Poudre River Whitewater Park
- Award Year: 2022
- Award Category: Design over $500k
- Award Designation: Merit Award
- Client: City of Fort Collins
- Location: 201 East Vine Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80524
The Whitewater Park is a catalyst for redevelopment as part of the Innovation District, bridging downtown with the traditionally underserved businesses and neighborhoods north of the river.
The 12-acre whitewater park is located on the Poudre River north of the world-renowned Colorado State University Engines Lab (Powerhouse), south of Vine Drive, an emerging industrial street, and east of College Avenue, the primary transportation corridor in the City.
A variety of seating areas, Adirondack chairs, locally quarried sandstone boulders, pavers, plantings, and a wave shelter comprise the overlook plaza, a cherished respite for trail and park users at the river edge.
An integrated design approach resolves many long-standing issues in the area, including restoration of a formerly industrialized site, improved river safety that reduces floodplain impacts on adjacent properties, and improved recreation and access.
A central feature of the park are two wave features that form surfable waves for river enthusiasts. The wave features include water flow measurement devices, fish passage channels, and create pools, riffles, and runs that both anglers and recreationalists enjoy.
Custom bar seating and railing at the plaza creates a popular space for visitors to enjoy the river from a prominent vantage point. This unique environment beckons users to spend quality time with family or friends at the river edge.
Designed in partnership with an artist, the iconic wave shelter “Whitewater” evokes the feeling of churning water and bubbles while providing shade and seating in the plaza. At night, the shelter transforms into a softly glowing beacon for evening visitors.
A heritage marker highlights the significance of recreation, agriculture, & industry in the Cache La Poudre National Heritage area. The heritage marker design was inspired by softly flowing grasses found along a river edge.
The Poudre Trail is the superhighway of the Fort Collins trail system and provides direct access to the park, downtown and other destinations community wide. The whitewater park provides convenient trailhead parking and access to the Poudre Trail.
Prior to development of the park, vegetation on site consisted of cottonwoods, crack willows and brome grass. Site restoration efforts included native upland, riparian, and wetland seed mixes, trees, shrubs, and 3,000 willow plantings along the riverbank.
Many community partners contributed to the planning, design, and funding of the whitewater park. Led by the landscape architect, these partnerships helped built trust and enthusiasm among community members, paving the way for future projects within the downtown river corridor.
The removal of the Coy diversion structure, property acquisitions along Vine Drive, and the repurposing of an existing wetland were key in transforming the site from a derelict industrial property to an enriched park environment.
The Vine Drive corridor is evolving into a thriving district for long-time residents and new businesses alike. The whitewater park is central in that transformation, as a cherished community space with welcoming views, bike lanes, and adequate and convenient parking.
Contractors unearthed a 100-year-old infiltration gallery beneath the river that once provided cooling water to the turbines of the historic power plant. Archeologists were called to the site to document the structure before construction of the park resumed.
Before and after imagery highlights the transformation of the river from a neglected industrialized river environment to a new urban ecology, providing restored river edge vegetation, new wildlife corridors, and recreation access in downtown.
In October 2019, the whitewater park officially opened, with hundreds in attendance. The project is recognized for its contribution towards a more sustainable Fort Collins, providing considerable social, economic, and environmental benefits for generations.