresrestorationofthebankareasastheconstructionprojectiscompleted.
Other Construction Issues: Endangered Species Act:

EndangeredSpeciesintheareacouldlimitconstructionaccessandconstructiontiming.Thiswillrequire
consultationwiththeFishandWildlifeserviceasoutlinedabove.
Site Evaluation
Figure35:AnelevenyearoldboatersurfstheHaweawaveduringcompetition.
InordertoaidtheCityinevaluatingtheproposedsitesandselectingapreferredsolutionorsolutions,
S2ohascreatedasiteselectionmatrixwhichevaluatestheproposeddesignsagainsttheobjectivesand
challengesofthisproject.Thismatrixisshownbelow:
Table9:SiteSelectionMatrix
Item
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Description
ParkingandAccess
PotentialFloodImpacts
RelativeCosts
LandOwnership
RecreationalOpportunity
EconomicImpacts
AccomodatesorEnhancesExistingUses
JeanWebb
0
0
0
+
+
+
BowenBridges
+
0
+
+
+
+
+
PearsonBridge
0
0
+
0
+
49

Thematrixevaluatesthesitesagainstsevendifferingcriteria.BasedontheinformationavailableS2o
recommendsthattheBowenBridgessitebeconsideredthepreferredalternative.Thissitehasample
opportunityforexpandedparkamenities,parking,andaccess.Theacquisitionofthissitewillallowfor
furtherexpansionoftheCitysgreenwaysaswellasopportunitiesfornewbusinessdevelopment.
Theseacquisitionsalsoallowfordecreasedimpactstothefloodplain.
Thematrixisinterestingalsointhatitshowsthatthereispotentialtomeetrecreationalobjectivesatall
ofthesesitesandtoaccommodateexistinguses,includingbenefitstothehabitataswellasfishingand
floatinguses,amongstothers.Thedesignsproposedarehighlyversatileandallowforsignificant
adaptabilitytovaryingflowsandflowrates.
Conclusion
Figure36:Spectatorswatchingrafterssurfthewave.
AwhitewaterparkisproposedintheCityofAsheville,NContheFrenchBroadRiver.Threesiteswere
investigatedandwerefoundtobefeasible.OfthesethreesitesthepreferredsiteistheBowenBridges
site.Thissitewillmeetprojectobjectivesandwillhavecomplementarybenefitsintermsofexpanded
parkland,parkingandaccess,floodmitigation,andeconomicdevelopment.
GiventhelowslopenatureoftheFrenchBroadRiverinthisreachtheproposedfeatureswouldbelow
indropcomparedtootherwhitewaterparksbutwouldfeaturehigherflowsthantypicallyseenin
50

