The city has contracted with a consultant to review the drop structures placed in the river to evaluate their status and receive proposals for possible design solutions.
The agreement, which will cost the city $12,700, was approved last week by the Green River City Council with S2O Design and Engineering.
Speaking to the Council last week, Brad Raney, director of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, said there are a number of known issues with the drop structures, including washouts near the structures. He said water isn’t being diverted as initially planned, with Raney’s goal for the evaluation being to give the city ideas about how they could be repaired and other options available to the Council.
“We are seeking expertise from those who have a great deal of experience working with these types of structures to explore what options we have going forward and associated costs, Raney wrote in an email to the Star after the meeting. “This study gives the current Council and staff an update of what the costs are to bring back as originally detailed and/or to remove or change accordingly based on what the river has done to them prior to making any monetary decision.”
Councilman Mike Shutran voiced displeasure with the drop structures believing they were placed without a concern for multiple use on the river.
“There are probably a lot more sportsmen here than people who own little plastic boats,” Shutran said. “We need to broaden our view a bit.”
However, Mayor Pete Rust believes the drop structures, especially at the city’s kayaking park, add to the river and do not impact people floating down the river.
“The drop structures don’t preclude you from floating the river,” Rust said.
Rust said the currants naturally take people around the structures and doesn’t see them as a major threat to enjoying the river.
“I don’t see it affecting tubers or rafters,” he said.
Rust said the drop structures were initially planned in 2000 and installed by May 2002, five months after Rust joined the Council as a Councilman.
Rust said events focused on kayaking opportunities in the River brought visitors to the city.
“It was a good thing at the time,” Rust said.
Rust also believes the city should compete to host kayaking events in the future, saying changes in how events are scheduled shouldn’t hinder the city in trying to attract kayakers to the city for competition.
Raney said kayaking usage is light, with the city occasionally receiving calls from people visiting the city to activate the adjustable wave feature near Expedition Island.
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