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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20221671 Ver 1_RSP - USACE Comment Response Letter - March 2023_20230303US Army Corps of Engineers Wilmington District Asheville Regulatory Field Office ATTN: Amanda Fuemmeler- Jones, Regulatory Specialist 151 Patton Avenue, Room 208 Asheville, NC 28801-5006 March 4, 2023 SUBJECT: RESPONSE TO COMMENTS/QUESTIONS Woodfin Riverside Park & Wave (Corps Action ID#: SAW-2021-02163) Dear Ms. Jones, On December 1, 2022, the Town of Woodfin (Town) submitted an application for an Individual Permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for purposes of constructing an artificial whitewater wave in the French Broad River. On February 6, 2023, the USACE provided the Town with a compilation of state and federal agency comments on the application as well as their own specific comments and requests for additional information. Below, we provide an official response to USACE comments/requests in red text; standalone additional information requested by the USACE and referenced in our responses is attached to this letter. 1. Aquatic life passage concerns— please provide any completed studies that document if/how aquatic life passage will be affected by this project. The final Fish Passage Specifications memo (A. Ficke and C. Craft, GEI Consultants, 2023) is attached. 2. Sediment transport concerns — please provide any completed studies that document if/how sediment transport will be affect[ed] by this project. Incidental to the CLOMR application process and the need to address sediment transport, S20 conducted a desktop analysis of historic aerial imagery of the project reach to assess significant geomorphic changes in the last 20+ years. The analysis indicated that the banks are generally highly vegetated and stable, with shallow bedrock present in the channel. The study did not identify any obvious locations of aggradation or degradation in the reach even with the presence of multiple structures including the Craggy Dam downstream and the abandoned railroad piers at the project site. The analysis concluded that the channel is not affected by sediment transport due to the absence of detectable sediment related issues over time at these structures. For these reasons, an advanced sediment transport analysis was not conducted as part of the proposed project. 3. Section 7 ESA Consultation — Based upon information submitted to date and knowledge of presence of federally endangered/threatened species and their habitat, several species may be affected by this project. The Corps has determined that this project 'may affect but not likely to adversely affect" (MANLAA) the following species: Gray bat (Myotis grisescens) and Northern Long Eared Bat (Myotis septentrionalis). The Corps will serve as the lead federal agency to coordinate informally with USFWS on these species and additional conditions (e.g. tree clearing moratoriums, lighting, etc.) will likely be needed/drafted to ensure no adverse effect to these species. We have also determined that the project may affect the Appalachian Elktoe (Alasmidonta raveneliana), however the extent of this affect has not been determined at this time. Please provide any documents to include the results of mussel surveys in the project area so that we can coordinate with USFWS on a final affect determination and the next coordination steps. If determined that the project will adversely affect the Appalachian Elktoe, a Biological Assessment (BA) will be required to be drafted and submitted to USFWS for review as referenced in their January 6, 2023 comment letter (enclosed). We agree with the comment; the project has the potential to affect certain listed species. The Town is open to discussing additional conditions to ensure that the project has no adverse effect on the aforementioned listed bat species. A final Mussel Survey Report (T. Fox, Dewberry, 2023) was prepared and is attached; the report details the results of mussel surveys conducted within the project's area of effect. Per USACE and USFWS recommendations, Equinox is currently preparing a BA to address potential effects to the aforementioned listed species of bats and mussels. 4. Alternatives Analysis: Please provide a detailed discussion of alternative site locations to include river reaches in/around Asheville as well as specific sites that were evaluated within the Asheville reach chosen. The discussion should also provided selection criteria that was used to determine which sites were considered the most practicable based on the applicant's purpose/need. Please provide an electronic copy of a previous 2016 study entitled "Site Visit and Conceptual Design Study" which covers some alternatives and should be expanded to address the above comment. Specifically, please include a discussion to the site known as the "The Ledges" and whether it was considered a viable alternative site/location for the Wave. The purpose of this project is to enact part of the Town of Woodfin's (the applicant) larger greenway & blueway vision and is a direct response to a voter -passed bond referendum, which underlines the need for the project. It will celebrate, re -imagine, expand upon, and improve an existing riverfront recreational amenity, Woodfin's Riverside Park, with updated features such as a greenway, park space with expanded facilities, improved river access, and creation of a standing whitewater wave in the French Broad River. The Town of Woodfin expects to see a positive economic impact from these improvements from an increase in tourism due to the amenities. The following narrative describes the selection process driven by the Town and informed by S2O Engineering that led to the current site being proposed for the project. A group of paddlers from the Asheville/Woodfin area have been working on bringing whitewater recreation to the area for a number of years. This process has included various whitewater design teams including McLaughlin Whitewater Design Group, who suggested a project near Jean Webb Park; Recreation Engineering and Planning, who looked at a similarly located site, and S2o Design and Engineering that has looked at a variety of sites along the river including Jean Webb Park, Bowen Bridges, and Pearson Bridge (S2o, 2015). Each of these efforts included consultation with the USACE. Given the lack of momentum in the French Broad within the City Limits of Asheville, paddlers began to look at sites downstream. Woodfin was eager to host the whitewater park as a part of its larger Greenways effort that will connect the community to Asheville along the river, amongst other places. The project -based goals of the applicant can be simply summarized: to leverage the outdoor community in the Asheville area to create a dynamic in -stream recreation destination that will improve the quality of life for people who live within the Town, but will also draw tourism and economic impact from visitors the park. The current site was selected based on a conceptual design study conducted in 2016 entitled "Site Visit and Conceptual Design Study"; this study is attached per USACE request. This study evaluated and created concept designs for a number of sites along the French Broad starting from downtown Asheville and analyzing the reach downstream to Woodfin Three alternatives including the do-nothing option were considered. They were evaluated for alignment with applicant preferences, recreational opportunity development potential, and hydraulic feasibility. The do-nothing alternative was not considered further primarily because it did not meet the applicant's project objectives of improved community access to in -stream recreation opportunities and the resulting economic benefits. The second alternative, known as The Ledges or Ledges Park, is located approximately 5.10 river miles downstream of the proposed option in the community of Alexander, NC. It did not meet the applicant's location preferences because it was not located within the jurisdictional limits of the Town of Woodfin. It also did not align with recreational needs of the community; paddlers who regularly use The Ledges were outspoken in their opposition to the development of a standing wave at that location because they felt it would change the character of the existing natural geomorphological features offered by Ledges. However, The Ledges were found to be hydraulically feasible for the establishment of a standing wave. The third alternative, located at Riverside park but at a more downstream location than the current proposed option, is within the jurisdictional limits of the Town of Woodfin and therefore aligned well with the applicant's location preferences. It was conceptually designed and then hydraulically modeled but found to be infeasible due to perceived impacts to the regulatory floodplain that would result from the creation of an in -stream feature at that location. The fourth alternative, the current location at Riverside Park, is also within the jurisdictional limits of the Town of Woodfin, satisfying the applicant's location preferences as well as connecting into existing recreational resources under Town ownership. Additionally, the paddling community was highly supportive of the development of a wave at the Riverside Park location as it would not impact the character of existing nearby paddling areas. Finally, following conceptual design and hydraulic modeling, the site was found to be feasible, and thus was selected as the preferred alternative. The site has many advantages, one of which is that it includes the conversion of a former industrial site along the river corridor. The project can also be built at the Riverside Park location without having a negative impact on the regulatory floodplain. 5. Craggy Dam Removal — please address the viability of the project in the event that the Craggy Dam is removed. In the event that Craggy Dam is removed at some point in the future, the proposed wave at Riverside Park can remain viable, however at least one supplemental grade control will likely need to be installed downstream of the project to maintain the design tailwater elevation below the wave and ensure proper functionality. 6. Access from Norfolk -Southern Railway Side — please provide a discussion/update if permission has been received to construct a portion of the Wave from property owned by Norfolk Southern immediately adjacent to an existing rail line. The Town of Woodfin has sent an engagement letter to Norfolk -Southern requesting a review of engineered plans. If accepted, the Town will then pay Norfolk -Southern an associated review fee, whereupon they will begin the process. The timeline for engineering review is currently unknown. Assuming the review goes well and Norfolk -Southern will allow the construction to proceed, additional engagements and payments will be required by the Town to accommodate Norfolk -Southern' s onsite safety standards and the cost of personnel. 7. FEMA Approval — please provide an update on if FEMA approval has been received or when approval is expected. A CLOMR application was submitted December 21, 2022, and review comments from FEMA were received on February 15, 2023. Responses to FEMA comments are due May 16, 2023, at the latest. 8. Safety Plan — please address how safety will be managed during and post -construction. Safety during construction will be managed by the Contractor. Details are included in the High -Water Contingency Plan which was developed in response to NCDWR comments (full comment response including said Plan are attached). Safety after construction will be the Town's responsibility and has yet to be fully defined. Typically, post - construction safety tactics involve the establishment of educational signage denoting hazards, recommended safety equipment, rules, mapping put-in/take-out and wave features, etc. The Town may also choose to close the park at high water, or allow the public to use the Wave at their own risk regardless of river levels. As the project progresses a specific Safety Plan will be completed. 9. DWR Request for Additional Information dated January 5, 2023 (enclosed)— please copy the Corps on your response. The Corps shares the same concerns/has similar questions. The Corps has been copied on the response to NCDWR's request for comment. We appreciate your consideration of the above responses and attached information. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or further requests for information. Sincerely, C) Wadi/ ea2S4,12, Owen Carson, Botanist / Senior Ecologist Equinox 37 Haywood Street, Suite 100 Asheville, NC 28801 (828) 253-6856 extension 204 Consulting Engineers and Scientists Memo To: Dane Palmer and Riley Adams, S2o Design and Engineering From: Ashley Ficke and Chris Craft, GEI Consultants Cc: Scott Shipley, S2o Design and Engineering Date: March 3, 2023 Re: Fish Passage Specifications for Woodfin Wave Whitewater Park GL I Consultants INTRODUCTION The French Broad River supports a highly diverse aquatic community. The fish assemblage currently contains approximately 31 species from seven families, but 35 additional species are either present in upstream stream reaches or tributaries or were historically present and/or are being reintroduced to the system. The French Broad River also supports two mussels of conservation concern: the Federally Endangered Appalachian Elktoe (Alasmidonta raveneliana) and Creeper (Strophitus undulatus), a North Carolina State Species of Special Concern. All mussels have parasitic larvae and rely on fish hosts to complete their life cycles. Appalachian Elktoe targets specific fish species as hosts, whereas Creeper are generalists. An increased interest in river systems in urban areas has led to a subsequent increase in riverfront revitalization projects. Many of these projects include whitewater parks (WWPs). Whitewater parks have the potential to disrupt fish movements, although they are not typically as problematic as dams and grade control structures. Consideration of fish passage needs during the design process can often alleviate the potential for whitewater parks or specific features within these parks to function as barriers to fish passage. GEI was retained by S2o Design and Engineering to develop specifications for the fish bypass in the Woodfin Wave WWP, to allow upstream passage of the diverse resident fish assemblage. METHODS The best opportunity biologists have to provide design specifications for whitewater parks lies in searching and synthesizing the abundant literature on fish swimming performances. To maximize the probability of successful fish passage, the resident fish assemblage can be categorized into swimming "guilds." These guilds consist of groups of species that have similar swimming performances and behaviors, and therefore similar requirements for fish passage. Once the guilds are developed, specifications for hydraulic characteristics such as depth, velocity, and turbulence can be tailored for the guild with the most exacting specifications for each characteristic. For example, a "big river fishes" guild containing species that avoid shallow water can be used to set minimum depths at low flows, and a "small -bodied fishes" guild can be used to develop recommendations for shallow, wetted margins that would allow them to move upstream. In a situation where the fish assemblage is species -rich, each guild may incorporate large numbers of species. Alternatively, a guild might represent a single species in depauperate headwater systems. Memo Page 1 GEI Consultants, Inc. 4601 DTC Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80237 303.662.0100 fax: 303.662.8757 www.geiconsultants.com till Memo 1 Page 2 March 3, 2023 S2o Design and Engineering The following fishes were chosen as representative species for each swimming guild. Selection of these species was based on availability of swimming performance data, presence in the French Broad River, and ecological significance of the species. The species list provided by the State of North Carolina and the guilds that were developed for them are included in an attachment at the end of this document. Small -bodied fishes: The swimming abilities of 16 common North American fishes from seven families were used to develop representative specifications for small -bodied fishes. The slowest of these species were Stonecat (Noturus flavus) and Johnny Darter (Etheostoma nigrum), both of which were capable of sprinting at approximately 2 ft/s (Ficke 2015). Mottled Sculpin (Cottus bairdii) was also considered during development of specifications. This species is not known to be present in the project area, but it is a host for Appalachian Elktoe (NCWC 2021), so providing for passage of this species was essential. This species can sprint for extremely short distances at nearly 3 ft/s (Aedo et al. 2009), but its sustained swimming ability is limited by large fins, which produce substantial drag (e.g., Webb 1998). Mottled Sculpin are benthic and can use several station -holding techniques to rest when challenged by high water velocities (Aedo et al. 2009). The available data on swimming performance for small -bodied species that are surface - oriented suggest that their swimming and sprinting abilities are similar to those of other small -bodied species that have different water column preferences. For example, Inland Silverside (Menidia menidia) can swim at approximately 10 body lengths/second (approximately 1 ft/s) for prolonged periods (i.e., up to 25 minutes, Arnott et al. 2006). Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) can swim at similar relative speeds; their swimming ability is somewhat lower than other tested species (sprinting speeds of approximately 1 ft/s, Li et al. 2017) because of their small sizes. The swimming abilities of these two species are comparable to those of other small -bodied species with documented prolonged swimming and sprinting performances (e.g., Ficke 2015, Prenosil et al. 2016). Studies involving multiple small -bodied fishes tested under the same conditions indicate no substantial difference between the swimming performance of small -bodied species with different preferences for water column position. Therefore, top -water specialists such as Western Mosquitofish and Inland Silverside were included in the guild with the remainder of the small -bodied species. Fortunately, most small -bodied fishes will utilize shallow, low -velocity water on channel margins if main channel velocities are challenging (e.g., Schwartz and Herricks 2005). Continuous pathways with water velocities between 0 and 2 ft/s within the fish bypass will allow fish passage for this guild. Anguilliform swimmers: Lamprey are anguilliform or "eel -like" swimmers; this mode of swimming is less efficient. Pacific Lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) was used as a surrogate species in absence of available swimming data for the three native lampreys 1 Although adult Western Mosquitofish are smaller (and thus slower) than adults of many other species native to the French Broad River, they should still be able to utilize the slow, shallow margins of the fishway, where depth -averaged velocities range from 0 — 2 ft/sec. kel Memo l Page 3 March 3, 2023 S2o Design and Engineering currently and historically present in the watershed. A 200 mm Pacific Lamprey2 can swim at 2 ft/s for an average of 38 seconds (DiRocco and Gervais 2021; Katopodis and Gervais 2016). Because of their eel -like shape, these fishes would be able to use the same shallow, low -velocity water to ascend the fishway as the small -bodied fishes. Sunfishes: Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu). The swimming ability of this sought- after native game fish has been well -documented. This species is also ecologically significant because it serves as a host for multiple mussel species. The remaining sunfishes in the project area were included in the small -bodied fishes guild because of their smaller size and limited swimming abilities (e.g., Jones et al. 2011). Smallmouth bass in voluntary studies involving a large raceway (over 150 ft. in length) showed that upstream passage success and the probability that fish would try to move upstream decreased dramatically as water velocities exceeded 4 ft/s (Peake and Farrell 2005). Therefore, availability of water depths of 1 ft or more (to provide sufficient depth for large individuals) and velocities of 4 ft/s or less will allow passage for this species. Fusiform river fishes: Because its swimming ability is well -studied, White Sucker (Catostomus commersonii) was used to develop specifications for larger, fusiform (i.e., streamlined) river fishes, such as suckers and large minnows. Adults can sprint for approximately 60 s at 10 body lengths per second (BL/s, Castro -Santos 2005). This indicates that adult White Sucker can negotiate the bypass if water velocities are less than 6 ft/s over a distance of 40 ft. Therefore, if bypass specifications for Smallmouth Bass are met, White Sucker will also be able to utilize the bypass. This guild also includes a number of redhorse species (Genus Moxostoma). The swimming performance of these species is poorly studied, but one study of intraspecific comparisons was available. The slowest of the three species, Silver Redhorse (M. anisurum) was able to swim at 2 — 3 body lengths per second for an approximate median of 100 s (Hatrey et al. 2014). Thus, an adult Silver Redhorse that was 300 mm long should be able to swim at velocities of approximately 2 ft/s. However, the tests used in this study probably also underestimated swimming ability, because all three redhorse species have been able to successfully ascend a vertical slot fishway, which generally requires short periods of negotiating high water velocities.3 Nevertheless, if fishway water velocities of 0 — 2 ft/s at depths of 1 ft should allow passage of the redhorses present in the French Broad River. Redhorses are also benthic, or bottom -oriented species, so they would likely be able to negotiate depth averaged velocities greater than 2 ft/s, because water velocities tend to be lower near the substrate, particularly in hydraulically rough channels (e.g., Knighton 1988). Big River Fishes: Specifications for big river fishes were developed using studies of sturgeon in prototype fishways. Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) are present in the project area, and reintroduction of Paddlefish (Polydon spathula) has begun in the watershed. Therefore, specifications that allow passage of this species are critical to project success. Adult Shovelnose Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorhynchus) in U.S. Bureau of Reclamation 2 While adults of this species attain lengths of nearly 900 mm, adults of the species in the Broad French River do not usually exceed 200 mm in length (MDFW 2022; NDEC 2022; Williams and Williams 2005). 3 The primary goal of the study was to compare swimming ability between Moxostoma species, not numerically estimate them. titil Memo 1 Page 4 March 3, 2023 S2o Design and Engineering prototype fishways could negotiate water velocities of 6 ft/s for 40 ft. with a 47% success rate, and field studies of habitat preferences indicated that adults of this species will utilize habitats with velocities of up to 6 ft/s (White and Mefford 2002). A 2007 study of fish passage also indicated that White Sturgeon (A. transmontanus) could sprint faster than 6 ft/s for short distances (Webber et al. 2007). No swimming performance data are available for adult Paddlefish. Sturgeon and Paddlefish should be able ascend the fishway if velocities between 4 and 6 ft/s are available in the low -flow channel. However, the big river fishes guild also includes a number of deeper -bodied fishes, such as Quillback and River Carpsucker, which may have reduced swimming performance compared to more fusiform species. A 1982 study of Missouri River fishes indicated that aerobic swimming velocities of Bigmouth Buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus) and River Carpsucker (Carpoides carpio) were approximately 2 ft/s (Schmulback et al. 1982). While no sprinting performance data are available for these species, it is likely that their swimming abilities are underestimated, as commonly occurs with studies conducted using swimming flumes (e.g., Peake and Farrell 2006). For example, the aerobic swimming ability of Shovelnose Sturgeon was documented to be 2.5 ft/s in the Schmulback et al. study, but volitional trials indicate that this species can negotiate much higher water velocities for significant distances (see following section for details). Successful passage of the deeper -bodied fishes in this guild was assumed if velocities of 2 — 3 ft/s occurred at depths of 1 ft or more. The recommendations for each guild described above were compared against 2D hydrodynamic model output provided by S2o Design and Engineering to determine if fishway specifications for all guilds were met for the proposed design. When specifications were not met, GEI discussed with S2o, and the fish bypass design was revised accordingly by S2o. This iterative process was used to develop the 60% design. The 60% design was modified in response to comments received from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission using the same process and with updated fish passage specifications. RESULTS: FISH PASSAGE AT LOW FLOWS Examination of current model output indicates that all specifications have been met for passage of the fish guilds present in the project area (Table 1). The velocities shown below (Figure 1) were modeled at a cross section that was midway between the top and bottom of the fishway. This location was chosen because velocities are highest and depths lowest at this location. Small -bodied fishes and anguilliform swimmers: This cross section contains multiple locations where water depths are between 0.5 and 1 ft and water velocities are less than 2 ft/s (Figure 1a; Figure lb). This should allow passage of small -bodied fishes and anguilliform swimmers. Sunfish and fusiform fishes: Water velocities less than 4 ft/s at depths of 1 ft or more are predicted to be present on the margins of the low -flow notch of the bypass (Figure 1 a; Figure lb). The side slopes of the bypass were decreased during a design revision so that the cross -sectional shape was more pi Memo 1 Page 5 March 3, 2023 S2o Design and Engineering trapezoidal than rectangular; this created a larger area of low -velocity water on each side of the low -flow notch. Smallmouth Bass and fusiform river fishes should be able to utilize the margins of the bypass to ascend it. Big -river fishes: Sturgeon and paddlefishes should be able to utilize the fish bypass, even if they are large enough to be restricted to the center of the low -flow notch. Water velocities throughout the fish bypass do not exceed 6 ft/s at a flow of 1,000 cfs (Figure la; Figure lb). To the extent possible, boulder clusters will be placed near the side slopes of the low -flow notch to allow fish that prefer deeper water and slower water velocities. These will be placed in a manner that allows fish to rest periodically while ascending the fishway, so they will not become exhausted. For example, because sturgeon are known to move distances of 40 ft against water velocities of 6 ft/s, boulder clusters will be installed every 20-30 ft to permit frequent resting. Table 1.—Predicted fish passage success for species representing the swimming guilds develoued for the French Broad River. Species Guild Successful Passage? Stonecat, Johnny Darter, Mottled Sculpin Small -bodied fishes Yes — based on availability of water with velocities between 0 and 2 ft/s on shallow margins of bypass Pacific Lamprey Anguilliform swimmers Yes — based on availability of water with velocities between 0 and 2 ft/s on shallow margins of bypass. Adult Smallmouth Sunfishes Yes — based on availability of water with velocities < 4 ft/s on bypass benches and on margins of low - flow notch. Bass White Sucker Fusiform fishes Yes —based on availability of water with velocities < 4 ft/s on bypass benches and on margins of low - flow notch. Lake Sturgeon Big -river fishes Yes — based on availability of water with velocities < 6 ft/s in low -flow notch. a, Memo Page 6 193S- 1934 1933 1932 193! 1930 1929 !0 l5 20 00 March 3, 2023 S2o Design and Engineering — ;34)pll1-9EV9'19]042o22P1:_AM A� -- 24230111p3h02 ,W Fsflpas4c ?' n - 6a 4.0 20 30 15 +0 a 58 Sla3on 99Q 70 73 90 *0 Figure la. —Modeled velocities at a representative cross section of the proposed fish bypass at 1,000 cfs. veledly oe'Elyptlf 33- Middle' 6- 5- — reKKety'161PN20 C 5 10 •5 20 25 30 35 40 a5 50 55 60 65 70 75 ac 00 Sb9o, IPo Figure 2b.—Modeled velocities at a representative cross section of the proposed fish bypass at 1,000 cfs. FISH PASSAGE AT HIGHER FLOWS 95 SS Memo Page 7 March 3, 2023 S2o Design and Engineering The preceding fish passage predictions were based on examination of predicted conditions at 1,000 cfs. This flow is common throughout much of the year, including during much of the spring spawning season, when directed migrations are more common. Further, discussions with S2o staff suggest that velocity changes with an increase in flow to 1,200 or 1,400 cfs would not have a substantial effect on water velocity. Thus, fish passage should occur over most of the observed flow range in the project area. At flows of 2,250 cfs, which are similar to expected median flows in the high flow months of March and April, fish passage specifications were met for larger fishes, but they would have had to use the shallower areas outside of the low -flow notch to ascend the fishway (Figure 2a; Figure 2b). Passage of small -bodied fishes and anguilliform swimmers would have been limited to the margins of the areas outside of the low -flow notch. The reduced predicted passage success at the structure at flows of 2,250 cfs led to structural modifications as described in the following section. Wacky against Tarraln lcolon1 on'6ygsa XS • MOdr' 1935- ,934- 1930- 1929 - —J —20230111-RES9'1614N2022023(Z00' —'2023011 I_Ashierraln_FcMOSSageREW Grol 20 25 30 35 w 45 - i5 50 55 i0 75 BO BS 90 95 Figure 2a.—Modeled velocities at a representative cross section of the proposed fish bypass at 2,250 cfs. a, Memo Page 8 Velocity on'Bypass x5 - Middle' Suoon rill March 3, 2023 S2o Design and Engineering Figure 2b.—Modeled velocities at a representative cross section of the proposed fish bypass at 2,250 cfs. MODIFICATIONS BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM NORTH CAROLINA WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION The original 60% design has been modified based on comments received from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Primarily, a different range of flows was examined to ensure that fish passage was possible during a larger and more biologically relevant range of flows. The new analysis focused on a flow of 2,250 cfs, which is similar to the median flow during the months of March and April; additional flows were not modeled because according to the 2D hydrodynamic models, fish passage efficiency was likely to decrease as flows increase (due to higher velocities). To improve fish passage efficiency at higher flows, the slope of the shallow areas outside of the low flow notch was reduced from 3.5% to 1.75%, and the slope of the low flow notch was reduced to 0.5% (Figure 3). Although water velocities remain high in the low flow notch of the fishway, the increased depth in the shallow areas will allow its use by some fishes with preferences for deeper water (Figure 4). For example, volitional fish passage trials indicate that water depths of 1.5 ft are sufficient to facilitate passage of Shovelnose Sturgeon (White and Mefford 2002). The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission also requested that large roughness elements/resting areas in the fishway imitate local geomorphology; specifically, it was requested that rock ledges or shelves that protrude from the streambed be mimicked in the fishway design. Thus, boulder rows were included in the fishway (Figure 5), as these are analogous to rock ledges but do not create a rise in 100-year flood elevations or cause unusual flow conditions in the fishway. Memo I Page 9 March 3, 2023 S2o Design and Engineering Figure 3. — Slopes of the low flow notch and the shallow areas in the revised bypass design. NEXT STEPS The bypass would be constructed with boulders that were grouted to 50% of their height, with the remainder of the void filled with native substrate. The presence of native substrate and interstitial spaces would help increase the probability of successful passage for benthic (i.e., bottom -oriented) species such as darters, Mottled Sculpin, and larger species such as redhorses. However, the fishway will contain larger "roughness elements" such as boulder rows and/or boulder clusters to facilitate passage at higher flows (Figure 5). These features will provide resting opportunities, particularly for fish utilizing the deeper, higher -velocity water in the low -flow notch. The type and placement of the roughness elements will be based on a combination of hydraulic laboratory studies and field studies that provide information on how to increase passage success. Memo I Page 10 March 3, 2023 S2o Design and Engineering Figure 4a.—Modeled velocities on the fish bypass, with boulder clusters, at 2,250 cfs. 1935- 1994 - 1933- 1930- 1929 - 10 15 2C Velocity .y.in.t Tm.in kolonl an 'Bypass MS. Middle 50 55 60 B5 51211011 RI 75 202301 I 1-RE 1/13' 15188203 92:30120. —WM111 A5h1main_E111'a161494BEV$' hole BO 85 Figure 4b.—Modeled velocities at a representative cross section of the proposed fish bypass, with boulder clusters, at 2,250 cfs. Memo Page 11 March 3, 2023 S2o Design and Engineering Raised Boulder Fences 12"-18" Protrusion Figure 5. — Boulder "rows" added to the fishway to mimic local geomorphic conditions and facilitate passage. a Memo Page 12 March 3, 2023 S2o Design and Engineering REFERENCES Aedo, J., M. Belk, and R. Hotchkiss. 2009. Morphology and swimming performance of Utah fishes: critical information for culvert design in Utah stream. Utah Department of Transportation, Research Division, UT-09.12. Salt Lake City, UT. Arnott, S. A., S. Chiba, and D. O. Conover. 2006. Evolution of intrinsic growth rate: metabolic costs drive trade-offs between growth and swimming performance in Menidia menidia. Evolution 60(6):1269-1278. Castro -Santos, T. 2005. Optimal swim speeds for traversing velocity barriers: an analysis of volitional high-speed swimming behavior of migratory fishes. Journal of Experimental Biology 208:421-432. Di Rocco, R, and R. Gervais. 2021. SPOT: Swim Performance Online Tools. Available from http://www.fishprotectiontools.ca/. Ficke, A. 2015. Mitigation measures for barriers to Great Plains fish migration. PhD Dissertation. Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO. Hatry, C., J. D. Thiem, T. R. Binder, D. Hatin, P. Dumont, K. M. Stamplecoskie, J. M. Molina, K. E. Smokorowski, and S. J. Cooke. 2014. Comparative physiology and relative swimming performance of three redhorse (Moxostoma spp.) species: associations with fishway passage success. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 87(1):148-159. Jones, E. A., A. S. Jong, and D. J. Ellerby. 2008. The effects of acute temperature change on swimming performance in bluegill sunfish Lepomis macrochirus. Journal of Experimental Biology 211(9):1386-1393. Katopodis, C, and R Gervais. 2016. Fish Swimming Performance Database and Analyses. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2016/002., 550. Available from http://www.dfo- mpo. gc. ca/csas-sccs/Publications/ResDocs-DocRech/2016/2016_002-eng.html. Knighton, D. 1998. Fluvial Forms and Processes: a new perspective. Hodder Education Group, London. 400p. Li, J., X. Lin, Z. Xu, and J. Sun. 2017. Differences in swimming ability and its response to starvation among male and female Gambusia affinis. Biology Open 6:625-632. MDFW. 2022. American Brook Lamprey Lethenteron appendix. Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program. Available online: mass.gov/doc/american-brook-lamprey/download. Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI) 2004. Lampsilis fasciola fact sheet. Michigan State University Board of Trustees. https://mnfi.anr.msu.edu/abstracts/zoology/Lampsilis_fasciola.pdf. Accessed 10/21. NDEC. 2022. Mountain Brook Lamprey. New York Department of Environmental Conservation Species Assessment. Available online: https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/26031.html. Et Memo Page 13 March 3, 2023 S2o Design and Engineering Peake, S. J. and A. P. Farrell. 2005. Postexercise physiology and repeat performance behaviour of free-swimming smallmouth bass in an experimental raceway. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 78(5):801-807. Schmulbach, J. C., D. H. Tunink, and A. E. Zittell. 1982. Swimming performance of fishes endemic to the Missouri River in South Dakota. Biological Services Program. U.S. Fish and Wildl. Serv., Kearneysville, WV 107 pp. Schwartz, J. S. and E. E. Herricks. 2005. Fish use of stage -specific fluvial habitats as refuge patches during a flood in a low -gradient Illinois stream. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 62:1540-1552. Webb, P. W. 1998. Swimming. Pages 3-14 in Evans, D. H. (ed). The Physiology of Fishes, 2nd ed. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. Webber, J. D., S. N. Chun, T. R. MacColl, L. T. Mirise, A. Kawabata, E. K. Anderson, T. S. Cheong, L. Kavvas, M. McGee Rotondo, K. L. Hochgraf, R. Churchwell, and J. J. Cech Jr. 2007. Upstream swimming performance of adult white sturgeon: effects of partial baffles and a ramp. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 136:402-408. White, R. G. and B. Mefford. 2002. Assessment of behavior and swimming ability of Yellowstone River Sturgeon for design of fish passage devices. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Science and Technology Program. Williams, M. G. and L. R. Williams. 