Club Meeting
Saturday, January 24, 20096:00pm - 7:00pm
Bardstown Mills
204 West Muir
Bardstown, KY
Some items of discussion:
WW Park fundraising
• Art auction
• Elkhorn race
2009 goals
New club shirts
Paddle Pickup 2009
Comments
Elkhorn Creek
Saturday, Dec 27 2008 06:32 PM
| Trip Reports '08
| Permalink
Spalding Hurst ran the Elkhorn in Frankfort on Saturday. The weather was close to 70 degrees, the sun was out, and the winds blew a nice warm breeze. All of this in winter December. It was a great Christmas present for any kayaker. The creek was at 1000cfs and had plenty of good surfing spots along the way. A great day to be on the water. Many from throughout Kentucky were there to enjoy the optimal weather and water conditions.
Cumberland River 7000cfs
Friday, Dec 19 2008 10:55 PM
| Trip Reports '08
| Permalink
On this Friday, Ben Ballard, his roomate Eric Thoben and their paddling buddy Matt Jarboe went down the Cumberland at 7000 cfs. Ben says he was a little nervous, but all went well.The river washes out at this level, and becomes wave-trains and sticky holes. Surfers is none existent and screaming right turns in to a washout wave-train that is realy swirly. The only thing you really have worry about is Last Drop. It becomes a solid class IV. The line is like threading a needle and it has some bad consiquences if you mess up. Everyone ran it successfully and they had a good time.
Comments (1)
Revisting the Rockcastle
Friday, Dec 19 2008 09:32 PM
| Trip Reports '04
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Here are a couple of videos from the archives. These were the early years for the Bardstown Boaters and some of our first trips on the Kentucky classic river, the Rockcastle. The songs in these videos, in order, are: Kanye West (he's gone down hill), Diplo, Express Rising and The Walkmen. This post goes out to Kevin in Bend, Oregon. Enjoy.
Song of the Moment: Nathan Medley
Sunday, Dec 14 2008 10:12 AM
| Song of the Moment
| Permalink
Nathan Medley has a new album out and you can listen to many of the songs at www.nathanmedley.com.Nathan is a singer & songwriter from Fredericksburg, Kentucky. He makes the kind of music that sounds like it came from Kentucky.
His new album is called Hill Billy Brigade and you can't get it anywhere. It was recorded at his home and is available to listen to through his website.
Phase 1 of whitewater park project complete
Sunday, Nov 30 2008 04:22 PM
| Whitewater Park
| Permalink
By Jenny Blandford for the Kentucky Standard
Phase I of the Beech Fork River whitewater project is complete. A reconnaissance evaluation of municipal supply and whitewater recreation enhancements of Beech Fork River near Rubble Dam conducted by RiverRestoration.org estimated the project to cost about $350,000 to $500,000.
RiverRestoration.org River Engineer Jason Carey, who was hired by Bardstown Boaters to survey the area in August, sent a letter to the city and the club Nov. 18.
“Last week, we got the materials back from (Carey), which was basically a letter outlining everything,” Bardstown Boaters President Spalding Hurst said. “The estimate is about where we hoped it would be.”
In the letter, Carey said Rubble Dam on the Beech Fork River “has excellent opportunity for enhancement of both municipal water supply and whitewater recreation. The site has a number of advantages that make the project not only feasible, but will also keep costs down.”
Carey stated in the letter the project would enhance “water supply infrastructure while creating a recreation amenity for the community.”
In the letter, Carey outlined four advantages for why the project is feasible. Those reasons were: good construction access on a two-track road, seasonal low-flows of the channel will ease construction and reduce environmental impacts, significant amount of material onsite that can be reused in construction to help reduce costs and no sensitive species or other significant environmental issues that would complicate permitting or deter public support.
RiverRestoration.org, which is a Glenwood Springs, Colo.-based company that focuses on river restoration, preservation, enhancement and use of ecosystems, was the first developer Bardstown Boaters hired to survey the area. Bardstown Boaters raised $10,000 — $6,000 from the club, $2,000 from City Council and $2,000 from tourism — to bring Carey, who has more than nine years of experience as a river engineer, to Bardstown. Carey has a master’s degree in civil engineering and a bachelor’s degree in physics.
Carey, along with Hibbs Engineering, conducted topographic and channel surveys and took photographs of the river channel. Hurst said in August RiverRestoration.org was chosen because the club felt Carey developed three of the best whitewater parks in Colorado.
While in Bardstown, Carey met onsite with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and discussed the project with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nelson County floodplain manager and the Kentucky Division of Water.
“These regulators see no glaring objection to proceeding with this project and permitting should be straight forward,” Carey said in the letter. “We are requesting a notice to proceed with Phase II. The next steps are to perform engineering, obtain permits, develop alternatives and costs and assist seeking construction funds.”