similarparkssuchasSalida,COandDurango,CO.Inordertocompensateforthelowslopenatureof
theriverS2orecommendswhitewaterfeaturesthatareadjustedthroughtheuseofObermeyertype
headgatesthatallowforthecreationofmoredropduringaverageflowtimeswithoutcausingaflood
impactatthesite.
51
Appendix A: Buncombe County Permitting Checklist
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
Appendix B: Glossary
Thesetermsareoftenusedinthewhitewaterparksbusiness.Letusknowifyouareleftwondering
aboutatermorphrasewelladdittothelist!
2DimensionalFlowModels:FlowmodelssuchasRiver2dshowthenatureanddistributionofflows.
Flow2dmodelsareoftenusefulforestablishingfishpassagebyadjustingthedesigntomeetflow
criteriaestablishedwithpermittingauthorities.
3DimensionalFlowModels:FlowmodelssuchasFluentorFlow3dthatusecomputationalfluid
dynamicstocomputevirtuallyeverycharacteristicoftheflowincludingvortices,turbulence,water
surfacecharacter,andmore.Thesemodelsareoftenlessinformativeandmoreexpensivethancreating
anactualphysicalmodel.
BusinessandMarketAnalysis:Astudythatestablisheswhatthemarketpotentialforawhitewater
parkisinagivencommunityincludingtotalexpectedvisitorshipandthecharacteranddemographicsof
thesevisitors.Wealsouseresearchdatatoestablishpricepointandcomplementaryamenities.Based
onthisinformationwecreateabusinessandoperationsmodelfortheclient.Ourmodelsarevery
robustandhave,withoutcomment,beenreviewedbyindependentaswellasstateandbanking
reviewersinpreparationforgrantandloanfunding.Bewareoffreebieandcheapgeneralpurpose
businessmodels.Thesearetheonlywhitewaterparkbusinessmodelsthatprovideoperatorsand
financierstheinformationthattheyneed,fortheirproject,tomakeithappen.
ClassIVI:Whitewaterrapidscanbeclassifiedaccordingtodifficultyandrisk.Agenerallyaccepted
classificationsystemtypicallyusesromannumeralsbetweenIandVIwithIbeingtheeasiesttonavigate
andappropriateforbeginnerswithobviouslinesandverylittlepowerandclassVIbeingthemost
difficultwithsteepandpowerfullinesthataredifficulttoattainandmaintainevenforthebestexpert
boaters.
DangerousKeeperHydraulic:Hydraulicjumpsvaryinpowerandcharacter.Ingeneralthegamutof
hydraulicjumptypesvariesfromglassygreenwavetoahydraulicjumpthatfeaturesdangerous
recirculatingcurrentsthatswimmershavedifficultyexisting.Thedesignerschallengeinwhitewater
parkdesignistocreateawhitewaterfeaturethathassufficientpowertobeaplayfeature,butnotso
muchpowerthatitcreatesahazardtobeginnerboaters.
EconomicImpactStudy:AstudycompletedincooperationwithaPhDineconomics.Westudythe
economicsoftheregionsurroundingtheparkandestablish,basedonpublisheddata(orsurveyeddata
ifpublisheddatadoesnotexist)whattheeconomicimpactofawhitewaterparkwillbetoahost
communityintermsoftotaldollars,increasedtaxrevenue,increasedaverageincomes,increasedjobs,
andotherpertinenteconomicmetrics.
EPDUK:S2osdesignpartnerinGreatBritain.S2oandEPDUKpartneredtogetheronseveralprojects
includingtheLondonOlympicParkProject.
60

FloodplainAnalysis:Aprocessthatundertakentounderstandtheeffectofawhitewaterparkona
floodplainataparticularprojectsite.Oftenthefloodplainanalysisisconductedhandinhandwiththe
projectdesigntominimizeoreliminatefloodingimpacts.
FreestyleFeature:AsurforplayfeatureofsufficientsizeandpowertobeusedforFreestyle,ortrick
kayaking,competitions.
Freestylekayaking:Atypeofwhitewatercompetitioninwhichpaddlerssurfinawaveorhydraulicand
performtricksoverasettimeperiod.Thepaddlersarescoredaccordingtostyle,difficulty,andnumber
andvarietyoftricks.LargeeventssuchastheTevaMountainGames,whichareheldintheNickTurner
(nowofS2o)designedpneumaticallyadjustableplayfeaturecanhaveaneconomicimpactof$3.5
milliondollarsinasingleweekendevent!
HECRASModel:aonedimensionalflowmodeldevelopedbytheArmyCorpsofEngineerstopredict
floodelevationsinrivers.ThissoftwarehaslimitedapplicationstoWhitewaterDesignparticularly
withinfloodplains.
KayakPark:Awhitewaterparkdesignedspecificallyforkayaking.Manyofthefreestylewhitewater
parksarecustomdesignedtocreatewavesandplayholesspecificallyforkayaking
PhysicalModel:AFroudescaledmodelthatishydraulicallyscaled(usingtheFroudenumber
relationship)tomimicthebehaviorofafullsizedriver.Ifdoneproperlythismodelcanaccurately
predictwavesize,height,andshapeaswellasdepths,velocities,andotherpertinentcoursefeatures.
PlayFeatures:SimilartoSurfingFeatures.Surfingfeaturesinwhitewaterparksarewavesorhydraulic
jumpswhichareconducivetosurfingakayak,standuppaddleboard(SUP)orsurfboard.Thesewaves
arecalledstandingwavesandremainstationaryinthecurrent(incomparisontowavesintheocean
whichtransitabodyofwaterandbreakonthebeach).
RunOfTheRiverTypeFeatures:WhitewaterParkfeatureswhichareachallengeorthataugmentthe
experienceofrunningtheriver.ThesefeaturescontrastwithFreestyleandPlayfeaturesinthatthey
provideanavigationalchallengetovaryinglevelsofboater.
Slalomkayaking:Atypeofwhitewatercompetitioninwhichkayakersaretimedgoingthroughaset
courseofslalomgates(poleshungfromwiresabovetheriver/channel).Paddlersaretimedandscored
withthewinnerpostingthefastesttime.Largeevents,suchasthe2008OlympicTeamTrialscanhave
asmanyas30,000spectatorsinasingleweekendandcanhavemillionsofdollarsineconomicimpactto
ahostingtownorcity.
SlalomRacing/SlalomFeatures:WhitewaterSlalomRacingisatimedeventwhereinkayakersrace
throughasetof1825slalomgateshunginawhitewaterrapid.Athletesarescoredbasedontotal
runningtimeplusassessedpenaltiesfortouchingormissingthegates.SlalomFeaturesarefeatures
thatareconducivetosettingchallengingslalomcourses.
61