2005. Conservation Assessment: Ohio Lamprey. USDA Forest Service, Eastern Region. Available online: http s ://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/F SE DOCUMENTS/fsm91 _0543 81.pdf E. Memo Page 14 March 3, 2023 S2o Design and Engineering ATTACHMENT 1: FISH SWIMMING GUILDS, FRENCH BROAD RIVER Consulting Engineers and Scientists GEL.. Species Family Guild Status American Brook Lamprey Petromyzontidae Anguilliform 1 Ohio Lamprey Petromyzontidae Anguilliform 1 Lake Sturgeon Acipenseridae Big river 1 Quillback Catostomidae Big River 1 River Carpsucker Catostomidae Big River 1 Flathead Catfish Ictaluridae Big river 1 Paddlefish Polyodontidae Big river 1 Black Redhorse Catostomidae Fusiform River 1 Golden Redhorse Catostomidae Fusiform River 1 River Redhorse Catostomidae Fusiform River 1 Silver Redhorse Catostomidae Fusiform River 1 Smallmouth Buffalo Catostomidae Fusiform River 1 Smallmouth Redhorse Catostomidae Fusiform River 1 White Sucker Catostomidae Fusiform River 1 Smallmouth Bass Centrarchidae Fusiform River 1 Common Carp Cyprinidae Fusiform River 1 Creek Chub Cyprinidae Fusiform River 1 Grass Carp Cyprinidae Fusiform River 1 Chain Pickerel Esocidae Fusiform River 1 Muskellunge Esocidae Fusiform River 1 Channel Catfish Ictaluridae Fusiform River 1 White Catfish Ictaluridae Fusiform River 1 Brown Trout Salmonidae Fusiform River 1 Rainbow Trout Salmonidae Fusiform River 1 Northern Hogsucker Catostomidae Small -bodied 2 Green Sunfish Centrarchidae Small -bodied 2 Redbreast Sunfish Centrarchidae Small -bodied 2 Mottled Sculpin Cottidae Small -bodied 2 Bigeye Chub Cyprinidae Small -bodied 1 Blacknose Dace Cyprinidae Small -bodied 1 Blotched Chub Cyprinidae Small -bodied 1 Central Stoneroller Cyprinidae Small -bodied 1 Fatlips Minnow Cyprinidae Small -bodied 1 Golden Shiner Cyprinidae Small -bodied 2 Highland Shiner Cyprinidae Small -bodied 2 Longnose Dace Cyprinidae Small -bodied 2 Mimic Shiner Cyprinidae Small -bodied 2 Mirror Shiner Cyprinidae Small -bodied 2 1 = currently present in project area, 2 = present in vicinity of project area, 3 = not currently present but reintroductions are planned or in discussion Memo I Page 15 GEI Consultants, Inc. 4601 DTC Boulevard, Suite 900, Denver, CO 80237 303.662.0100 fax: 303.662.8757 www.geiconsultants.com Memo I Page 16 March 3, 2023 S2o Design and Engineering Species Family Guild Status River Chub Cyprinidae Small -bodied 3 Saffron Shiner Cyprinidae Small -bodied 3 Silver Shiner Cyprinidae Small -bodied 3 Spotfin Chub Cyprinidae Small -bodied 3 Telescope Shiner Cyprinidae Small -bodied 3 Tennessee Shiner Cyprinidae Small -bodied 3 Warpaint Shiner Cyprinidae Small -bodied 3 Whitetail Shiner Cyprinidae Small -bodied 3 Brown Bullhead Ictaluridae Small -bodied 3 Flat Bullhead Ictaluridae Small -bodied 3 Banded Darter Percidae Small -bodied 1 Blotchside Logperch Percidae Small -bodied 1 Fantail Darter Percidae Small -bodied 1 Gilt Darter Percidae Small -bodied 2 Greenfin Darter Percidae Small -bodied 2 Greenside Darter Percidae Small -bodied 2 Logperch Percidae Small -bodied 2 Olive Darter Percidae Small -bodied 2 Redline Darter Percidae Small -bodied 2 Sickle Darter Percidae Small -bodied 3 Swannanoa Darter Percidae Small -bodied 3 Tangerine Darter Percidae Small -bodied 3 Wounded Darter Percidae Small -bodied 3 Mountain Brook Lamprey Petromyzontidae Small -bodied 2 Black Crappie Centrarchidae Sunfish 3 Bluegill Centrarchidae Sunfish 3 Largemouth Bass Centrarchidae Sunfish 3 Rock Bass Centrarchidae Sunfish 3 White Crappie Centrarchidae Sunfish 3 1 = currently present in project area, 2 = present in vicinity of project area, 3 = not currently present but reintroductions are planned or in discussion Site Visit and Conceptual Design Study Woodfin Whitewater Wave Woodfin , N.C. September, 2016 Prepared for: Advocates for the Woodfin Whitewater Wave Town of Woodfin Prepared by: Scott Shipley, P.E. S2o Design and Engineering 318 McConnell Drive Lyons, CO, 80540 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 1 Executive Summary The Town of Woodfin Is underway with visionary plans to revitalize its riverfront with construction a greenway, improved access to and utilization of the French Broad River by a broad range of users, and by adding a new park fronting the river near Silverline Plastics. The Advocates for the Woodfin Whitewater Wave and the Town of Woodfin commissioned S2o Design and Engineering to perform a site visit and conceptual study to determine the feasibility of installing a safe and enjoyable whitewater feature as a possible enhancement to that revitalization plan. Towns that have installed well -designed in -stream whitewater features have shown that the a project like the one being considered at Woodfin can add strong recreational appeal to active users of varying skill levels and add tremendous spectator interest from shore. This is especially true when the whitewater venues are located alongside public parks that include connected trails and greenways, parking, restrooms, and other amenities. The entire package of improvements being contemplated by Town leaders and advocates, including a whitewater feature, should significantly enhance appeal of the Woodfin riverfront. S2o Design identified three potential project sites for the whitewater project: at the existing Riverside Park, at the proposed Silverline Park, and just below the Craggy Dam. It was found that it is feasible to design and install whitewater features at each of the project sites, with the designs varying in complexity and cost in order to adapt to conditions at the sites and assure no increased risk during major flood events. Specific designs were developed for each site, with preliminary opinions of probable costs formed for each design option. The Riverside Park location was identified as the preferred location due to anticipated favorable hydraulic conditions for the creation of a whitewater feature, its location next to the Riverside Park whose existing infrastructure would be complemented by in -stream recreation, as well as the ability to site the structure immediately above the pool created by Craggy Dam which enhances user safety. Additionally, the Craggy Dam likely results in a backwater flooding behavior indicating that a natural fixed grouted rock structure could be installed with a No -Rise Certification rather than requiring a mechanical Obermeyer articulating structure, reducing costs and improving aesthetic appeal substantially. Two designs are considered at the Riverside Park site —the more natural fixed rock and grout structure (preferred) at an estimated total project cost of $1.6 million, and in the event it would be required in order to meet flood -safety requirements, a mechanical Obermeyer gated structure at $2.4 million. The Silverline site is anticipated to require an Obermeyer gated structure in order to meet flood safety requirements, and project cost there is estimated at $2.0 million. A conceptual design for a continuous whitewater recreation channel was developed for the site just downstream of Craggy Dam. It would be a significantly more complex structure with project cost of $8.0 million, exclusive of parking and other associated amenities that would be required. Project advocates have made it clear that this whitewater channel alternative below Craggy Dam is not likely to be actively considered as currently feasible, but it might in the long-term future. Federal regulations and required permitting will not allow any design or project to result in increased flood impacts during major flood events. Flood studies and detailed project modeling will be used to assure that any project selected will meet the rigorous flood permitting requirements of FEMA and the US Army Corps of Engineers. 2 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 With each design recommended for consideration at the Riverside and Silverline Park sites, a whitewater wave would be created that would be exciting and enjoyable to a broad range of users. As the flow characteristics of the French Broad River offers relatively large flow rates, the creation of a larger and more appealing wave is possible, making this a substantial attraction to the river community. By-pass channels can be included as well as convenient on -shore access ramps and paths to assure that novices can enjoy the outdoor recreation in a safe and enjoyable environment. S2o has extensive experience designing whitewater waves and whitewater parks worldwide, and believes that Woodfin has the opportunity to create a truly world -class whitewater amenity. The Conceptual Design study found that the creation of a Woodfin Whitewater Wave is feasible with the Riverside Park site being the preferred alternative, and a draft timeline of the proposed project is included herein. 3 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction: 6 Section 1: Whitewater Parks 7 Whitewater Parks Defined 7 The Whitewater Design Process 8 Design Factors for Whitewater Facilities: 10 Stability 11 Costs 11 Typical Economic Impacts of Whitewater Parks 12 Section 2: Site Information 12 Woodfin and Asheville, NC 12 The Study Reach• 13 Channel Morphology 15 Flow information• 16 Flood Modeling Within the Reach 19 Project Sites 19 Woodfin Riverside Park Site 19 Proposed Silverline Park Site 24 Additional Considerations 27 Historic Structures 27 Endangered Species 27 Section 3: Proposed Improvements 29 Project Objectives 29 The Woodfin Riverside Park Site 30 Conceptual Design 30 Design Functionality 33 Opinion of Probable Costs 36 Proposed Silverline Park Site 37 Conceptual Design 37 Design Functionality 39 Costs of Construction• 43 4 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Physical Modelling 44 Section 4: Process and Permitting 44 Process 44 Federal and State Permitting: 44 Buncombe County• 45 Town of Woodfin: 45 Construction Requirements Analysis: 45 Other Construction Issues: Endangered Species Act: 46 Site Evaluation 47 Conclusion 48 Appendix A: Additional Alternative Designs 49 Riverside Park Dual U-Structure 49 Riverside Park Articulating Structure 52 The Craggy Reservoir Dam Site (Metropolitan Sewer District Dam) 55 Conceptual Design 57 Opinion of Probable Cost 61 Appendix B: Buncombe County Permitting Checklist 62 Appendix C — Preliminary Schedule and Associated Costs 70 Bibliography 75 5 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 Introduction: The Town of Woodfin is located just north of Asheville in North Carolina. The region was formerly a center of industry and commerce with ties to the Vanderbilts. Following an era of industrial decline, the city has experienced a shift in business practices, becoming a mountain destination in the heart of the Appalachians. Asheville's city center is now a tourist destination with walking malls, boutique restaurants and revitalizing the Arts district. Continuing from this, the Town of Woodfin and the City of Asheville is aiming to grow its reputation as a destination for active outdoor recreation. The city developed a series of greenways and parks creation along the French Broad River. These greenways will soon extend down the French Broad and create a connection to Woodfin along the river, while Woodfin's own greenway will extend to meet Asheville's with the Town currently building a second town park along the river. There is interest in including a whitewater park in either the old, or new, Town Parks in order to create an anchor attraction that draws visitors north from Downtown Asheville. Whitewater parks are community parks that are centered on the river. The parks include waves, eddies, and other features that are attractive to in -stream users to pursue recreational kayaking, surfing, and floating. These parks, surrounded by trails and recreational areas, have not only achieved their original objective of attracting paddle sports enthusiasts, but have often exceeded expectations by becoming focal points for their communities and recreational destinations for outdoor tourism. Whitewater parks often play host to major events centered on slalom or freestyle competitions or host river festivals that feature local arts and culture. In addition, Whitewater Parks can have a positive economic impact on the local community, as visitors spend money at local restaurants, lodging, and retail establishments. Some cities, like Golden, Colorado; and Reno, Nevada have reported impacts on the local economy, from tourism generated by the park, on the order of millions of dollars per year. The timing for the project is ideal. The Town has recently developed plans for riverfront revitalization, including construction a 3.5-mile greenway, and an additional 1.5-mile greenway, adding a new park, and developing funding for the revitalization effort. A bond referendum will go before Woodfin voters in November of 2016 to support funding. There are indications that additional funding may be available from public and private grants and other types of financial support. This study was commissioned by the Advocates for the Woodfin Whitewater Wave to determine the viability of creating recreational improvements in this reach of the French Broad. The objective of this study is to identify the feasibility of a potential whitewater park within the reach extending from the proposed Silverline Park to the Craggy Dam located along the downstream end of the old Woodfin Town Park. 6 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Section 1: Whitewater Parks Whitewater Parks Define Figure 1: The Hawea Surf Park is a natural -river type surf park, placed in the Hawea River, NZ Whitewater Parks are river parks in which the whitewater has been designed in order to create a regional attraction'. In some cases whitewater parks are built in natural rivers and consist of natural rock "drop structures". At higher flows these parks create waves, eddies, deflectors and other features conducive to recreational, instructional, and often competition -level kayaking as well as rafting. At lower flows these features are less powerful and allow for all -types of in -stream usage including tubing and other float traffic. The parks are designed to function in a number of ways providing streamside access for fishermen and other visitors to the park as well as viewing for spectators and spaces for the general public to gather and recreate on the banks as well as in the water. In other cases —cases where natural flow and gradient sufficient for whitewater do not exist— whitewater rapids are artificially created through the use of pumps and purpose-built channels. These systems recirculate water in the same manner that theme parks or fountains draw from a single source, and do not rely on the flows of nearby rivers and streams. Figure 2 shows a Whitewater Park in use. These types of whitewater parks are typically designed to host all types of users from highly experienced competitors who come to these whitewater venues for Olympic -standard events to families and tourists who come to these venues to experience whitewater for the first time. The venues provide for commercial rafting wherein visitors are able to buy a rafting pass and take a guided raft trip down the channels, as well as recreational kayaking, floating, streamside seating and events. 1 Whitewater Parks, like many specialty fields, have a language all their own. Definitions for typical terms are shown in Appendix B 7 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 Figure 2: A pumped whitewater park features commercial rafting as well as a number of other active outdoor activities. Both in -stream and pumped whitewater parks can become significant regional attractions that draw people not just from surrounding states, but from throughout the country and world. Often the visitors are drawn not just for the whitewater, but for the events that are hosted at these parks. Designing whitewater parks to accomplish all of these objectives is a process. Often the process is iterative and includes opportunities for local stakeholders to comment and update the designs. The following section details this process. The Whitewater Design Process Figure 3: Whitewater Parks are designed for many differing kinds of users. Whitewater Parks typically require several stages of design. These stages include: a) Feasibility/Conceptual Design —this is the first must -do part of a project. This phase is tasked with determining whether a particular project is possible and, if so, how it could look and function and what the approximate costs of the project would be. If done right this part of the project is very powerful as it provides the client with the materials necessary to pursue funding 8 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 and grants. Deliverables include a report and design documents such as a conceptual design and cost estimate, tasks required to complete a project, and permit requirements. b) Flood Modeling —There is no existing and usable model of record for this reach of the river. Creating an effective existing conditions model will allow S2o to put specific dimensions to the concepts and to further refine probable costs for the project. This phase of design will require some surveying as well as some computer modeling using HEC-RAS software. This phase can be done separately, or as the first step of Preliminary Design. c) Preliminary Design —this phase gets to the heart of the design elements of project. If the Feasibility phase is about identifying what needs to be done to complete a project, Preliminary Design is about doing them. It is a phase tasked with completing the necessary actions required to finalize the design functionality and layout and to gather and process the data necessary to undertake detailed design. Preliminary Design often includes all of the tasks related to preparing for permitting, surveying, creating baseline models, meeting with stakeholders and agencies to define constraints and objectives, and completing design documents to the permitting level. d) Permitting —permitting is a process that permeates most of the design phases. It is typical to work with regulatory authorities during the preliminary design phase to establish criteria and priorities for the project. Permit applications are typically submitted following the completion of Preliminary Design. Some permits, as outlined below, have lengthy review times for specialty projects such as Whitewater Parks. e) Detailed Design —the detailed design is about getting to the nuts -and -bolts of the project. Now that the project has been defined and adapted to the constraints and objectives laid out in Preliminary design the project is ready for detailed calculations and modeling. Often the level of computations and modeling is defined by the nature of the project. In some cases, such as the Holme-Pierrepont Whitewater Park, the project can be accomplished with 1-dimensional modeling. In other cases, such as the Calgary Whitewater Park, detailed physical models were undertaken. f) Construction Documentation —this is the "after -design" phase. Documents are created that help define the project for the contractor including all sections, details, specifications and bid items. Often the whitewater park designer will work with the client or the community to step through these processes. g) Project Bidding and Construction —the project is put to bid by the project owner and a contractor is selected and contracted. h) Construction Oversight and Inspection —this is the dirty work. In this phase the contractor and the design team work together to build the project to our exacting specifications. Often we have representatives in the field virtually full-time to ensure an accurate build that is aesthetically beautifully and highly functional! i) Course Commissioning —the final phase and the one where we finally get to get wet! Paddling experts get in the water and test the project, often tuning wave characteristics and project features until the project is fully functional and meets design objectives. 9 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 The process of design is informed by the input given from local stakeholders and regulatory agencies and is typically based on a standard of care that is evolving for this new industry. The following section details the many design factors which impact a project. Design Factors for Whitewater Facilities: Figure 4: A before and after view of the Hawea Whitewater Park Figure 4, above, shows the improvements made to the Hawea Whitewater Park. This park, much like the proposed French Broad Whitewater Park(s) was created in a relatively low slope river. Design can be a challenge in some river environments due to the many factors that make up a river's morphology. Whitewater Parks are a new phenomenon and typical design standards are just beginning to be created. There are some standards and guidelines which lend guidance to the design of in -stream whitewater parks that often define the character of whitewater parks in a given reach. The most comprehensive set of standards defined for Whitewater Parks was set by the Colorado Board of Professional Engineers. The Board found that the following tasks should be standard for whitewater park design: a) Plans specifications and calculations should contain the following information: Existing and proposed topography Exact dimensions and proposed elevations/distances for any of the improvements Methods of water control and erosion control during construction, or any type of construction phasing. b) Calculations should contain the following: - Structure calculations - Stability analysis - Seepage analysis - Backwater calculations - Analysis of sequent depths and hydraulic jump movement tendencies for smaller or larger flows - Calculations for smaller or larger flows other than the design flows. c) Technical Specifications should include the following 10 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 - Stability analysis Backfill - Water control Erosion control Un-grouted rock/rip-rap or landscaping Stability The structures which are built in the riverbed need to be stable and robust and need to be anchored in such a way that they are not moved by flows up to the 100-year flood event. Typical design guidelines for these types of drop structures are found in the Denver Urban Drainage Handbook (Urban Drainage Criteria Manual, 2013). Experience shows that the structures tend to fail from scour/erosion and piping. These failure modes are a function of the soils upon which the structure is built with bedrock, for example, being the most stable foundation for a structure, and clay or sandy soils being the most problematic. In order to determine stability a geotechnical analysis is typically conducted and a scour and piping analysis are undertaken as a part of the design process. Guidelines for the stability of drop structures can be found in the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District Handbook called the Urban Storm Drainage Criteria Manual (Urban Drainage Criteria Manual, 2013). Costs There are many factors that could affect the cost of a particular Whitewater Park. These factors include physical constraints, such as the nature of the soils or the width of the river. Structures built on unstable soils, if feasible, require extensive construction in order to construct a stable platform for the drop structure. In some cases this includes expensive requirements such as sheet -pile cut-off walls. Width of the river can also affect costs. Typical drop structures are founded on arched structures anchored into the bed and banks of the river. Arches are typically exponentially more expensive with width. An efficient drop structure is typically located in a narrow part of the river such that project costs are not prohibitively high. The scope of the project can also affect costs. Some projects, such as whitewater parks at the base of dams, are necessarily large in scope and require multiple structures. Other projects are created in locations ideally suited to smaller scale improvements. In some cases a phased approach is recommended such that manageable portions of the project are completed per phase. Location of the park in relation to sensitive ecosystems can also be a factor. Parks that are planned in critical habitat are more difficult to design and permit and often require extensive review periods and costly redesign. Selection of a site that is already impacted and that could benefit from the inclusion of a whitewater park to provide, for example, fish passage, can have the opposite affect and make permitting and approvals easier to attain. 