Following receipt of the letter, Bardstown Boaters met Nov. 22 to discuss the next step.
“It was sort of a brainstorming meeting about what we, as a club, should be doing next to keep this project moving along since Phase I has been completed by RiverRestoration.org,” Hurst said. “So, we are moving toward Phase II.”
Phase II of the project — feasibility — includes eight tasks set forth by Carey in the river enhancement proposal, including hydrology, hydraulic analyses, preliminary design and alternatives, permitting, grant applications, landscape plan, final design and construction plans and specifications.
“He originally sent us an outline of all the phases and all the tasks within each of those phases,” Hurst said. “Phase II is design and Phase III is construction. Phase II includes the bulk of all the work.”
Phase II is projected to cost $44,500 and take about a year to complete, if everything goes as planned, Spalding said. Phase III — implementation — includes two tasks which entail construction bid package preparation and construction engineering services.
Bardstown Boaters plans to seek donations and sponsorships from local businesses and individuals and host fundraising events. Hurst said the club hopes to secure a non-profit status so money collected would be tax-deductible.
“We are going to start looking for some donors and we’re going to start putting on some events,” Hurst said.
Some ideas for fundraising include a bourbon barrel race on local waterways, card tournaments, educational and environmental grants and seeking funds from local government since the whitewater park project is a joint effort between Bardstown Boaters and Bardstown City Council. The emphasis of the River Recreation Enhancements design is to enhance Rubble Dam on the Beech Fork River for whitewater recreation and to improve the water supply. A plan for a whitewater park has been under way for about two years.
The data Carey collected will also be presented to Bardstown City Council, which will decide what the next step of the project will be.
Bardstown Boaters, which has about 115 members, supports a whitewater park, stating it could modify the hazardous Rubble Dam, attract visitors to the park, create a venue for paddlers, increase the city’s water supply, enhance the fish habitat, create a family-friendly and easily accessible river park, improve the aesthetics of the site and provide local economic stimulation.
According to its Web site, economic impacts of a whitewater park could provide recreation, tourism, competitions, new jobs and businesses, environmental awareness, construction of the river, enhanced land and property value and business retention.
For more information about Bardstown Boaters, visit www.bardstownboaters.com. To view some of RiverRestoration. org’s whitewater river projects, visit http://riverrestoration.org/ projects/index.html.
Jenny Blandford can be reached at 348-9003, Ext. 114, or jblandford@kystandard.com.
Phase I of the Beech Fork River whitewater project is complete. A reconnaissance evaluation of municipal supply and whitewater recreation enhancements of Beech Fork River near Rubble Dam conducted by RiverRestoration.org estimated the project to cost about $350,000 to $500,000.
RiverRestoration.org River Engineer Jason Carey, who was hired by Bardstown Boaters to survey the area in August, sent a letter to the city and the club Nov. 18.“Last week, we got the materials back from (Carey), which was basically a letter outlining everything,” Bardstown Boaters President Spalding Hurst said. “The estimate is about where we hoped it would be.”
In the letter, Carey said Rubble Dam on the Beech Fork River “has excellent opportunity for enhancement of both municipal water supply and whitewater recreation. The site has a number of advantages that make the project not only feasible, but will also keep costs down.”
Carey stated in the letter the project would enhance “water supply infrastructure while creating a recreation amenity for the community.”
In the letter, Carey outlined four advantages for why the project is feasible. Those reasons were: good construction access on a two-track road, seasonal low-flows of the channel will ease construction and reduce environmental impacts, significant amount of material onsite that can be reused in construction to help reduce costs and no sensitive species or other significant environmental issues that would complicate permitting or deter public support.
RiverRestoration.org, which is a Glenwood Springs, Colo.-based company that focuses on river restoration, preservation, enhancement and use of ecosystems, was the first developer Bardstown Boaters hired to survey the area. Bardstown Boaters raised $10,000 — $6,000 from the club, $2,000 from City Council and $2,000 from tourism — to bring Carey, who has more than nine years of experience as a river engineer, to Bardstown. Carey has a master’s degree in civil engineering and a bachelor’s degree in physics.
Carey, along with Hibbs Engineering, conducted topographic and channel surveys and took photographs of the river channel. Hurst said in August RiverRestoration.org was chosen because the club felt Carey developed three of the best whitewater parks in Colorado.
While in Bardstown, Carey met onsite with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and discussed the project with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nelson County floodplain manager and the Kentucky Division of Water.
“These regulators see no glaring objection to proceeding with this project and permitting should be straight forward,” Carey said in the letter. “We are requesting a notice to proceed with Phase II. The next steps are to perform engineering, obtain permits, develop alternatives and costs and assist seeking construction funds.”
