Mississippi White Water Park Design Report Outline June 30, 1999

Mississippi White Water Park Design Report Outline June 30, 1999 Executive Summary Section 1 – Literature Search .................................................................................... 1-1 Section 2 – Public Input ............................................................................................ 2-1 Section 3 – Impacts Analysis.................................................................................... 3-1 • Social Impacts..................................................................................................... 3-1 • Economic Impacts .............................................................................................. 3-2 • Site Impacts ...................................................................................................... 3-26 Section 4 – Design and Engineering - Site Design.................................................. 4-1 • White Water Courses - 3 Alternatives ............................................................. 4-1 • Architectural Program....................................................................................... 4-3 • Site Master Plan.................................................................................................. 4-9 Section 5 – Design and Engineering – Hydraulics ................................................. 5-1 • Inlet/Outlet works............................................................................................. 5-1 • Flood Plain........................................................................................................ 5-10 • Design and Engineering – Permits ................................................................. 5-15 Section 6 – Cultural and Natural Resources Protection and Enhancement ......... 6-1 Section 7 – Education and Interpretation ............................................................... 7-1 Section 8 – Public Safety Risk Management ........................................................... 8-1 Section 9 – Operations .............................................................................................. 9-1 • Management and Operation-3 Alternatives .................................................... 9-1 • Maintenance Plan............................................................................................. 9-18 • Promotion and Advertising ................................................................................9- Section 10 – Financial Plan ..................................................................................... 10-1 • Construction Cost Estimate............................................................................. 10-1 • Funding Sources............................................................................................... 10-3 Epilogue Appendices 1. Letters of Support 2. Recent Press Clippings 3. Economic Data 4. Safety Data 5. Illustrations i Acknowledgments Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Trails and Waterways Unit commissioned this study with funds appropriated by the State Legislature. Its purpose is to determine the technical feasibility and economic viability of an artificial white water course in downtown Minneapolis. A consultant team headed by McLaughlin Water Engineers of Denver, Colorado performed the study. Supporting team members consist of: John Anderson, Architect........................................................... White Water Course Council for Urban Economic Development.................Market Study and Financing Damon Farber Associates ..........................................Site planning and Illustrations Loucks and Associates, Inc.............................................................. Civil Engineering For more information contact Project Manager: Steve Mueller (651) 297-4955 e-mail - [email protected] Minnesota DNR web site - www.dnr.state.mn Many thanks to the organizations and their citizens members who provided valuable comments and information for this report: The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, the City of Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota, The US Army Corps of Engineers, the non profit Mississippi Whitewater Park Development Corporation and Northern States Power. ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A white water course is technically and economically feasible on the east bank of the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis. It makes use of the vertical drop created by Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam and the abundant, year round water flow in the Mississippi River to create a recreational amenity that would serve a wide constituency. In a sense it would re-create the white water river that gave rise to the Twin Cities. The proposed course is essentially a new river channel that bypasses the lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam. The channel is approximately 2000 feet long, 40 feet wide, and has a vertical drop of about 25 feet. The “re-created” river will flow roughly parallel to the main stem of Mississippi River in a park setting. This proposal is consistent with efforts to reclaim the Mississippi waterfront for recreation and tourism in the Twin Cities and it has the potential to be a signature project with an international reputation. The resulting juxtaposition of industry and recreation on a riverfront that is both natural and urban could be dynamic and exciting. This project and the long-awaited extensions of the East River Road and bike trails will effectively join the surrounding neighborhoods to the river, to downtown and to the Twin City's extensive parkway and trail system. The whitewater park will draw visitors from the surrounding areas and from around the world. The project could catalyze economic renewal of the surrounding area by lessening its reliance on light industry and by promoting public access to the Mississippi River. Project Impact Economic Impact It is conservatively estimated that the park will draw 50,000 paying visitors per year if properly managed and promoted. This is in addition to five to ten times that number who will come to watch from the shore. The whitewater course is not expected to pay for the estimated $7 million capital costs to build it. However user fees are expected to cover its operating expenses. The cost of the whitewater course and park as shown in the master plan, with roads, parking, trails, pedestrian bridges, fishing pier, and other park amenities is roughly estimated to have a construction cost of $15 million. The direct economic impact would be on the immediate neighborhood and the commercial district of St. Anthony Falls. The impacts are primarily based on commercial rafting, with a lesser reliance on private boaters. We estimate an economic impact of $2 to $2.5 million annually. These impacts include both visitor spending and course user fees. About 30 percent of the spending is expected to come from out-of-state visitors. iii Whitewater events bring exposure to the sport and temporary influxes of tourist spending to the local economy. Once established in paddle sports, world class whitewater courses can expect to host one Olympic-level international event and two or more national events every two years. It will also provide a needed close- to-home boating venue for the Twin City's and Minnesota’s paddlers. Site Impacts The most significant site impact is the creation of an island in front of the University Steam Plant. This is necessary to create a longer channel. It might result in some alteration and fill on the edge of the Mississippi River. However utilizing fill material dredged from the river itself could mitigate this. There are no known environmental problems with the site and no known archaeological sites will be disturbed. The channel crosses a number of major and minor utilities. One major impact necessitated by the new channel is the relocation of a 54-inch water main. Landowners Impacts The St. Anthony Falls site is presently an industrial setting with three major landowners: Army Corps of Engineers, Northern States Power and the University of Minnesota. Their interests and utilization of the site will be affected by the proposed whitewater course and the viability of this concept hinges upon their acceptance of it. In order for the project to make the jump from being technically feasible to being practical, the following accommodations are needed: 1. Phase out the Corps of Engineers dredge spoil area below the Interstate 35W Bridge. 2. Make space available at one of the University of Minnesota buildings to serve the park. Ideally, the space would be within or adjacent to the Tandem Accelerator Lab. 3. Adjust the planned siting of the Northern States Power hydroelectric plant to allow sufficient room for the whitewater channel (there are no active plans to build the plant at the time of this writing). 4. Permit a pedestrian boardwalk on the river-side of the steam plant. iv Management Management Structure Management of the park will likely be a combination of public and private entities and will be geared for four-season operation. Five public and private entities have expressed an interest in participating. We envision a flexible management structure that handles the summer peak season, allocating water time fairly to all user groups, as well as making the course available in the shoulder and low seasons for hard-core boaters and University and local athletic programs. Public Ownership Access to the river and utilization of this wonderful resource were the themes of the public comments we received. Suggestions for activities and programs at the site were imaginative,

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