11 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Typical Economic Impacts of Whitewater Parks Whitewater Parks that have been built in similar Towns and Cities in the United States have become significant attractions. They bring enthusiasts and spectators alike to the residing communities, and have significant economic impacts through increased property values, direct spending at the site, tourism dollars, and dollars spent at local restaurants, shops and businesses. A whitewater park like the one proposed in Asheville can attract tourists and have an economic impact that is measured in the hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. In -stream whitewater parks located in Colorado have had impacts as high as $7-9 million dollars per year. Table 1 illustrates some typical economic impacts of these parks: Table 1: Economic Impacts of Whitewater Parks (per year in US Dollars) (Multiple sources) Economic Impacts of Whitewater Parks River Location User Days Additional Spending Total Impacts (Millions) Clear Creek Golden, CO 13,000-14,000 $910,000-$1.1 Million $1.3-2.2 Million Blue River Breckenridge, CO 1,200-2,300 $220,000-$460,000 $0.4-$1.1 Million Gore Creek Vail, CO 1000-2,300 $3.5 Million $3.5-$4 Million Sacandaga River Saratoga/Warren County, NY 17,600-25,400 $1.8-$2.8 Million $2.3-$3.7 Million Cuyahoga River Kent, OH 10,000-40,000 $200,000-$800,000 $0.5-$1.7 Million Yampa River Steamboat Springs, CO 75,700 $4.9 Million $7.2 Million The impacts of these parks are manifold and are based on regular usage at the Whitewater Park, as well as instructional programs, competitions, festivals, and other attractive events. Freestyle events that occur in Colorado every year can bring millions of dollars into the local economy on a single weekend alone. For example, the TEVA games in Vail, CO have a documented yearly economic impact of $3.5 million dollars. In addition to creating economic impacts, these events also help to market a particular community as an outdoor town and whitewater destination. Section 2: Site Information Woodfin and Asheville, NC Woodfin is a town of approximately 6,000 people located along the French Broad to the north of the City of Asheville. The Town was formerly a manufacturing center with some remaining manufacturing and distribution facilities located along the French Broad. Many of the residents of Woodfin live in the Town and commute to jobs in Asheville or in the surrounding region. Woodfin is located adjacent to Asheville, which is a city of approximately 83,000 people located in the mountains of Western North Carolina. The larger metropolitan area surrounding Asheville includes the cities of Hendersonville and Waynesville with a total population of over 400,000 people. Asheville is located at the confluence of the Swannanoa and French Broad Rivers in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It has many national rankings from a variety of sources including, "One of the Best Outside Towns" from Outside Magazine (Motsinger) as well as one of the top whitewater destination in the US (Kahn) 12 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 .Asheville has many waterfalls, swimming holes, and rafting opportunities nearby and can be considered to be at the center of Appalachian whitewater with famous boating destinations such as the Nantahala Outdoor Center, the narrows of the Green, the Chattooga, and other popular destinations in the near region in addition to the French Broad. There are a number of significant cities in the region that contribute to Asheville's, and potentially Woodfin's, growing tourist economy. The Asheville area is located approximately 125 miles from Charlotte, the largest City in North Carolina, and approximately 200 miles from both Atlanta, GA and Knoxville, TN. This park could potentially become a significant regional attraction, drawing visitors from neighboring states to the Town of Woodfin Figure 5 illustrates a 200 mile radius around the Town of Woodfin (Free Demographics). KENTUCKY Coa oevlryr, Danre+ 8a fte Notrnnal crest Knoxville Plunoni Fnr9e Chattanooga iottohouchee iY turn! Forest Alpharetta ❑ AtIanta tro hens - w Kingsport - 0 Cherok. t' CO (Natrona! Forest Winston-Sa Hckary. ej Greenville 05parranburg 0 Anderson Charlotte .1Flock George Washington and Jefferson National Forest 1.rYr, V 0 VIRGINIA Petersburg m❑ Greenosboro Cfp Rurt,a Ulf ❑ Rocks oMount NOR T H Raleigh 4Ylson C A R O L I N A oGreenville 0 Florence 0 SOUTH CAiROLINA Ai aen 6rinircta LA Jacksonville Ma O Myrtle Beach New Bt wilmingtan 9 Figure 5: There are a significant number of large Cities that contribute to Asheville's tourist economy (Free Demographics). The Study Reach: The study reach is a stretch of the French Broad River that follows a proposed (and currently being implemented) greenway that extends from Woodfin along the river towards Asheville. An earlier study looked at potential sites in the Arts District; however this study analyzes sites at the downstream end of the proposed greenway located in Woodfin. Figure 6 shows the location of potential sites in Woodfin. The study reach is located along the French Broad River between the proposed Silverline Park site and the Craggy Dam. 13 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 Figure 6: The project area with respect to Asheville's City limits and the River Arts District Three potential sites were identified within the project reach. The three sites include the proposed Silverline Park Site, the Riverside Park Site, and the Craggy Dam which is located at the Metropolitan Sewage Treatment Plant Site Dam (MSTP). The site locations are shown below in Figure 7. Design for these sites was highly dependent upon the river's morphology in this reach. 14 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Figure 7: The proposed project areas are located in Woodfin immediately south of the Craggy Dam. The three sites included in this study are the Riverside Park Site, the Proposed Silverline Park Site and the Craggy Dam. Channel Morphology From its headwaters, high in the Appalachian Mountains, the French Broad River cuts through gently sloping topography with relatively expansive floodplains along the river's southern reaches upstream of Asheville, NC. Here average bed slopes are as little as 3 feet per mile. Downstream of Asheville the river channel narrows and bed slopes increase to between 16 to 30 feet per mile as the river descends into a series of gorges as it approaches the Tennessee State line. Similar to the New River, the French Broad cut through the Appalachians as they rose up around it. Here the mountains are primarily composed of metamorphic rock that was uplifted during relatively recent collisions between two continental crusts. The French Broad River in this reach is moderately sized river that is characterized as generally broad (hence the name) and slow moving. The riverbed is largely bedrock with apparent outcroppings 15 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 throughout the reach. There has been significant development in the river corridor including several road bridges and road development along both sides of the river. Within downtown Asheville, extending down to Woodfin, the French Broad flows through a combination of residential and commercial zones downstream of its confluence with the Swannanoa River. Here there is extensive infrastructure within the active channel and floodplain including residential and industrial developments, railroad lines and facilities, bridge crossings, roads, and utilities. There are a significant number of structures within the floodplain including numerous aging industrial buildings and warehouses. Some of these buildings have been restored and currently function as commercial properties. Others are abandoned and decrepit and are in need of removal or redevelopment. Some of these structures, or aging and abandoned flood berms/fill areas in the project area reside in the active floodway and removal of these buildings/fill from the floodway will decrease flood risks to adjacent property and allow for the restoration of a green buffer between the Town and the French Broad. Additionally, there is a significant dam at the downstream end of the project reach. By inspection, the dam is approximately 12' high with a flat, even crest and creates an impoundment that is several hundred yards in length (The Old Woodfin Town Park is located along this impoundment). Reports from local kayakers suggest that the dam impoundment extends further upstream as the flows rise in the French Broad suggesting a rising backwater effect from the dam (Hunt, 2016). Flow information: The French Broad in this reach sees significant average flows and can have large flood events. Figure 8 shows the mean monthly flow data for the French Broad River at Asheville according to the USGS Gauge 03451500. Flow rates are shown in Cubic Feet per Second (CFS): 16 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0 Flows In the French Broad River at Woodfin, NC. (cfs) USGS Gauge 03451500 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Figure 8: Average Monthly Flows on the French Broad River at Woodfin (cfs) Figure 8 shows flows that are significant throughout the year with peak flows that average almost 3,000 cfs in the spring and flows that average greater than 1500 cfs throughout the remainder of the year. These flows are higher, on average, than most whitewater parks in America and are sufficient to create attractive whitewater within a whitewater park that features sufficient drop. Flooding within the French Broad river system typically occurs in the spring following seasonal rain or in the summer or fall during tropical storm events. The flood of record occurred on July 16th 1916, with an estimated magnitude of 110,000 cfs, whereas the mean annual flood event is calculated as 16,663 cfs. The most significant floods in recent history occurred on September 8th, 2004 with an associated magnitude of 43,100 cfs and flooding on May 6th 2013 with an associated magnitude of 23,200 cfs. Finding a low water period of time with a lesser risk of flood events will help to set the likely window of construction for this facility. As can be seen, flood flows in this reach are significant and dangerous. The size of these floods is of concern to this project and significant flood modeling will be required to understand the impacts of the proposed structures within the floodplain. Table 2 shows the 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 200 year return flood flows for the French Broad at the Asheville Gauge. Note that the regulatory 100 year flood discharge is 63,000 cfs at Pearson Bridge on the French Broad River (Flood Risk Information System, 2014). This calculation represents a higher level of recurrence analysis than used in the available data in Table 2: 17 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 Table 2: Flood Recurrence Intervals in the French Broad River (OSU, 2014) Recurrence Interval (years) 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 Flow Rate (cfs) 11,551.86 17,764.19 22,724.91 30,021.74 36,275.41 43,269.49 51,113.03 Table 2 shows that significant flooding events occur on a regular basis. A histogram of historical flood levels in the French Broad River is shown in Figure 9. 140000 O • 120000 0 0 7 100000 C ,1 0• 60000 Cr 61 N m 8S L . ▪ ▪ 60000 Y 40000 20000 0 USGS 03451500 FRENCH BROAD RIVER AT ASHEVILLE, NC 0 o e 0 0 0 0 0 0o 0 o # rn,of 1904 1916 1928 1940 1952 1964 1976 1988 2000 2012 Figure 9: Peak Stream flows on the French Broad River at Woodfin, NC Figure 9 shows the peak flood each year for the period of record at the USGS gauge in Asheville. The figure describes a river in which historic flows in the reach regularly exceed 20,000 cfs with many near or around 40,000 cfs. The size of these floods within the French Broad River corridor suggests several project concerns. Woodfin is a part of the Federal Flood Insurance Program (FIS) which places several limitations on the proposed project. In order to understand the limitations it is important to understand how the FIS delineates the river corridor. Floodplain—The Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, regulates development within the 100 year floodplain of the river. The 100-year floodplain is defined as the area that has a 1 percent chance of being flooded in any given year. One of the purposes of the Flood Insurance Study is to determine the boundaries and elevation of the 100-year floodplain at each location along the area of study. The area inundated during the 100 year flood is defined as the 100 year floodplain. Development is limited in the 100 year floodplain. Floodway—within the 100 year floodplain an FIS defines a sub -area known as the active floodway. The regulatory floodway is designated as the river and adjacent lands required to dissipate flows without increasing the base flood elevation by a certain height, typically 1 ft (Floodway). The floodway, also known as the conveyance zone, is the portion of the floodplain which the government preserves in order to ensure that the river actively conveys flood flows 18 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 through the river corridor. Development within the active floodway is typically limited to changes that do not cause a rise to the 100 year flood elevation. Such a project can receive a "no rise" floodplain development certificate. This is a typical permit approval for whitewater parks. In some limited cases a rise within the active floodway can be allowed. This requires an extensive Letter of Map Revision (LOMAR) process with FEMA. One of the requirements of approval for a LOMAR is no negative flood impacts to insurable structures within the floodplain2. Given the wide and flat nature of the French Broad in the study reach, creating a significant whitewater feature without causing a flood impact will be a challenge. The combination of this geometry with significant flood flows and a number of insurable structures located in the floodplain requires a project that artificially creates drop at a given location at average flows while not causing an impact to the 100- year flood elevation. This will be a design challenge that likely requires an innovative design approach. Flood Modeling Within the Reach The existing flood models for the reach are antiquated and done in an earlier version of floodplain modeling software. These HEC-2 models are limited in accuracy and difficult to update. S2o recommends that an updated flood modeling exercise be undertaken and that this model be used to aid in the design of in -stream structures. This task would include creating an "existing conditions model" of an extended reach of the riverbed with accompanying bathymetric survey. Depending on the results of the study, it may also be advisable for the City to undertake a Letter of Map Revision Process with FEMA in order to adjust the regulatory floodplain to match the new and more accurate study. The flood modeling task, which is shown in the cost estimates below as a separate task, could be undertaken prior to beginning preliminary design or as the first part of the preliminary design process. The costs for this task have been subdivided to provide the client flexibility in the timing and funding source of this task. Project Sites A site visit was conducted by S2o representatives on 6th of July, 2016. S2o toured the river from Jean Webb Park downstream to the Craggy Dam. Three sites along the French Broad in the study reach were identified as possible locations for a Whitewater Park. This study builds on a previous study that also identified three sites located closer to Asheville's Arts District. Woodfin Riverside Park Site The preferred location to construct the proposed Woodfin Whitewater wave is in conjunction with the Woodfin Riverside Park. It has the most ideal hydraulic properties of the three potential sites, its location relative to the Craggy Dam means it likely will not cause a rise in water surface elevations, and it has much of the existing infrastructure required for a central park. As will be detailed in subsequent chapter, the combination of these factors lead it to be the least costly and most functional option of the four proposed alternatives. 2 A full description of required permits is shown below in the permitting section of this report. 19 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 Site Description Figure 10: The Riverside Park Site is located along an impoundment created by the Metropolitan Water Treatment dam. The Woodfin Riverside Park site is located along Riverside Drive just upstream of the Metropolitan Water Treatment Facility, and is the preferred location for the proposed Woodfin Whitewater Wave. The dam at this location causes an impoundment that creates still water along the river for the bulk of this reach. At the upstream end of the Riverside Park are the footings of a former railroad bridge that crossed the river. At this site there is adequate drop and flow to create a whitewater drop structure. There are several advantages to this site including that there are existing parking, picnic facilities, restrooms and trail facilities at the site. This provides for the entire access and support infrastructure required for the proposed whitewater park. Some of the current infrastructure at this site can be seen in Figure 11: Figure 11: The Riverside Park This location, according to discussions with a local paddler (Hunt, 2016), is backwatered by the Craggy Dam. S2o is investigating the flood characteristics of this location, however if true, the backwater effect of the dam will likely make this site feasible in rock as opposed to the moveable dam structures utilized above and at other locations. In high flow events, water is likely backed up above the Craggy Dam, creating a still reservoir of higher WSE's further upstream. Anecdotally, this backwater effect will 'drown 20 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 out' any whitewater structure installed at the Woodfin Riverside Park. This phenomenon will be investigated further in the modelling phase of the project, but it is anticipated that the result of this effect will be that any whitewater structure will not cause a rise to the 100 year floodplain, such that the dual U-structure is a feasible option for this project site. Figure 12 shows the aerial image of the Riverside Park Site: Figure 12: Aerial image of the Riverside Town Park Site including the railroad bridge abutments ( (Google, 2015) A The aerial picture of the site shows that the dominant feature is the former train bridge footings. The site features riparian growth along both banks, although there are some low lying buildings on the western bank of the river upstream of the Old Leicester Rd Bridge. 