SurfingFeatures:SimilartoPlayFeatures.Surfingfeaturesinwhitewaterparksarewavesorhydraulic
jumpswhichareconducivetosurfingakayak,standuppaddleboard(SUP)orsurfboard.Thesewaves
arecalledstandingwavesandremainstationaryinthecurrent(incomparisontowavesintheocean
whichtransitabodyofwaterandbreakonthebeach).
SwiftwaterRescuePark:aparkdesignedspecificallytohelptrainrescueauthoritiesinswiftwater
rescue.Theseparkscanholdcars,trees,andplatformsinthemainflowandcanbeturnedoffinan
instantifarescueorscenariobecomesdangerous.
WhitewaterParkDesign:Theplanning,design,marketandbusinessanalysis,andcreationof
constructiondocumentsforawhitewaterpark.
WhitewaterRaft:awatercraftthatisinflatablethatistypicallydesignedtocarrypaddlersthrougha
whitewaterrafting.Rafterscanbecommercialraftersasapartofaforprofitbusiness,orprivate
rafters,whoownoracquiretheirowninflatablewatercraft.
Width,Depth,AndAspectRatioWhenReferringtoWhitewaterFeatures:Constructedwhitewater
featuresinparticularfreestylefeaturestypicallyspantheriverorchannelinwhichtheywerebuilt.
Thesefeatures,inordertomeetpermitandFEMArequirementsneedtomatchexistingriver
morphologyinthereach.Asaruletheexistingbedthereforedefinesthewidth,depth,andaspectratio
oftheexistingriverbedandthedesigneroftenchecks,byinspection,thattheselectedlocationis
appropriateforimprovementsgiventheexistingaspectratiooftheriver.
62
Bibliography
BuncombeCounty.(2014,November17).BuncombeCountyGIS.RetrievedfromBuncombeCountyGIS:
http://gis.buncombecounty.org/buncomap/Map_All.html
CleanWaterAct,Section404.(n.d.).RetrievedfromUnitedStatesEnvironmentalProtectionAgency:
http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/guidance/wetlands/sec404.cfm
EndangeredSpecies,ThreatenedSpecies,FederalSpeciesofConcernandCandidateSpecies,Buncombe
County,NC.(2014,114).RetrievedfromUSFishandWildlifeService:
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Conceptual Design Study

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SiteVisitandConceptualDesignStudy

Section 1: Whitewater Parks

The Whitewater Design Process

Design Factors for Whitewater Facilities:

Typical Economic Impacts of Whitewater Parks

Section 2: Site Information

The Study Reach:

Flood Modeling Within the Reach

Jean Webb Park Site

Bowen Bridges Site

Pearson Bridge Site

Whitewater Park Potential at These Sites:

Stmbt, CHole, 1400

Section 3: Proposed improvements

Jean Webb Park Site

Phase 1: Estimated Construction Costs

Item Total Cost

Drop Structure &Terracing

Circualtion Path & Access Steps

Additional Included Items

TOTAL PROJECT COST OPINION

Phase 1: Estimated Construction Costs

Item Total Cost

Drop Structure &Terracing

Circualtion Path & Access Steps

Additional Included Items

TOTAL PROJECT COST OPINION

Pearson Bridge Site

Phase 1: Estimated Construction Costs

Item Total Cost

Circualtion Path & Access Steps

Additional Included Items

TOTAL PROJECT COST OPINION

Design, Permitting, and Engineering Costs

Design Contingency (20%)

TOTAL PROJECT COST OPINION

Item Total Cost

Section 4: Process and Permitting

Federal and State Permitting:

Construction Requirements Analysis:

Other Construction Issues: Endangered Species Act:

318 McConnell Drive | Lyons, CO | 80540

Appendix A: Buncombe County Permitting Checklist

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