How to build a
Whitewater Park
BoaterTalk Post • Video • Waller Creek Site • Friends of the Falls
The best way to make a
whitewater feature - basically accelerate water over a
"slight" obstacle and "dump" it into still water. The
smaller the obstacle it jumps the better. Too much rock and
you get a hole. link
Semi-circle 'U'-shaped rock pile to channel water and
create hole / eddies.
Whitewater Park Architecture and Science has advanced
dramatically.
Example of a "play wave" that features can
be modeled after.
Best practices
include:
Feasibility & Pre-design
Concept Development
Strategic Planning
Business Modeling
Limnology Studies & Habitat Design
Local, state, and federal permits
Venue Design
-Physical Modeling
-Computer Modeling
-In-stream Structures
-Boulder Placement
-Drop and Pool Structures
-Flow Hydraulics
-Flood Mitigation
-Water Safety
-Sediment Transport
-Target Species Habitat Restoration
Facilities Construction
Operations and Management
As far as creating a play
feature the only thing I can really offer up is this.
Play features are obviously in places where either A. the
gradient increases and/or B. the velocity increases,
coupled with a few good rocks or ledges to kick up or drop
the water and form the play feature.
Remember that the flow (or volume of water moving
downstream) in a river is constant no matter where you are
on the run (obviously flows can increase or decrease over
time depending on rain or dam releases). Even though
you may be in a still pool, the river is still pushing a
certain volume of water downstream. It just may not
be as noticeable at wider spots as it is when the river
chokes down in a gorge. Kind of like a garden
hose. You turn the water on and you have a constant
flow coming out of the spigot. Placing your finger
over the end causes the water to come out faster even
though the flow (volume of water) is still the same coming
from the spout. The water must move faster given the
smaller cross sectional area.
In order to maintain the upstream pool and allow for a play
spot I would suggest something like a weir. You
already have the gradient and the rocks to help form a
feature. All you need to do is concentrate the flow
in one area to increase the velocity of water traveling
downstream.
Q = Volume (ft^3/sec)
V = Velocity (ft/sec)
A = Area (ft^2)
Q = V*A
By decreasing the area (A) of water coming over the dam,
the river will have to increase the velocity (V) of water
to allow the same flow (Q) to travel down the river.
So instead of the water pouring over the whole river wide
dam, arrange the rocks so that a smaller weir is created
which leads to a smaller cross sectional area of water
flowing through.
So in the equation, a smaller A results in a larger
V. Larger V means faster velocity and
wallah........play spot...sort of.
The broken down dam on the Benson is a classic example of
this concept. But I would think the placement of
rocks to actually form the feature may be slightly more
complex than that and this is where an experienced
whitewater feature builder (not sure what their title would
be) would come into play.