21 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 Land Ownership Figure 13: Land Ownership at the Riverside Park site. (Buncombe County, 2014) Land Ownership at the site is relatively simple with the railroad right of way on river left and the two northernmost lots being owned by the Town of Woodfin. Construction easements are likely required for the river left side of the project and any work performed must not interfere with the running of the railway. Table 3 lists land ownership in the project area: Table 3: Land Ownership at the Riverside Park Site (Buncombe County, 2014) Pinnum Owner 973003288400000 Town of Woodfin r 973004411700000 Town of Woodfin It is important to note that this study does not state that these lands will be acquired nor that this is the City's current intention. The study merely states that, in order for construction to occur, ownership or easements are required at the project location. 22 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 Flood Impacts Figure 14: Flood Zoning Information for the Riverside Park site (FEMA, 2016) FEMA mapping shows that there are insurable structures in the floodplain located upstream of the Old Leicester Rd Bridge. Per floodplain requirements the proposed whitewater structures can have no measurable impact to the 100 year flood elevations at these buildings. 23 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 Proposed Silverline Park Site Site Description Figure 15: The Silverline Park will be located on an existing, and largely undeveloped, piece of land adjacent to the French Broad. The Silverline Park Site is located on Town -owned land located just downstream of the Silver -Line Plastics manufacturing facility. The proposed park is undeveloped at this time with early concepts for the park designs slated for the coming year. The proposed Greenways project is funded in this location and will provide trails and park improvements in this reach. Figure 16 illustrates the layout of this site: ri2p3sed New v or Pl T'iJil Pdfk I Figure 16: Aerial Image of the Silverline Park Site (Google, 2015) The river in this reach is very broad and flat. S2o did not see any recognizable drop sufficient to support a whitewater structure at this site. However, S2o did see appreciable drop located just downstream of the park adjacent to Riverside Drive and located just downstream of the commercial business property for Garbage Disposal Services, Inc. The location of this business can be seen below in the section regarding property ownership in the reach. Figure 17 shows this riffle crest at low flows: 24 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Figure 17: The proposed Silverline Park Site. The amount of drop available at the Silverline Park site is minimal but can be compared to other whitewater parks around the world. A typical minimum amount of drop for whitewater parks is approximately 1.5 feet for the amount of flow present at the site. While a survey has not yet been completed at this site, a site inspection reveals that there is approximately 2-4 feet of drop in this reach. There may be enough gradient at this site to support more than one drop. The site features significant bedrock and will require some excavation as well as construction. The drop is located in an area of the river that also features a bend in the river which can affect the hydraulics of a whitewater feature. The feature will need to be located and oriented in a way that minimizes inertial effects at the drop. Land Ownership Figure 18: Land Ownership surrounding the Silverline Park Site. (source: (Buncombe County, 2014) Land Ownership at the site is simplified by few landowners. The entirety of the river left bank throughout the project area is owned by the Norfolk Southern Railroad. The river right side features land owned by the Town of Woodfin with Silverline Plastics, Inc, located upstream of the Silverline Park Site, and Garbage Disposal Services, Inc. located downstream of the new park site. The remainder of the right bank is NCDOT right of way, but for a small sliver of a lot owned by Dorothy Brock. A construction 25 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 and access easement will likely be required from Ms. Brock if in -stream structures are located downstream of the Garbage Disposal Services. The downstream portion of the river left bank is also owned by the Town of Woodfin. However, the area on river left from just downstream of the Haywood Bridge extending upstream throughout the reach of this site is owned by Progress Energy of the Carolinas and Carolina Power. (Buncombe County, 2014) Table 4 shows land ownership at the project site: Table 4: Land Ownership near Silverline Park Site (Buncombe County, 2014) Pinnum Owner 973042045600000 Doster & Dorothy Brock 973042617500000 Garbage Disposal Services, Inc. 973051299800000 Town of Woodfin 973052411300000 American Eagle Investments 973061233700000 Silver Line Plastics It is important to note that this study does not state that these lands will be acquired nor that this is the City's current intention. The study merely states that, in order for construction to occur, ownership or easements are required at the project location. Flood Impacts For all Flood Insurance Rate Maps provided by FEMA Table 5 shows the naming convention used to delineate the varying flood risk areas. Zone AE: Floodway Areas: The floodway is the channel of a stream plus any adjacent floodplain areas that must be kept free of encroachment so that the 1% annual chance flood can be carried without substantial increases in flood heights. Shaded Zone X: Other Flood Areas: Areas of 0.2% annual chance flood; areas of 1% annual chance flood with average depths of less than 1 foot or with drainage areas less than 1 square mile; and areas protected by levees from 1% annual chance flood. Unshaded Zone X: Other Areas: Areas determined to be outside the 0.2% annual chance floodplain. Table 5: FEMA FIRM Naming Convention for Flood Risk Areas FEMA Zone Percent Chance Name Convention AE 1% Annual Chance Flood Hazard Floodplain X 0.2 % Annual Chance Flood Hazard 500 year Flood Event Figure 19 shows the flood insurance mapping for the Silverline Park Site: 26 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 aau.ecC,YALVOIs.o, • r Or- hitim .0' Figure 19: Flood Zoning Information for Silverline Park Site. (Buncombe County, 2014) The flood hazard area shown in Figure 19 is significant to this project. Figure 19 features three flood delineations. Of significance is the fact that the whitewater park, which will be located in the active floodway, is situated in a reach in which there are a significant number of insurable structures. Figure 19 shows that the floodplain extends to Riverside Street and includes all of the aforementioned adjacent property owners. Recall that it is a requirement for construction that the proposed park does not cause an impact (a measurable rise) to any insurable structures in the project area. Additional Considerations Historic Structures The National register of Historic Places lists several locations that are registered as historic places in Buncombe County (Wikipedia, 2014). However, none of these historic structures are near the project site. Endangered Species A list of all endangered species in the region according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is shown in Table 6. The species highlighted in red are those that are either threatened (T) or endangered (E). All others are listed as Federal Species of Concern (FSC), and are not defined in the federal Endangered Species Act. This category is defined in North Carolina, by the Asheville and Raleigh Field Offices of the US Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) "as those species that appear to be in decline or otherwise in need of conservation and are under consideration for listing or for which there is insufficient information to support listing at this time. Subsumed under the term "FSC" are all species petitioned by outside parties and other selected focal species identified in Service strategic plans, State Wildlife Action Plans, or Natural Heritage Program Lists" (Endangered Species, Threatened Species, Federal Species of Concern and Candidate Species, Buncombe County, NC, 2014). 27 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Table 6: List of Endangered Species for Buncombe County. Common Name Scientific name Federal Status Vertebrate: Allegheny woodrat Neotoma magister FSC Bog turtle Clemmys muhlenbergii T (S/A) Carolina northern flying squirrel Glaucomys sabrinus coloratus E Cerulean warbler Dendroica cerulea FSC Eastern small -footed bat Myotis leibii FSC Gray bat Myotis grisescens E Hellbender Cryptobranchus alleganiensis FSC Mountain blotched chub Erimystax insignis eristigma FSC Northern long-eared bat Myotis septentrionalis P Northern saw -whet owl (Southern Appalachian population) Aegolius acadicus pop. 1 FSC Pygmy salamander Desmognathus wrighti FSC Red crossbill (Southern Appalachian) Loxia curvirostra FSC Southern Appalachian eastern woodrat Neotoma floridana haematoreia FSC Southern water shrew Sorex palustris punctulatus FSC Yellow -bellied sapsucker (Southern Appalachian population) Sphyrapicus varius appalachiensis FSC Invertebrate: Diana fritillary (butterfly) Speyeria diana FSC French Broad crayfish Cambarus reburrus FSC Spruce -fir moss spider Microhexura montivaga E Vascular Plant: Blue Ridge Ragwort Packera millefolium FSC Cain's reedgrass Calamagrostis cainii FSC Darlington's spurge Euphorbia purpurea FSC Fraser fir Abies fraseri FSC French Broad heartleaf Hexastylis rhombiformis FSC Gray's lily Lilium grayi FSC Gray's saxifrage Saxifraga caroliniana FSC Mountain catchfly Silene ovata FSC Mountain heartleaf Hexastylis contracta FSC Piratebush Buckleya distichophylla FSC Spreading avens Geum radiatum E Sweet pinesap Monotropsis odorata FSC Nonvascular Plant: Lichen: Rock gnome lichen Gymnoderma lineare E The project will need to consult with Fish and Wildlife to ensure that there is not habitat for species of concern in the project area. If there is habitat for concern, the project will need to work with Fish and Wildlife to determine if the project, in design or implementation, can minimize impacts in an acceptable manner. 28 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 Section 3: Proposed Improvements Project Objectives Figure 20: Spectators watching the Animas River Days event. The project has multiple objectives. The primary objective with which S2o was originally tasked is to create an in -stream Whitewater Park in Woodfin to create outdoor branding and positive economic impacts to the region while creating a recreational amenity that could be used by many types of boaters. The design of these whitewater features will need to meet the current regulatory requirements for work within waters of the United States. In so doing, it will need to show no net negative impact to the regulatory floodplain and will need to be of a design and construction method that is foreseen to allow for permitting under the Federal Clean Water Act. Additionally, the designs should be designed to allow for the restoration of in -stream and riparian habitat as well as the migration of fish upstream through the site. In Woodfin, where digital flood models of a current standard do not exist, this is problematic in the conceptual stages. A flood model must be created in order to better understand the impacts of this project or a design must be created that can reasonably expected to have no impact to 100-year flood elevations in any scenario. This is the design approach taken by S2o in this instance. The park, or parks, depending on which locations are chosen for construction, will create recreational whitewater through drop structures that are designed to allow for surfing and river running as well as to create eddies, chutes, wave trains, and fish habitat that will be attractive to whitewater boaters, tubers, fishermen and other recreational users of the river. Though shown in concept only in these drawings, the final design should include parking and access improvements to allow for the general public as well as boating enthusiasts to responsibly access and utilize the site. These access points should include areas for access and egress to the river via designed and maintained pathways and should contemplate use by a wide range of visitors including tubers and other "float through" traffic. All access and recreational areas are restricted to in -stream and the river right side of the river, with no accessible areas on river left so as not to intrude on the railway's right of way. The two primary proposed designs are shown below, with additional designs for potential long term plans listed in Appendix A. 29 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 The Woodfin Riverside Park Site This is the preferred location for the Woodfin Whitewater Wave. The hydraulic conditions by way of gradient and flow are the most suitable for a whitewater feature, its location relative to the Craggy Dam indicates that any in -stream structure will have minimal negative impact on the floodplain, and it has much of the required park infrastructure already in place. Ideally, the existing park infrastructure of a trail network, picnic tables and other amenities could be enhanced in this project, with the whitewater structure becoming a focal point of the area to provide viewing opportunities and a place for events and community gatherings. Conceptual Design The preferred conceptual design for the Woodfin Whitewater Wave is a single spanning U-structure located at the Riverside Park Site. The structure will be located adjacent to existing park amenities, including restrooms and enhanced pathways, with terracing rock lining the banks for comfortable spectating areas. Beach areas will be encouraged above and below the Wave, to provide both a welcoming area to spectate or relax, as well as an open river access point to both put in and take out of the river. The conceptual design is shown in Figure 21 and again in detail in Figure 22. ni.CIIl1I•I.• I••F 11115•URI ;YUI�Fi�v.i,•r * .1,•.5,1...0.4P I€h411 I%.1. iX11M14.IY.-I .Irx.,.II'Ir I. • 1 4.,.r I+I 11 ..I -.'I. Figure 21: Layout for Riverside Park Site. 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 30 I. XISHING PARK!RAIL U! LJiFK 4 n cia TERNWID SEi 1)NJG laVER1JVEI €N.►K rte,CKTfRP\ 1NG RAIL no DTf(AOcS Figure 22: Detailed view of the proposed structure at the Riverside Park site A single spanning structure has numerous advantages. A single structure capitalizes on the entire flow of the river, leading to a more attractive whitewater feature for river goers, creating a larger pool on the downstream end of the structure which provides an area of still water for enhanced safety and recovery while similarly benefit from the backwater effect of the Craggy Reservoir during large flood events. Local river users in the Woodfin and Asheville region have expressed this as their preferred option, and are anticipated to gain substantial utility from the proposed development. It is likely that a rock structure could be created at the Riverside Park and that a pneumatically adjustable gate would not be required'. The type of drop that S2o recommends for this feature is called a "U-Structure". U-Structures are versatile structures that can be designed to provide a basic hydraulic feature at lower flows that then grows in size and power as the flows in the river increase. The proposed structure, as shown above, would be a full width U-Structure that feature high, medium, and low flow channels as well as an overflow area for high volume flooding events. The size of each of these channels would be scaled based on historic flows in the river to provide the maximum benefit a common flow rates. The structure would be built out of native rock from the area and would be anchored into the bed and banks of the river. While the structure would not be tunable using pneumatic structures, some amount of tuning could be done as follow up construction in subsequent years. This tuning would allow the wave to evolve into its final configuration, if needed. These structures are modelled in great detail to 3 While it is likely, 52o is unsure of the viability of a rock structure at this site. As such, Appendix A includes an adjustable feature for this site with accompanying cost estimate. 31 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 180540 provide an accurate depiction of how the full scale structure will interact with the full range of expected flow conditions. Though these designs are typically installed on lower volume rivers with a significantly shorter bankfull width, such as the Arkansas River through Buena Vista and Salida in Colorado, there are examples of these same structures being used with great success such as in Glenwood Springs in Colorado. This design is pending the full hydraulic investigation into the backwater effect of craggy dam, but it is expected that the backwater effect will fill in over the proposed whitewater structure in high flow events, such that the structure will not cause a rise in the 100 year flood elevations. As a result, the non- adjustable rock structures are listed as the first preference for their cost efficiency. Though, a separate design for this site is shown in Appendix A featuring adjustable head gates to pass flood waters should the hydraulic study show the rock structures as unfeasible. 