Falls Whitewater Park Update

Falls Whitewater Park Update

by Elizabeth Gardner

a Paddler Archive Article

Editor’s note: This is an update on the long-anticipated Neuse River project but maybe not the one you were expecting. This article by the diligent Elizabeth Gardner first appeared in the Jan-Feb 2011 edition of the Paddler newsletter. 

∞ Falls Whitewater Park has been in the works for many years. The first plan was developed in 1978 when Falls Dam was built. It would have been the second whitewater park in the world. Of course it was never built. In the late 90s another plan was drawn for a park below the dam. The Triangle was competing to host the Pan Am games. We weren‘t chosen, so the park wasn‘t built.

In 2002 a group of paddlers got together and decided to try again. We brought in Gary Lacy and Scott Shipley from Colorado and they drew a simple plan and gave us a cost estimate. The Raleigh City Council approved it and funded it (with some money from Wake County) and the project began to move forward. It was of course a slow process. Once the city began working on the project they hired a different group, McLaughlin Whitewater, who were significantly more expensive. There was some discrepancy between the paddlers and the city about where and how many features there should be.

In 2008, a fresh group of paddlers formed a committee and pushed the city to make the best park we can make out at Falls Dam. The design process began in early 2010 and was just completed in November. There will be three rapids in the south channel of the river. There will be a put in and take out for the park. There will be three access points and spectator seating. The banks of the river will be lined with boulders which will be easy to walk on and sit on to watch the action. Necessary elements for swiftwater rescue training will be incorporated. There will be a new parking lot and eventually changing and rest rooms.

When the release level at the dam reaches about 300 cfs, some water will begin to be diverted from the north channel to the south channel to provide more dynamic features. Once the flow from the dam reaches 2000 cfs, there will no longer be diversion from the north channel. The design will never de-water the north channel. It may even help the erosion problem by the River Mill Condos. However, many of the condo owners are concerned about any diversion from the north channel no matter how small. They are concerned about changes to the river bed and the amount of people this will draw to the river. The plan must be approved by Raleigh City Council and they will listen carefully to the folks who live up there.

If the plan is to be approved, paddlers will have to speak up for the park. There will be a City Council meeting that we‘ll need to attend in numbers. We‘ll need to email City Council members. We‘ll continue to keep folks updated via the CCC list. We appreciate everyone‘s support. Once the park is approved, we will get busy working on fundraising. The in-water features are likely to cost just under 2 million dollars. We hope to pay for that with grants. Permitting will also take some time, so we‘re still looking at several years before the park is built.

For more information check out the website at www.fallswhitewaterpark.org. [This site is no longer in use.]

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Carolina Paddler Editor: So, this was the status in early 2011.  We asked Elizabeth Gardner, who is still alive and well and vigorously pursuing the whitewater park project, to give us a current update.

Elizabeth: The Neuse River Park was funded in the 2022 Raleigh Park Bond. The park is in the planning stages which should wrap up before the end of this year. Rocks along the riverbank will provide good access for people who want to swim, fish, tube and paddle. Currently there is a plan for two small play waves. If you’re interested, keep checking the city of Raleigh Parks and Recreations Neuse River Park page for updates on the park’s progress.