Following receipt of the letter, Bardstown Boaters met Nov. 22 to discuss the next step.
“It was sort of a brainstorming meeting about what we, as a club, should be doing next to keep this project moving along since Phase I has been completed by RiverRestoration.org,” Hurst said. “So, we are moving toward Phase II.”
Phase II of the project — feasibility — includes eight tasks set forth by Carey in the river enhancement proposal, including hydrology, hydraulic analyses, preliminary design and alternatives, permitting, grant applications, landscape plan, final design and construction plans and specifications.
“He originally sent us an outline of all the phases and all the tasks within each of those phases,” Hurst said. “Phase II is design and Phase III is construction. Phase II includes the bulk of all the work.”
Phase II is projected to cost $44,500 and take about a year to complete, if everything goes as planned, Spalding said. Phase III — implementation — includes two tasks which entail construction bid package preparation and construction engineering services.
Bardstown Boaters plans to seek donations and sponsorships from local businesses and individuals and host fundraising events. Hurst said the club hopes to secure a non-profit status so money collected would be tax-deductible.
“We are going to start looking for some donors and we’re going to start putting on some events,” Hurst said.
Some ideas for fundraising include a bourbon barrel race on local waterways, card tournaments, educational and environmental grants and seeking funds from local government since the whitewater park project is a joint effort between Bardstown Boaters and Bardstown City Council. The emphasis of the River Recreation Enhancements design is to enhance Rubble Dam on the Beech Fork River for whitewater recreation and to improve the water supply. A plan for a whitewater park has been under way for about two years.
The data Carey collected will also be presented to Bardstown City Council, which will decide what the next step of the project will be.
Bardstown Boaters, which has about 115 members, supports a whitewater park, stating it could modify the hazardous Rubble Dam, attract visitors to the park, create a venue for paddlers, increase the city’s water supply, enhance the fish habitat, create a family-friendly and easily accessible river park, improve the aesthetics of the site and provide local economic stimulation.
According to its Web site, economic impacts of a whitewater park could provide recreation, tourism, competitions, new jobs and businesses, environmental awareness, construction of the river, enhanced land and property value and business retention.
For more information about Bardstown Boaters, visit www.bardstownboaters.com. To view some of RiverRestoration. org’s whitewater river projects, visit http://riverrestoration.org/ projects/index.html.
Jenny Blandford can be reached at 348-9003, Ext. 114, or jblandford@kystandard.com.
PitCo gives $100K for kayak park
Friday, Nov 28 2008 08:26 PM
| Whitewater Park
| Permalink
The Pitkin County Open Space and Trails board Thursday agreed to spend up to $100,000 to design and help build a small and “moderately difficult” kayak park in the Roaring Fork River in Basalt, just upstream of the Elk Run neighborhood.The funding was granted at the request of Pitkin County Attorney John Ely, who said a recently completed $10,000 feasibility study by The McLaughlin Whitewater Design Group in Denver concluded the park would be both a recreational and environmental improvement.
If the $100,000 expenditure for the kayak park is approved by the county commissioners, about $75,000 will be paid to Jason Carey of River Restoration.org of Glenwood Springs to design a kayak wave, a small boat ramp and riverside trails.
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DLG Accepting Applications for Recreational Trails and Land and Water Grants
Wednesday, Nov 26 2008 11:09 AM
| Whitewater Park
| Permalink
The Department for Local Government (DLG) is currently accepting applications for two grant programs to be awarded in 2009: Recreational Trails Program grant applications will be accepted through February 1, 2009 and the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) applications will be accepted through March 1, 2009.
The Recreational Trails Program is funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). It can be used to provide assistance for acquisition of easements, development and maintenance of recreational trails and trailhead facilities for both motorized and non-motorized use. Eligible applicants are city and county governments, state and federal agencies, and non-profit organizations.
The LWCF provides federal grant funds to acquire land for outdoor recreation and to develop or renovate public outdoor recreation facilities such as campgrounds, picnic areas, sports & playfields and support facilities.
Administered by DLG, funds for this program are allocated to Kentucky by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of Interior. Cities, counties, state and federal agencies are eligible to apply.
The Recreational Trails Program is funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). It can be used to provide assistance for acquisition of easements, development and maintenance of recreational trails and trailhead facilities for both motorized and non-motorized use. Eligible applicants are city and county governments, state and federal agencies, and non-profit organizations.
The LWCF provides federal grant funds to acquire land for outdoor recreation and to develop or renovate public outdoor recreation facilities such as campgrounds, picnic areas, sports & playfields and support facilities.
Administered by DLG, funds for this program are allocated to Kentucky by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of Interior. Cities, counties, state and federal agencies are eligible to apply.