32 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Design Functionality This U-Structure is used to create a river wide "drop" and can be used to constrict lower flows to increase the velocity and power of the water. By adjusting the gradient of the flow over the U-drop a wave or hydraulic can be formed. The structure also features elevated wings that are positioned along both riverbanks. These wings provide an eddy for easy recirculation to the wave. This structure is also beneficial to the in -stream habitat. The gradient of the drop keeps a pool below the structure scoured and creates a natural habitat for fish and aquatic life. is;;ter: 3ti Direction of Flow Figure 23: Typical plan view of a U-structure This structure is very stable and will accommodate high volume/high velocity flows. The structure features an arched shape laid in the plane defined by the riverbed with its footing sunk into the riverbank to bear these loads. The structure is a tiered with a series of steps across its span to allow for use at a variety of water levels. The low flow channel can be designed to provide deep passage and a usable hydraulic feature during typical low flows. During the mid -range flows the low flow channel and part of the high flow would be submerged. During run-off the high flow channel would create a larger, more usable hydraulic feature (a hydraulic jump or wave train), and at extreme flood the river will overflow the shoulders of the 33 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 structure. The downstream side of these shoulders are stepped to provide seating during normal flows and to prevent the formation of dangerous hydraulics during extreme flooding. At low flows the U-Structure will make a beginner/intermediate feature that is consistent and that provides for a beginner/intermediate experience that includes side surfing, surfing, spins and other basic maneuvers. More experienced paddlers will come at these levels and take part in surfing as well. Depending on the depth of flow at these lower flows, these more experienced paddlers will be able to attempt more advanced maneuvers such as cartwheels, loops, and other dynamic tricks in addition to basic surfing. As flows increase so too will the power of the wave feature. At higher flows the feature will become an attraction that draws boaters from the surrounding region. At these flows the wave feature will grow in power, height, and width. Paddlers will seek out the wave to pursue expert/advanced kayaking on a large whitewater feature that will be characterized as a wave/hole. The feature will provide for surfing, advanced freestyle, basic river crosses and navigation (below the main feature), as well as eddy service on both sides of the flow. Some typical whitewater park images for this type of feature are shown below. Figure 24: A typical U-Structure created by 52o. 34 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 Figure 25: The U-Structure is used by many different types of watercraft. Figure 26. The U-Structure wave will grow in power and width as the flows increase 35 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Opinion of Probable Costs The expected cost of construction for this structure is shown in Table 7. Table 7: Opinion of Probable Cost of Riverside Park Site. Project: Asheville Whitewater Park Opinion of Probable Cost Estimated Construction Costs of Riverside Park Site Issue Date: 9/15/2016 Developed By: JR Description Quantity Unit Unit Cost Item Total Cost Site Setup Traffic Control 1.0 LS $ 5,000.00 $ 5,000.00 Install & Maintain Best Management Practices 1.0 LS $ 5,000.00 $ 5,000.00 Operate & Maintain Water Control 2.0 LS $ 75,000.00 $ 150,000.00 Whitewater U-Structure Install Equipment Access Ramps & Roads 2.0 EA $ 1,500.00 $ 3,000.00 Reclaim Equipment Access Ramps, Roads, & Staging Areas 2.0 EA $ 2,500.00 $ 5,000.00 Bedrock Removal 555.0 CY $ 350.00 $ 194,250.00 Excavate & Grade Native Alluvium 185 CY $ 22.00 $ 4,070.00 Furnish & Install Bedding Material 300.0 Tons $ 30.00 $ 9,000.00 Furnish & Install Mirafi 180n Filter Fabric 694.4 SY $ 8.00 $ 5,555.56 Furnish & Install Boulder (Avg 36" B Axis) 1853.7 Tons $ 85.00 $ 157,564.50 Riprap Pool Amoring 925.9 CY $ 75.00 $ 69,444.44 Furnish & Install Concrete Grout, Including Rebar, & Marine Epoxy 166.5 CY $ 272.00 $ 45,288.00 Unclassified Hauloff 740 CY $ 20.00 $ 14,800.00 Terracing, Steps and Circulation Path Furnish & Install Boulder (Avg 36" B Axis) 1390.3 Tons $ 85.00 $ 118,173.38 Excavate & Grade Native Aluviam 555 CY $ 50.00 $ 27,750.00 Furnish & Install Bedding Material 450.0 Tons $ 30.00 $ 13,500.00 Furnish & Install Mirafi 180n Filter Fabric 1041.7 SY $ 8.00 $ 8,333.33 Furnish & Install crusher fines Walkways 6100 SF $ 0.30 $ 1,830.00 Unclassified Hauloff 555 CY $ 20.00 $ 11,100.00 Additional Included Items Physical Model 1 LS $ 120,000.00 $ 120,000.00 Additional Excavator Time as directed byS2o 80 HR $ 220.00 $ 17,600.00 PROJECT SUBTOTAL $ 986,259.21 Contingency (25%) $ 246,564.80 CONSTRUCTION SUBTOTAL $ 1,232,824.01 Bathymetric/TopographicSurvey $ 12,328.24 Engineering Design $ 73,969.44 Hydraulic Modeling $ 12,328.24 Permitting 404, 401 $ 24,656.48 Permitting Floodplain $ 24,656.48 Construction Bonding/Ins $ 36,984.72 Mob and Demob $ 36,984.72 Construction Stakeout $ 6,164.12 Construction Monitoring $ 98,625.92 TOTAL PROJECT COST OPINION $ 1,559,522.37 36 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Proposed Silverline Park Site Conceptual Design In addition to the Riverside Park Site, a location of a Proposed Silverline Park was also investigated. The layout of this design is shown in Figure 27 while the structure is shown in detail in Figure 28. I141"4I9 DIN Mrs uw I . iIiirrogi W .�•.h n.11I:I. _- — Figure 27: Proposed layout at the Silverline Park Site 37 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 RAILROAD TRACK CROSSING POINT RIVER OVERLOOKS ROCK TERRACING PRIVATE PROPERTY Figure 28: Rendering of the Whitewater Park at the Bowen Bridges Site. In this design, a fixed U-structure is shown alongside the re -configurable Obermeyer gate option. The U- structure features the same design benefits detailed in the primary Riverside Park design. As this project site is further upstream from the Craggy Dam, and out of the expected range of the backwater effect, further design efforts were made to accommodate the 100 year flood without causing a rise in the known water surface elevations. This design features an adjustable Obermeyer Dam which can be raised to provide the necessary head difference over the structure to create a whitewater feature, but the gates can be designed to lower automatically in the event of high flow, preventing any negative impact on the water surface elevations. Additionally, higher quality whitewater features can be configured using the adjustable RapidBIocTM system. 38 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Design Functionality SMYME-PP.D-RAH: # I I Figure 29: Each of the designs utilizes a layout that constricts the river using Obermeyer Gates into a main wave forming chute. The pneumatic design would consist of a main wave feature in the central portion of the structure. In the conceptual design of this project the main feature would be a RapidBlocsTM compatible feature in which the wave could be adjusted and configured to an optimum shape. This would allow for a dynamic feature that was tuned during low -flow events and that was than adaptable to evolve as the sport evolves. YIKrE M. G4,6�Lfi E. S.G'4a71W7 iohh,h view dh yilI YIi ■WIORMI.L COINACIED 6PRIJCPIPAL RI EK&T!4 ! 9t'.14rt4 RAPPINLOCK RAMP - SECT]ON {TYP, ) CALE. 1,L15 Figure 30: The wave forming chute utilizes RapidBlocs(m) to create a reconfigurable wave. The remainder of the overflow portion of the river would be an articulating dam feature known as an Obermeyer Gate. These types of pneumatically adjustable gates can be raised and lowered and can be further configured to deflate automatically during large flooding events. During low and normal flows 39 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 the articulating gates could be used to raise the water surface elevation by 1'-2' thereby creating drop over the main wave feature that does not exist in the current configuration. Lowering of the gates would also allow for fish passage, flood conveyance, or the passage of other watercraft either through two chutes (water allowing) or during times when surfing is not occurring at the venue. The amount of articulating structure that is required will be designed during the detailed design phases and can be minimized to save on project costs. The remainder will be faced in natural rock from the region in order to create an environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing structure. NS BARS“ 14' O-C. EACH WAY RIPRAP APRON EXIS TINIG BEDROCK HINGED STEEL PLATE COMPACTED STRUCTURAL FILL OBERi1EYER GATE - SECTION OW.) SCAL E: I:Z.5 PNEUMATIC :LADDER S LIDING S UPPORT ARM WATER SURFACE EL:VA710N f CCINCRETF FOOTFP T CONCRETE SLAB & STEMWALL J Figure 31: The Obermeyer gates are articulated pneumatically using an airbag that lifts the main plate of the structure. One of the key technologies that make this design approach viable is the use of the Obermeyer-type gate. This gate, shown in Figure 32, allows the river to be modulated but then, at higher flood flows, collapses and has no impact on flood water surface elevations. 40 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Figure 32: The Obermeyer gates are actuated pneumatically. S2o proposes to use a more natural appearing version of this gate. The gates would provide many functions. By utilizing the versatility provided by the actuators: • Certain gates could be open for providing a bypass to the wave for the existing tubing. • Certain gates could be opened for maintenance at the site • Certain gates could be actuated to allow for fish passage. • All of the gates could be collapsed to provide for capacity during a flood event or to create a flat water site in the event of a safety issue. • Certain gates could be actuated for adjusting the character of the wave. While Figure 32 shows a large amount of concrete and mechanical items, S2o proposes a design that would be more natural appearing and that would be further camouflaged by excess water flowing over the gates. Additionally, while the gates are currently shown as a river -wide implementation in the concept drawings, detailed design would allow S2o to minimize the amount of Obermeyer gate used, thereby minimizing costs as well as improving the overall aesthetics. This design for the project significantly contributes to the safety of the park. The expert feature can be configured in the main flow while beginner bypasses can be configured on the side of the river. 41 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 The role of the novice channel is important to this design. The novice channel will operate in parallel with the main feature and will provide for the existing usage in the river including tubing, rafting, and inexperienced hard boaters. This novice channel will provide a class I -II option that can be easily navigated. Additionally, differing gates can be actuated in the event there is an issue in order to aid in the rescue effort. This type of design is ideal for accommodating existing users, such as tubers and rafters, while allowing for expert level boaters to use a more advanced feature. The design of both the main feature and the novice channel will include roughened bed elements along the banks to provide for fish passage. Design of these features will be done in cooperation with local governmental authorities to ensure compatibility with native species. 42 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 Costs of Construction: The opinion of probable cost of this option is shown in Table 8. Table 8: Opinion of Probable Cost Project: Asheville Whitewater Park Opinion of Probable Cost Estimated Cost of Construction of Silverline Park Site Issue Date:9/15/2016 Developed By: JR Description Quantity Unit Unit Cost Item Total Cost Site Setup Traffic Control 1.0 LS $ 5,000.00 $ 5,000.00 Install & Maintain Best Management Practices 1.0 LS $ 5,000.00 $ 5,000.00 Operate & Maintain Water Control 2.0 LS $ 50,000.00 $ 100,000.00 Adjustable Whitewater Structure Install Equipment Access Ramps & Roads 2.0 EA $ 1,500.00 $ 3,000.00 Reclaim Equipment Access Ramps, Roads, & Staging Areas 2.0 EA $ 2,500.00 $ 5,000.00 Furnish & Install Rapidblocks 1.0 LS $ 75,000.00 $ 75,000.00 Furnish & Install Unistrut Rails 930 LF $ 3.05 $ 2,836.50 Furnish & Install Pneumatic Gates 94 LF $ 4,000.00 $ 376,000.00 Bedrock Removal 300 CY $ 350.00 $ 105,000.00 Excavate & Grade Native Alluvium 181 CY $ 22.00 $ 3,989.33 Furnish, Install, & Finish Concrete Ramp (CDOT Class D) 154 CY $ 300.00 $ 46,311.11 Furnish & Install #5 Rebar 5820 LF $ 2.00 $ 11,640.00 Unclassified Hauloff 154 CY $ 20.00 $ 3,087.41 Riprap Pool Armoring 85 CY $ 75.00 $ 6,388.89 Fixed Whitewater Structure Install Equipment Access Ramps & Roads 2.0 EA $ 1,500.00 $ 3,000.00 Reclaim Equipment Access Ramps, Roads, & Staging Areas 2.0 EA $ 2,500.00 $ 5,000.00 Bedrock Removal 211 CY $ 350.00 $ 73,815.00 Excavate & Grade Native Alluvium 70 CY $ 22.00 $ 1,546.60 Furnish & Install Bedding Material 114.0 Tons $ 30.00 $ 3,420.00 Furnish & Install Miraf 180n Filter Fabric 1603.5 SY $ 8.00 $ 12,827.78 Furnish & Install Boulder (Avg 36" B Axis) 704.4 Tons $ 85.00 $ 59,874.51 Riprap Pool Amoring 140.7 CY $ 75.00 $ 10,555.56 Furnish & Install Concrete Grout, Including Rebar, & Marine Epoxy 55.0 CY $ 272.00 $ 14,960.00 Unclassified Hauloff 280 CY $ 20.00 $ 5,600.00 Terracing, Steps and Circulation Path Furnish & Install Boulder (Avg 36" B Axis) 1787.9 Tons $ 85.00 $ 151,970.96 Excavate & Grade Native Alluviam 357 CY $ 50.00 $ 17,843.25 Furnish & Install Bedding Material 114.0 Tons $ 30.00 $ 3,420.00 Furnish & Install Miraf 180n Filter Fabric 1339.6 SY $ 8.00 $ 10,716.67 Furnish & Install crusher fines Walkways 13645 SF $ 0.30 $ 4,093.50 Unclassified Hauloff 357 CY $ 20.00 $ 7,137.30 Additional Included Items Additional Excavator Time as directed by S2o 80 HR $ 220.00 $ 17,600.00 Physical Modelling 1 LS $ 120,000.00 $ 120,000.00 PROJECT SUBTOTAL $ 1,271,634.36 Contingency(25%) $ 317,908.59 CONSTRUCTION SUBTOTAL $ 1,589,542.95 Bathymetric/Topographic Survey $ 15,895.43 Engineering Design $ 95,372.58 Hydraulic Modeling $ 15,895.43 Permitting 404, 401 $ 31,790.86 Permitting Floodplain $ 31,790.86 Construction Bonding/Ins $ 47,686.29 Mob and Demob $ 47,686.29 Construction Stakeout $ 7,947.71 Construction Monitoring $ 127,163.44 TOTAL PROJECT COST OPINION $ 2,010,771.8 43 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Physical Modelling Physical modeling is recommended for the sites detailed in earlier sections. Given the amount of investment into a single structure S2o recommends that the physical model be undertaken in order to ensure the maximum utility and of the proposed project. Permitting can occur in parallel with the Physical Model Study. Following permitting S2o recommends completing detailed design and construction documents. Section 4: Process and Permitting Process This study has evaluated three sites and suggested one possible design solution for each that would meet the site constraints and requirements and that would provide a recreational attraction. This is not, however, a completed design that is ready to be constructed. Typically our design process would incorporate Preliminary Design, Detailed Design and Construction Documents design phases. Following the preliminary phase permits would be submitted and would need to be attained. This may require some design adjustment. It is also suggested, given the lack of available information and extensive flood risks in the corridor, that the City also undertake a floodplain modeling exercise which would include some regulatory process with FEMA as well. The design and permitting phases of a project of this type are typically approximately 2 years but can be accelerated if required. Once construction documents have been completed and the permits have been attained the project will need to be constructed. Typical construction times for a project of this size would be approximately 4 months. Construction typically takes place during the months when the flows are lower and when there is less impact to in -stream species. Construction windows are often set by permitting authorities. The project will require Federal, State, and Local permits in order to be completed. At a minimum the project will require: Federal and State Permitting: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Clean Water Act, 404/401 Permits (Joint Application): Although there are numerous federal and state laws that affect wetlands, the Clean Water Act (CWA) is the main regulatory tool. There are two sections of the CWA that are of particular significance: Section 404 of the Clean Water Act enables the USACE to grant permits for certain activities within waterways and wetlands. Construction projects affecting wetlands in any state cannot proceed until a §404 permit has been issued. In deciding whether to grant or deny a permit, the Corps must follow certain guidelines, which are discussed below. Section 401 of the Clean Water Act gives EPA the authority to prohibit an activity, including a construction project, if it can adversely impact water quality or have other unacceptable environmental 44 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 consequences. For most states, EPA has delegated this authority to state environmental agencies. In North Carolina, the Division of Water Resources (DWR) is the state agency responsible for issuing 401 water quality certifications (WQC). When the state issues a 401 certification (which is required for any federally permitted or licensed activity that may result in discharge to waters of the U.S.), this certifies that a given project will not degrade Waters of the State or violate State water quality standards. (North Caronlina Division of Environment and Natural Resources, 2014) Whitewater Parks typically require an individual (404) permit which can be a lengthy review process that includes review of all impacts of the park to the environment including both in -stream and riparian zone as well as impacts to affected stakeholders. It would be typical that other departments, such as the Department of Environmental Conservation, fish and wildlife, and others would be consulted as a part of the process Buncombe County: Buncombe County provides a complete checklist covering permitting and planning requirements for any development within county limits. To see the full checklist refer to Appendix B. While all steps must be completed on this checklist the main planning requirements include contacting Buncombe County Planning Department regarding both zoning requirements and flood zone information. The permitting requirements are also outlined in this document. The main items of importance to this project include: • Stormwater Management Permit (If disturbing >1 acre of land) • Erosion Control Permit (If disturbing >1 acre of land) • Floodplain Development Permit • Building Permit A number of tasks will be required in order to attain these permits including a detailed site survey with wetland delineation, a flood model to establish no -rise, and design drawings stamped by a licensed professional engineer. Other studies may be required in order to assess habitat, environmental, or other impacts. Town of Woodfin: The Town would require a floodplain development permit (in some Towns the floodplain development authority is the County) that shows no flood impacts to other properties, and a grading permit. The contractor will typically also require a stormwater run-off permit prior to the onset of construction. Construction Requirements Analysis: The construction of whitewater parks typically requires a detailed construction plan. Whitewater Parks normally require a large staging area for materials, access to and from the riverbed, and the ability to control the water through temporary berms or dams that will create a dry work area. 45 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Figure 33: The Durango Whitewater Park was constructed in 2014 during a low water time period and using water control to maintain a dry work area per 404 and 401 permitting. The type of construction shown in Figure 33 wherein water is diverted away from the work area is typical of in -stream construction of Whitewater Parks. Typically low flows are required for this type of work. In a river of the size of the French Broad water control can be a significant cost item. Another typical concern for Whitewater Parks has to do with fish passage up and down the structure. S2o will work with regulatory agencies during the design phases of this project to ensure that the structures are passable by native fish species in the reach. River access is also a concern. The contractor will require a staging area as well as vehicle access to the riverbed. Often this requires restoration of the bank areas as the construction project is completed. Other Construction Issues: Endangered Species Act: Endangered Species in the area could limit construction access and construction timing. This will require consultation with the Fish and Wildlife service as outlined above. 