Backers of park tout safety benefits

Creating a park-and-paddle boating attraction on the Spokane River near downtown could anchor local attention to one of the most underrated gems of public land along the river.

The proposed Spokane River whitewater park near the Sandifur Memorial Bridge is just one of 15 priority projects identified in the 2005 Great Spokane River Gorge strategic master plan. Attracting a steady stream of colorful kayaks likely would feed the revival of hiking, running, biking, picnicking and other public interest in People’s Park, the priceless but neglected wedge of riverfront at the mouth of Hangman Creek.

Kayakers are notorious for being sticklers for river safety, routinely wearing dry suits, life jackets and helmets. Having them in such easy viewing access would be a boon to river safety, supporters say.

Supporters collected nearly $50,000 last year to get the initial planning started, and the Washington Legislature has earmarked $400,000 for the construction. The total estimated cost for the whitewater park is $625,000, said Steve Faust, executive director of Friends of the Falls, the nonprofit group spearheading the project.

The cost would include work to reduce the dangers bridge pilings pose to paddlers in that section of the river.

The project also would provide a boater access trail from the parking area at People’s Park and help stabilize and restore the shoreline with vegetation.

The plans were refined through months of public meetings and input from 35 stakeholders that included neighborhood and environmental groups, Faust said.

The Boulder, Colo., design company selected for the project has a reputation for designing community whitewater parks that improve river access and features for angling and other recreation, not just for kayakers, Faust said.

The design also should be a benefit to fisheries, he said, although Washington Fish and Wildlife Department biologists have not studied the conceptual plans.