46 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 Site Evaluation Figure 34: An eleven -year old boater surfs the Hawea wave during competition. In order to aid the City in evaluating the proposed sites and selecting a preferred solution or solutions, S2o has created a site -selection matrix which evaluates the proposed designs against the objectives and challenges of this project. This matrix is shown below: Table 9: Site Selection Matrix Consideration Riverside Silverline Craggy Dam 1 Parking and Access + 0 - 2 Potential Flood Impacts + 0 + 3 Relative Costs + 0 - 4 Land Ownership + + - 5 Recreational Opportunity + + + 6 Economic Impacts + + + 7 Accomodates or Enhances Existing uses + + + The matrix evaluates the sites against seven differing criteria. Based on the information available S2o recommends that the Riverside Park site be considered the preferred alternative. This site has ample opportunity for expanded park amenities, parking, and access. The acquisition of this site will allow for 47 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 further expansion of the Town's greenways as well as opportunities for new business development. These acquisitions also allow for decreased impacts to the floodplain. Conclusion Figure 35: Spectators watching rafters surf the wave. A whitewater park is proposed in the Town of Woodfin, NC on the French Broad River. Three sites were investigated and were found to be feasible. Of these three sites the preferred site is the Riverside Park. This site will meet project objectives and will have complementary benefits in terms of expanded parkland, parking and access, flood mitigation, and economic development. At this stage, it is expected to be able to meet the project objectives a grouted rock structure will be sufficient, but alternate designs with adjustable head gates have also been investigated. 48 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Appendix A: Additional Alternative Designs Riverside Park Dual U-Structure A dual spanning set of two U-Structures is also proposed for the Rivierside Park Site. While this design does not fully encompass the available flow and stream power into one single wave, the design allows for two separate waves to exist, which would be tuned to allow for recreation at a variety of flow rates. Similarly, one of the structures would be tuned to cater for more advanced river goers, with a more dynamic and powerful wave and the other structure could cater for more novice users. The conceptual layout of this design is shown in Figure 36 and again in detail in Figure 37. Figure 36: Layout for Riverside Park Site with the dual U-structure 49 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 lieKY.IFF A! (Ni I + is! mT a�lth1P +IJ InSTINC}PARIO CI wt1OJT FIN RT/ER9DE PAW I 'xi'. 2kkYL'i F'I11C TRAIL UFLLIE A1)(»J Rr]OCTERRAiiD SEATING fil'•11 Roff.raf1( RO)cX T RIMOMG 11$ILF1d[AI FIItI(Kti F AIHI111.41LL1 FINER IiREEPFWAY Figure 37: Detailed view of the proposed dual structure at the Riverside Park site The associated costs with this design option are shown in Table 10. 50 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Table 10: Opinion of Probable Cost for Dual U-Structure Design. Project: Asheville Whitewater Park Opinion of Probable Cost Estimated Construction Costs of Riverside Park Site Issue Date: 8/30/2016 Developed By: JR Description Quantity Unit Unit Cost Item Total Cost Site Setup Traffic Control 1.0 LS $ 5,000.00 $ 5,000.00 Install & Maintain Best Management Practices 1.0 LS $ 5,000.00 $ 5,000.00 Operate & Maintain Water Control 2.0 LS $ 75,000.00 $ 150,000.00 Fixed Whitewater U-Structure River Left Install Equipment Access Ramps & Roads 2.0 EA $ 1,500.00 $ 3,000.00 Reclaim Equipment Access Ramps, Roads, & Staging Areas 2.0 EA $ 2,500.00 $ 5,000.00 Bedrock Removal 333.0 CY $ 350.00 $ 116,550.00 Excavate & Grade Native Alluvium 111 CY $ 22.00 $ 2,442.00 Furnish & Install Bedding Material 180.0 Tons $ 30.00 $ 5,400.00 Furnish & Install Mirafi 180n Filter Fabric 416.7 SY $ 8.00 $ 3,333.33 Furnish & Install Boulder (Avg 36" B Ms) 1112.2 Tons $ 85.00 $ 94,538.70 Riprap Pool Amoring 351.9 CY $ 75.00 $ 26,388.89 Furnish & Install Concrete Grout, Including Rebar, & Marine Epoxy 99.9 CY $ 272.00 $ 27,172.80 Unclassified Hauloff 444 CY $ 20.00 $ 8,880.00 Fixed Whitewater U-Structure River Right Install Equipment Access Ramps & Roads 2.0 EA $ 1,500.00 $ 3,000.00 Reclaim Equipment Access Ramps, Roads, & Staging Areas 2.0 EA $ 2,500.00 $ 5,000.00 Bedrock Removal 150.0 CY $ 350.00 $ 52,500.00 Excavate & Grade Native Alluvium 250 CY $ 22.00 $ 5,500.00 Furnish & Install Bedding Material 253.2 Tons $ 30.00 $ 7,596.00 Furnish & Install Mirafi 180n Filter Fabric 586.1 SY $ 8.00 $ 4,688.89 Furnish & Install Boulder (Avg 36" B A>ds) 1564.5 Tons $ 85.00 $ 132,984.44 Riprap Pool Amoring 537.0 CY $ 75.00 $ 40,277.78 Furnish & Install Concrete Grout, Including Rebar, & Marine Epoxy 140.5 CY $ 272.00 $ 38,223.07 Unclassified Hauloff 250 CY $ 20.00 $ 5,000.00 Terracing, Steps and Circulation Path Furnish & Install Boulder (Avg 36" B Ms) 1501.5 Tons $ 85.00 $ 127,627.25 Excavate & Grade Native Al luviam 599 CY $ 50.00 $ 29,970.00 Furnish & Install Bedding Material 253.2 Tons $ 30.00 $ 7,596.00 Furnish & Install Mirafi 180n Filter Fabric 1125.0 SY $ 8.00 $ 9,000.00 Furnish & Install crusher fines Walkways 6100 SF $ 0.30 $ 1,830.00 Unclassified Hauloff 599 CY $ 20.00 $ 11,988.00 Additional Included Items Physical Model 1 LS $120,000.00 $ 120,000.00 Additional Excavator Time as directed byS2o 80 HR $ 220.00 $ 17,600.00 PROJECT SUBTOTAL $ 1,073,087.14 Contingency(25%) $ 268,271.79 CONSTRUCTION SUBTOTAL $ 1,341,358.93 Bathymetric/Topographic Survey $ 13,413.59 Engineering Design $ 80,481.54 Hydraulic Modeling $ 13,413.59 Permitting 404, 401 $ 26,827.18 Permitting Floodplain $ 26,827.18 Construction Bonding/Ins $ 40,240.77 Mob and Demob $ 40,240.77 Construction Stakeout $ 6,706.79 Construction Monitoring $ 107,308.71 TOTAL PROJECT COST OPINION $ 1,696,819.05 51 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Riverside Park Articulating Structure A fully adjustable whitewater structure is also proposed at the site of the Riverside Park should the hydraulic modelling component of design deem the grouted rock structure unfeasible for flood passage. This structure would consist of two concrete slabs with reconfigurable obstacles with the collapsible Obermeyer dams between them. The conceptual layout is shown Figure 38 and again in detail in Figure 39. 1x1 hn.5 M AL S 1 IT Fill [1. jt1W II IA al IvI• FIRENKCS54:47M4E pirum inwaye71s11 r+me Binh 15 Ill..•, 1. In.Y -1I I, Ili j 4.11.11.,v iuw Figure 38: Layout of Riverside Park with adjustable head gate option 52 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 RAILROAD TWAO(S. F�+ IS 1E ffIA(31*w F B0AI RAM!' LXI511NLi(-A MI% i HOCK F EARACE D 5EA I ING RNFR siVI RI Of R1XX FFFIRACING RAILROAD TRACKS FFE.Nt11 WOAD RIVER t I1EEI!W Y Figure 39: Detailed drawing of adjustable whitewater structure. Both the whitewater features in this design are fully adjustable to configure to a variety of flow rates and river user, while the Obermeyer dams allow for safe, unimpeded passage of the 100 year flood. An opinion of probable cost is shown in Table 11. 53 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Table 11: Opinion of Probable Cost Project: Asheville Whitewater Park Opinion of Probable Cost Estimated Construction Cost for Riverside Park Articulating Feature Issue Date: 8/25/2016 Developed By: JR Description Quantity Unit Unit Cost Item Total Cost Site Setup Traffic Control 1.0 LS $ 5,000.00 $ 5,000.00 Install & Maintain Best Management Practices 1.0 LS $ 5,000.00 $ 5,000.00 Operate & Maintain Water Control 2.0 LS $ 50,000.00 $ 100,000.00 Adjustable Whitewater Structure RL Install Equipment Access Ramps & Roads 2.0 EA $ 1,500.00 $ 3,000.00 Reclaim Equipment Access Ramps, Roads, & Staging Areas 2.0 EA $ 2,500.00 $ 5,000.00 Furnish & Install Rapidblocks 1.0 LS $ 75,000.00 $ 75,000.00 Furnish & Install Unistrut Rails 420 LF $ 3.05 $ 1,281.00 Furnish & Install Pneumatic Gates 80 LF $ 4,000.00 $ 320,000.00 Bedrock Removal 200 CY $ 350.00 $ 70,000.00 Excavate & Grade Native Alluvium 174 CY $ 22.00 $ 3,829.63 Furnish, Install, & Finish Concrete Ramp (CDOT Class D) 68 CY $ 380.00 $ 25,952.59 Furnish & Install #5 Rebar 2505 LF $ 2.00 $ 5,010.00 Unclassified Hauloff 174 CY $ 20.00 $ 3,481.48 Riprap Pool Armoring 37 CY $ 75.00 $ 2,777.78 Adjustable Whitewater Structure RR Install Equipment Access Ramps & Roads 2.0 EA $ 1,500.00 $ 3,000.00 Reclaim Equipment Access Ramps, Roads, & Staging Areas 2.0 EA $ 2,500.00 $ 5,000.00 Furnish & Install Rapidblocks 1.0 LS $ 75,000.00 $ 75,000.00 Furnish & Install Unistrut Rails 930 LF $ 3.05 $ 2,836.50 Furnish & Install Pneumatic Gates 94 LF $ 4,000.00 $ 376,000.00 Bedrock Removal 150 CY $ 350.00 1.$ 52,500.00 Excavate & Grade Native Alluvium 181 CY $ 22.00 $ 3,989.33 Furnish, Install, & Finish Concrete Ramp (CDOT Class D) 154 CY $ 300.00 $ 46,311.11 Furnish & Install #5 Rebar 5820 LF $ 2.00 $ 11,640.00 Unclassified Hauloff 154 CY $ 20.00 $ 3,087.41 Riprap Pool Armoring 85 CY $ 75.00 $ 6,388.89 Terracing, Steps and Circulation Path Furnish & Install Boulder (Avg 36" B Axis) 1001.0 Tons $ 85.00 $ 85,084.83 Excavate & Grade Native Alluviam 599 CY $ 50.00 $ 29,970.00 Furnish & Install Bedding Material 253.2 Tons $ 30.00 $ 7,596.00 Furnish & Install Ntirafi 180n Filter Fabric 1125.0 SY $ 8.00 $ 9,000.00 Furnish & Install crusher fines Walkways 6100 SF $ 0.30 $ 1,830.00 Unclassified Hauloff 599 CY $ 20.00 $ 11,988.00 Additional Included Items Additional Excavator Time as directed by S2o 80 HR $ 220.00 $ 17,600.00 Physical Model 1 LS $ 120,000.00 $ 120,000.00 PROJECT SUBTOTAL $ 1,494,154.55 Contingency(25%) $ 373,538.64 CONSTRUCTION SUBTOTAL $ 1,867,693.19 Bathymetric/Topographic Survey $ 18,676.93 Engineering Design $ 112,061.59 Hydraulic Modeling $ 18,676.93 Permitting 404, 401 $ 37,353.86 Permitting Floodplain $ 37,353.86 Construction Bonding/Ins $ 56,030.80 Mob and Demob $ 56,030.80 Construction Stakeout $ 9,338.47 Construction Monitoring $ 149,415.46 TOTAL PROJECT COST OPINION $ 2,362,631.9 54 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 The Craggy Reservoir Dam Site (Metropolitan Sewer District Dam) Site Description The Craggy Reservoir Dam Site, more commonly known as the Metropolitan Sewer District Dam) is perhaps the most challenging of the proposed sites, but also provides the most opportunity for improvements. Advocates have made it clear that this site might best be considered as potential project for the long-term future, and not the focus of any current initiative. The site features a dam of approximately 12 feet in height with continued slope in the riverbed downstream of the proposed project area. The site features more drop and therefore available power than any other location in the reach. The site comes with challenges however. Figure 40 shows the site layout: Figure 40: Aerial image of the Craggy Reservoir Dam Site (note: the northerly direction is to the right of this image). (Google, 2015) In this image it can be seen that the current configuration of the river features a railroad track along the left bank and a hydro -canal along the right bank. The canal and associated hydro -generation and water 55 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 treatment works create a challenge to access and utilization. While solvable, solutions at this site will need to provide for access, egress, and areas from which to view the whitewater channel. Land Ownership Figure 41: The floodplain at the Craggy Dam Site (FEMA, 2016) The image below shows the parcel numbers and land ownership information for the land surrounding the potential whitewater park. The river left bank is again dominated by the railroad right-of-way. The river right bank is shown as being in the road right-of-way but by inspection it can be inferred that the hydro -generating facility has construction access and land -ownership or easements along the right bank. Consultation with both of these entities will be required prior to determining the full feasibility of this site. Table 12 provides land ownership information for the land surrounding the proposed project site. Table 12: Land Ownership information for land surrounding the Craggy Reservoir Dam Site Pinnum Owner 973018274400000 Metro Sewage District 973017688100000 Progress Energy of the Carolinas 973017371000000 Metro Sewage District 973007366600000 Craggy Land Co, Inc It is important to note that this study does not state that these lands will be acquired nor that this is the City's current intention. The study merely states that, in order for construction to occur, ownership or easements are required at the project location. 56 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Flood Impacts This reach is also extremely flood prone. The active floodway is contained within the riverbed in this reach but the floodplain is wide and flat. The 100 year floodplain features a central island there much of the development exists but there are insurable structures within the 100 year floodplain adjacent to the site. As with all of the sites identified along this reach, flood risks will be significant. Figure 42: The floodplain at the Craggy Dam Site (FEMA, 2016) Conceptual Design The conceptual design of the proposed whitewater park at the site of the Craggy Dam is shown in Figure 43. 57 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 LL+hO 1111 iiMIEF I� LIHII L IJ1 PASAF.Iw 1L SFIO{1 LHfi 1 I M1 ILh VuvI111141 it • LLINFW1U 141.1 %I •1] II4I4.11 RITFPLIFPIME R1.65,11F RCIIM * EEr#FIRFE+II III b m-cur i 1. "Ed..", Fur 1 I WIN MIA N S MIN MF14¢RIR, F1MIdl1i PAW!11,.M1lii IIL11.35L' FIJ,, ti Figure 43: Layout of the proposed whitewater park at the Craggy Reservoir. The Craggy Reservoir Site is different than the Riverside Park and the Silverline Park in that an existing dam of approximately 12 feet in height is located at the site. The whitewater park proposed for this site would be a side -channel -type whitewater park that created an extended ramp of flow along the path of the existing hydro -channel located at the site. This channel could be designed to accommodate varying flow rates, and be of varying lengths (slopes) depending on priorities identified in the design stages. The type of whitewater created in these types of channels is different than that seen at the U-drops shown above. In lieu of a single wave, a more extended reach of whitewater will be created similar to the type of whitewater that the Olympic Games are competed on. Figure 44, shown below, shows an image of how this kind of whitewater channel could look: 58 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Figure 44: A purpose built whitewater channel with a moveable obstacle system Typically these types of channels provide multiple benefits at a dam site. The primary benefit is that they create a hydraulic link between the river downstream of the dam and the pond upstream. This link allows for fish passage up the dam and connects the reach. Additionally, the same link allows boaters to navigate the dam without having to portage on either the water treatment plant side or the railroad tracks side of the river. The channels require less water (approximately 350-500 cubic feet per second) than in -stream whitewater parks and can be shut off for maintenance or to reconfigure the rapids. These types of channels are also used for a variety of different competitions/festivals including national and international -level events. It is also versatile in terms of how the use of the park can be controlled for different users. If the hydro - plant needs the water, then the channel can be closed to push the full amount of flow into the hydro - channel for power generation. If the water is too high for boating then a set -amount can be allowed into the channel for a controlled experience at reasonable flows. The channel can be opened in full to help lower the effective flood level during flooding events. Figure 45, shown below, shows an image of another dam with a similar bypass channel: 59 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 Figure 45: A bypass -channel whitewater park in Prague, CZ As seen from the construction drawings, a U-drop structure is also shown alongside the base of the channel. This is a further optional feature, with similar design characteristics to the whitewater structures detailed in earlier chapters, and can be installed in conjunction with the extended channel. 60 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Opinion of Probable Cost The expected cost of construction for this structure is shown in Table 13. Table 13: Opinion of Probable Cost Project: Asheville Whitewater Park Opinion of Probable Cost Estimated Construction Costs of Craggy Dam Site Issue Date:8/26/2016 Developed By: JR Description Quantity Unit Unit Cost Item Total Cost Site Setup Traffic Control 1.0 LS $ 15,000.00 $ 15,000.00 Install & Maintain Best Management Practices 1.0 LS $ 10,000.00 $ 10,000.00 Operate & Maintain Water Control 2.0 LS $100,000.00 $ 200,000.00 Whitewater Channel Install Equipment Access Ramps & Roads 1.0 EA $175,000.00 $ 175,000.00 Reclaim Equipment Access Ramps, Roads, & Staging Areas 2.0 EA $ 25,000.00 $ 50,000.00 Compacted Fill 6666.7 CY $ 35.00 $ 233,333.33 Furnish, Install, & Finish Concrete Channel 5920 CY $ 375.00 $ 2,220,000.00 Furnish & Install #5 Rebar 120750 LF $ 2.00 $ 241,500.00 Furnish & Install Rapidblocks 1.0 LS $400,000.00 $ 400,000.00 Furnish & Install Unistrut Rails 32000 LF $ 3.05 $ 97,600.00 Furnish & Install Pneumatic Gates 94 LF $ 4,000.00 $ 376,000.00 Excavate & Grade Native Alluvium 181 CY $ 22.00 $ 3,989.33 Unclassified Hauloff 5920 CY $ 20.00 $ 118,400.00 Riprap Pool Armoring 108 CY $ 75.00 $ 8,125.00 Axed Whitewater Structure Install Equipment Access Ramps & Roads 2.0 EA $ 1,500.00 $ 3,000.00 Reclaim Equipment Access Ramps, Roads, & Staging Areas 2.0 EA $ 2,500.00 $ 5,000.00 Bedrock Removal 450.0 CY $ 350.00 $ 157,500.00 Excavate & Grade Native Alluvium 888 CY $ 22.00 $ 19,536.00 Furnish & Install Bedding Material 360.0 Tons $ 30.00 $ 10,800.00 Furnish & Install Mirafi 180n Filter Fabric 833.3 SY $ 8.00 $ 6,666.67 Furnish & Install Boulder (Avg 36" B Axis) 1112.2 Tons $ 85.00 $ 94,538.70 Riprap Pool Amoring 301.7 CY $ 75.00 $ 22,630.20 Furnish & Install Concrete Grout, Including Rebar, & Marine Epoxy 99.9 CY $ 272.00 $ 27,172.80 Unclassified Hauloff 888 CY $ 20.00 $ 17,760.00 Terracing, Steps and Circulation Path Bridges 2 LS $ 125,000.00 $ 250,000.00 Furnish & Install Boulder (Avg 36" B tads) 1070.2 Tons $ 85.00 $ 90,967.24 Excavate & Grade Native Alluviam 641 CY $ 50.00 $ 32,042.00 Furnish & Install Bedding Material 519.6 Tons $ 30.00 $ 15,588.00 Furnish & Install Mirafi 180n Filter Fabric 1202.8 SY $ 8.00 $ 9,622.22 Furnish & Install crusher fines Walkways 2000 SF $ 0.30 $ 600.00 Unclassified Hauloff 641 CY $ 20.00 $ 12,816.80 Additional Included Items Additional Excavator Time as directed byS2o 80 HR $ 220.00 $ 17,600.00 Physical Model 1 LS $120,000.00 $ 120,000.00 PROJECT SUBTOTAL $ 5,062,788.29 Contingency (25%) $ 1,265,697.07 CONSTRUCTION SUBTOTAL $ 6,328,485.36 BathymetricITopographic Survey $ 63,284.85 Engineering Design $ 379,709.12 Hydraulic Modeling $ 63,284.85 Permitting 404, 401 $ 126,569.71 Permitting Floodplain $ 126,569.71 Construction Bonding/Ins $ 189,854.56 Mob and Demob $ 189,854.56 Construction Stakeout $ 31,642.43 Construction Monitoring $ 506,278.83 TOTAL PROJECT COST OPINION $ 8,005,534.0 61 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Appendix B: Buncombe County Permitting Checklist Buncombe County Permitting Center Checflrsl for eireparoppteti irr Bkre xrbe. Carardy PT acrs r.rrreraber try os` ab-orrt oenJdifrrk* forrJ7t orfaes ass rcireled tii.itir #doh tevr8-W irs d L orrkict ruciir Department f rsleei below . [III Pf, li NrNG NTr%t;:F, Step 1 : Deed Reatrdct.o.. i teal C.IIwiiauta ▪ Contact your tilosiug attorney to deiermina if there are any deed Tea -Iridium ar subdivisi txi covenants which may limit else develo niarit of the property. TO locate a copy of your deed, t-oittoct the Buaoambe C +until 11,exist i al Dods yell ic4 (250-4300) located at 35 14'uotlrm Strdet_ Suite 226_ Adleville. 1 ort15 Carolina 28801. Step 7= 114'40 Now Woc a silts [�Contacl U.S. IIi'A Region 4 Suliertund Division i 1- t7O-241-1754 rr 44ww.ana.e.ov;drewirojindtk,hlml. ❑Contact the Divisiurt of 'game Management with the N.C. DKpaninant of Environment and Natural R ewnrce,s at (919) 508.3400 or bttn:r: uv;tstenotrw. ore, Inrormation Jim shorfi'dhiave beJbrig you calk_ DThe property's. Lot. identirdaii.vn number (PIN) or iIrect address. ▪ is the property located near a Nam -dons waste site? Step 3: ?tiring Q ]f the pr perty i9 located oubiide of a municipality or a municipality's. Extra Tamtanal Jurisdiction. canxaci the 8uncwnhe Compri Planninit at 250-4&30. information you Molitor t rm Woreyou call: E The property A tax identification number (PIN) which can be found owing the Courty's Geographical Information SyM.4:m (GIS). hnp:::www_ nincombecouni erg sovcmm clepsrgis'disclaimcr_aspx and is also listed an yaurian hill. If you arc unahlc to locate the PJN far the property, please ha3a ilic owner's none, street address, and:or deed #iookrplai hook and pagc reference aviilahL, 62 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 Ouemons to ask, ❑ Is the properly rorrcti for the project you inland to build or plaec? ❑ Are awe any selbstek. height rertrietinnR, or limitw nra di4tur#1 d and impcni{,us surfaces -that 1 need to be aware of? ❑ Willa site plan be requirod as part of my submittal for zoning r iew? Does my project constitute a Conditional Use and require approval by the lid of Adjustment prior to consiru burr? C'ondit:orrth Uses: vuiy hip zoning thsiriC1 bra include mrch rlerrrs asll: amit} developments abope a certain nio bar of urrafs, more than hi r prirR pal structur-er on a lr1i. buPrirngs grater Man 35, 0OFJ #quire fr i f sfae, #ste. Step 1: Other DL clopment Regulations ❑ Contact the Buncombe County Plaiminlz I]roarimcnt at 250-483O. rrrJarrnarinru+r + .sho+,fd htr beJivey-rw Bali: ❑ The property's tax identification number (PIN) ar Str el address Gliest:orra lr+ ask.- Q Is the property located in the Iv Water Supply 'Watershed (i.e.- ivy Township or Eastern Flat Creek Township?) 17 AN there any develop -writ ncgulaiions that apply to my proje t' (Lc-. junkyard, suhdtvision, adult -oriented bu;iness, communication Wwem Manufactured bonne parks. stormwater ordinance) Q If building a r.raining wall or r twining k4a]I .s icm. ik the wall subject to the Starldarck of the R staining Wall Ordinance (separate from Building Code standards)? Step S: Flood Zone Wtlie property i in close proximity to a stream or river: Contact the Buncombe County jalannini: Dcparlrnent at 2S0-4ti3O fne/orrneationyr?rl .shar.drl;VW 14vr-eyo call: ❑ '17te property's Lit identification number (PIN) or street address Chie,rNoi 10 ask. ❑ Is the property in a floodway or 11)nle_rr tloudplain? 63 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Step 6: Sewerage To determine if public sewer is available! E. Contact the Engineering Division of the Metropolitan Sewerage Distiicl at 251-4781 located al 2028 liiveniide Drive rr7vrtsrotion;nu shoaald haw before. you calf; ▪ 17te property"s ta_x identification number (PIN or street address C.kuagroons to ask.. ▪ Is public sewer er existing or available for this IxPo eriy? Ifpublic brwer is not avaitable! ❑ Apply fora site evaluation from Buncombe County Environmental Health al 254- 01 b located al 30 Valley Strad frrformatian }era should ha' a Wore apply: g of En r n ni raf Heath; Q The property's; tax identification number (PIN) Q A plat crr tin: map of the property which is available through public access query or from Environmental Malik. Land Records, Planning, or Permits and lrepeetioatx 17 The number of hcdr+xrns f..51010 prolxxiod home e or the number of re2it rooms ail. COrilirktreiild project (commercial project%may require additional information) Regrrsn the following_ 0 Site evaluation for septic tank system (fee involved)_ or contract with a private soil scientist Step 7: Water Them are severed wafer Wifr rags irs Buncombe C'ottrar} _ Please ca7xtfo f th& opprop bars aeitflr}'= D.A.f...he,iN Water ReFourees, cparun bit at 251-1122. Q Woodfm Water District at 253-5551_ Q Town ofWeaoeroille Public V4'urhs at 645-7116_ ❑ Town of it tack Mountain 'Water Administration at 419-4300, leaf-ono:ion is a shandd haw before you calf: EL The propert0 tax identification number (PIN) or Rircct addre 64 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 estwwns to ask ▪ is municipal water available for this property? 1'11E PEIZMFI 11 (4'1'AGJ Step 11.1 sturtnuater Management nagement itequirod when disturbing an ire or nwre for r idca{tial dzvctopment of ort lard si'l.0 ui ficrc or rnerre Ior commercial devciepmint as described in Chapter _ Article V1I {}Ithe ]3unvonabc County Code ofOrdinance. f any /and ckutirlisarice Is planned for the pr rpnse of-irrstaIfirrg Ircfrash rcrure for a srah iuisiorr, preliminary salVivision approval mum be obtained prior ro land d istrrrbarree, If h project is beefed within a ,roravd area which regui'ares irrrpertiar s red d rsrrrrbcd surface, ±a:oing approval' truest be obtaonedprwr to any land disturbance. D Contact Buncombe Cotmty Stornswater Mariasement Office at 25(]-4847!_ Q Yi4it I r mare information: http_ rwwyw_buncombecountv_ora� governiai,: depts.P]annin storrnwaterhtw frrjbrr:roticttys r, shei .td hawse befor-,oec ball_ ❑ The property's tax identification number (PIN) or street address o Number of acres disturbed Q 'rye ofdevelopment {residen al_ commercial, industrial it institutional) Regrdesr rhreiroffowlrrg: Stornrwatcr Managcntcnl Permit application packcl or visit the Buncombe County Stom]Water Management website h tp_ mw.buuomhecount} arkg.overningfilept%.Plat,ninrs.tonrtwuter_aspxand go to `Forms' Step ?: Erosion Control Tf disturbing an acre or mere of land; ❑ Contact Buncombe County Erosion ton Control at 25O-4 4f8. ❑ visit the website for more information: lttip,+lwww,buncornbew }unto,ore>aavemiit,'detfis?t'lannin ErosionCantroLasnx lrgiremaIion yorr shoatfc!hare irefare otr calf: 65 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 El The property's tax identification number {PIN) or street address ❑ Number of acres to be disturbed lrsst theplicnlyng. Erosion Control permit application pa ket or visit the Buncombe County Erosion Control vsebsite {I.np :+www.batt2onibeeDumv.e,,,vknsirrb.?deins:Planning.LressionCotilroE.asjsx}andgo to -Poarn$_" Step 3; Fbindplain+ Sirenms vnd Wetlands Whcii developing within the 100-year tlixtdlltain, u 'Flood Dcveliapmen[ Permit is required, are described in Chaprti r .14 of the Buncombe County Coda Of Ordinances. ❑ Contact Buncombe Courtly planninz 1).-narlment ai 250- 4830, inforrlrafi'on}avia shouldbm+e beforyoucar.: ❑ The rm+perly's tax identification number (PIN) r street address 1f disturbing streams or wetlands: • Cnntacl the I:_ . Army Corr cal Engindcrs at 27I-7980 fauribtliarmation on relevant requirements_ ❑ Comsat NCDENR Water Quality Section at 296-4500 tier information of relevant rsquircrnen#Ls, Step 4.. Street Address if the property does not have an established city xtylc Stroet address (sired name and house not rural role p.nd box number); ❑ Contact the Buncombe County Strad Addressing Department at 250-484S. 1rr/6rrrrcriro r you Amid have before yarncall: El The property's taxi deal i1 ication ntenhe (PIN) 1,4NaliOil Orplanncd driveway AdA ddrekaieki OFneighhoring frrtporties (helpful information, WI net required) Re pew the following: • Street addrcas for the property Step 5: Sewerage If public sewer is itliailable, ❑ Contact the Ettglneeriatg Division of the ?Metropolitan Sewerage District at25]-4781_ 66 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Re oast the, following.- 1 ewer tap application and fee information If public sewer ig not available and the property, has been determined suitable for a peptic tank 0 _apply for an Authorization to Construct al Llwiiicontbe County LSnYirottatedital I kalif" (250-5016) located at 30 Valley Street. forfaarmaiwn _Km ,4 miler how hefbre appiyIng aw Em.iroramerrraf f ie fth; eT1ie propeily's lax idantilacation ntsnther(PIN) A plat or ta.7k map of life PtoperI1' which is zoiailaLhlI 1Ferough pLLhIIC accmis gum or from Environmental Health, Land Recall:L., Planning, o,r Permits & Inspections ❑ the number of bedrooms oldie proposed home or tltc number of cnp]oyvcs of n commercial project (commercial projects may require additional uri'ormiliori) R vest the following; Application. for Authorixation to Construct (fee involved) ❑ Flags for identifi-ing lot and house corners infOrBlen r? +vu should have beh'are accreting with the Environmental Health Specialist at the HPIacrntii1 of 4 IA .garner flags far properties oft tee& or less Placement of 4 house comer flags El I< nuwvletigtot'location of!driveway ❑ f Mow .ledge or malice stlun.'c (well or mLLuicipal +Niter) Step 61 Water liVeD (Nine! Septic s}'tem must b.e permitted prior to thin warp) ]F municipal %valor is not avjilkhlo: ❑ Cot a licensed water a all drilling eoitraett'. ,A permit iti required from f lurkeornbe Comity. The septic tank .uthorii.Rtion to Construct will indi mite proper distance From the scptie tank systent., and any existing bodies of water. Step27 Building 15ermllt 111 Apply for a building permit from l wancombe County Permits 4 [lisped igas (250-5360) located at 30 Valley Street in downtown Asheville (fee involved). fr?torvraxtron Nu should have regirrdrrrg the properly anti the proposed structure before applying at Permits & inspxcaeri rrs, 'hurt Factuieed I1 me ❑ 11so property's tax identification number (PIN) ❑ The propert 's iitrccl addre s Tlie Property's lot nurnher ilk! a nurinufaciured liorric pork The hnnta'w maritliactur r The home's year buih 67 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 El The honk"s model number ❑ Tlk home's box size El The home's base cost ❑ "11 a home's type of heat El .11te name of the setup contractor who will place the haste El Sewage approval from NiSD or Environmental Health ❑ 'Water approval from the Asheville Regional Water Authority if applicable 71se prop lily's i&N identification numhe>+(P(PIN) The property's strut address Thehomes iypc of heal .Frun rids of building plans Tlic name of the building contractor The name of the electrical subcontractor ❑ The name of the plumbing su%contractor HIlse name of the mechanical subcontractor Sewage approval from ' iSD or Environmental Health O Water approval from the Asheville Regional Water Authority if applicable CouinsLrci al ❑ 'he property's tax identification number (PIN) The property' e area addre lunge run Netx of building plaauc With A endix ii A s`rtE plat, The name of the building comractor The name of the cicetriial sulxxrotr4Iet(r The rim= of the plumbing sulicc ntraotor The rramc of the mechanicaI subcontract Or ❑ Scw'agc approval from \1 D or Environmental Health ❑ 1,4'a~tcr approval from the Asheville Regional VIValer ,Aulhorny if applicable Ste: Zoning Bring building permit to 13ustcanbe County Planning Department (150-4830) al 46 Valley Street in downtown Asheville Ifprowy is. located in one of the following zwed areas Town of BIltiri to Forest - Town Adrminiif;lraItor, Nelsons Smith (274-0g2.4) Town. of Went rr rille or the Wei ervllle 1TJ - Zoning Department Shelby Shicldm (643-7I 16 ) T+yaw n u rWood1in - Town Administrator. ,Tagop Young ( 5;3-4RR7) 68 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 ❑ Obtain zoning pennit from the appropriate authority and submit to .Buncombe County Punks 8: Inspections. Step 9; Driveway Permit 11 i it project is LxatnutiercEal or multifamily and connects to a public road ❑ Obtain a drivewav perm from the North Carolina Department of 'iranr portatioit* District F,nginaeritig office (298-2741), Step >k li: fire liYllardtal Certification Topic rojccl cmnnnrrclaI conslrocEion: submit ti iinguis]ting lu the Fir-c larslial's ()nice Jirr revit w prior Eo insta]lalinmL ❑ Submit fire alarm plans to the Fire Mars.ha]'s Office for approval prior to installation. A cerlificalk of completion will he issued after aoccplancc tests have hacn completed. ❑ For specifics ❑n exit ]!igMs and lire cxlinguishors. {}rrel ued maticrs.'contact the Fire Marshal's Office at 2.50-6620, I/the protect includes the 8ubdhskawon of land, the }wire Marshal'sOffice muse inspect and (approve rood design andor ocrstrng maces on the property praor to the frrnaf plot buret~ approved and recorded ❑ Contact the Fire Marshal's Office at 250-6620 for road Yeview and approval. 69 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Appendix C - Preliminary Schedule and Associated Costs Key Project Dates Phase Tasks Estimated Costs - Riverside Rock Structure Estimated Costs - Silverline Adjustable Structure Woodfin Leaders Assess Community Interest September 2016—December and Local Advocates Assess funder Interest 0 0 2016 Assess Project and Funding Potential Bond Referendum November 8th Hydraulic Modelling - Existing Conditions $6,164.12 $7,947.71 January 2017 - May, 2017 Preliminary Design Bathymetric/Topographic Survey $12,328.24 $15,895.43 Phase Engineering Design - Prelim Design Assessment $14,793.89 $19,074.52 Engineering Design - Develop plans Preliminary Design sufficient for Permitting and Development of Physical Model $29,587.78 $38,149.03 June 2017 —August 2017 (30%) Hydraulic Modelling - Proposed $4,931.30 $6,358.17 Conditions Engineering Design - Update to Project Cost Estimates $3,698.47 $4,768.63 404, 401 Permitting - Submit to September 2017 - November Regulatory Agencies for Permitting $24,656.48 $31,790.86 2018 Permitting Phase Engineering Design - Make Necessary Adjustments to Preliminary Design $7,396.94 $9,537.26 Physical Model Physical Modelling- Development of $120,000.00 $120,000.00 August 2018 - November Development and 1/14th Laboratory Scale Model 2018 Detailed Design (90%) Engineering Design - Adjustments to Preliminary Design $14,793.89 $19,074.52 Engineering Design - Design and Construction Drawings Completed $3,698.47 $4,768.63 November 2018 —January Design Submittal Hydraulic Modelling - FinalHydraulicsfor 2019 (100%) No -Rise $1,232.82 $1,589.54 Floodplain Permitting $24,656.48 $31,790.86 Construction Gather and Evaluate Contractor Bids January 2019 —April 2019 Drawings,Bid,and Finalization of Cost Estimates Based On 0 0 Contract for Construction Contractor Bids Construction Materials $866,259.21 $1,151,634.36 Contractor Construction Bonding $36,984.72 $47,686.29 May 2019 —August 2019 Mobilization and Mob and Demob $36,984.72 $47,686.29 Construction Construction Stakeout $6,164.12 $7,947.71 Construction Monitoring $98,625.92 $127,163.44 25% Contingency - Construction N/A Contingency Materials and Physical Modelling $246,564.80 $317,908.59 Sunday, September 01, 2019 Commissioning Ribbon Cutting and Opening of Project for 0 0 Public Use Total Project Cost $1,559,522.37 $2,010,771.83 70 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 71 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 Appendix D: Glossary These terms are often used in the white water parks business. Let us know if you are left wondering about a term or phrase —we'll add it to the list! 2-Dimensional Flow Models: Flow models such as River 2d show the nature and distribution of flows. Flow 2d models are often useful for establishing fish passage by adjusting the design to meet flow criteria established with permitting authorities. 3-Dimensional Flow Models: Flow models such as Fluent or Flow 3d that use computational fluid dynamics to compute virtually every characteristic of the flow including vortices, turbulence, water surface character, and more. These models are often less informative and more expensive than creating an actual physical model. Business and Market Analysis: A study that establishes what the market potential for a whitewater park is in a given community including total expected visitorship and the character and demographics of these visitors. We also use research data to establish price point and complementary amenities. Based on this information we create a business and operations model for the client. Our models are very robust and have, without comment, been reviewed by independent as well as state and banking reviewers in preparation for grant and loan funding. Beware of freebie and cheap "general purpose" business models. These are the only white water park business models that provide operators and financiers the information that they need, for their project, to make it happen. Class I -VI: Whitewater rapids can be classified according to difficulty and risk. A generally accepted classification system typically uses roman numerals between I and VI with I being the easiest to navigate and appropriate for beginners with obvious lines and very little power and class VI being the most difficult with steep and powerful lines that are difficult to attain and maintain even for the best expert boaters. Dangerous "Keeper" Hydraulic: Hydraulic jumps vary in power and character. In general the gamut of hydraulic jump types varies from glassy green wave to a hydraulic jump that features dangerous recirculating currents that swimmers have difficulty existing. The designers challenge in whitewater park design is to create a whitewater feature that has sufficient power to be a play feature, but not so much power that it creates a hazard to beginner boaters. Economic Impact Study: A study completed in cooperation with a PhD in economics. We study the economics of the region surrounding the park and establish, based on published data (or surveyed data if published data does not exist) what the economic impact of a whitewater park will be to a host community in terms of total dollars, increased tax revenue, increased average incomes, increased jobs, and other pertinent economic metrics. EPDUK: S2o's design partner in Great Britain. S2o and EPDUK partnered together on several projects including the London Olympic Park Project. 72 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Floodplain Analysis: A process that undertaken to understand the effect of a whitewater park on a floodplain at a particular project site. Often the floodplain analysis is conducted hand -in -hand with the project design to minimize or eliminate flooding impacts. Freestyle Feature: A surf or play feature of sufficient size and power to be used for Freestyle, or trick kayaking, competitions. Freestyle kayaking: A type of whitewater competition in which paddlers surf in a wave or hydraulic and perform tricks over a set time period. The paddlers are scored according to style, difficulty, and number and variety of tricks. Large events such as the Teva Mountain Games, which are held in the Nick Turner (now of S2o) designed pneumatically adjustable play feature can have an economic impact of $3.5 million dollars in a single weekend event! HEC-RAS Model: a one dimensional flow model developed by the Army Corps of Engineers to predict flood elevations in rivers. This software has limited applications to Whitewater Design —particularly within floodplains. Kayak Park: A whitewater park designed specifically for kayaking. Many of the freestyle whitewater parks are custom designed to create waves and play -holes specifically for kayaking Physical Model: A Froude scaled model that is hydraulically scaled (using the Froude number relationship) to mimic the behavior of a full-sized river. If done properly this model can accurately predict wave size, height, and shape as well as depths, velocities, and other pertinent course features. Play Features: Similar to Surfing Features. Surfing features in whitewater parks are waves or hydraulic jumps which are conducive to surfing a kayak, stand-up-paddleboard (SUP) or surf board. These waves are called standing waves and remain stationary in the current (in comparison to waves in the ocean which transit a body of water and break on the beach). Run -Of -The -River Type Features: Whitewater Park features which are a challenge or that augment the experience of running the river. These features contrast with Freestyle and Play features in that they provide a navigational challenge to varying levels of boater. Slalom kayaking: A type of whitewater competition in which kayakers are timed going through a set course of slalom gates (poles hung from wires above the river/channel). Paddlers are timed and scored with the winner posting the fastest time. Large events, such as the 2008 Olympic Team Trials can have as many as 30,000 spectators in a single weekend and can have millions of dollars in economic impact to a hosting town or city. Slalom Racing/Slalom Features: Whitewater Slalom Racing is a timed event wherein kayakers race through a set of 18-25 slalom gates hung in a whitewater rapid. Athletes are scored based on total running time plus assessed penalties for touching or missing the gates. Slalom Features are features that are conducive to setting challenging slalom courses. 73 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Surfing Features: Similar to Play Features. Surfing features in whitewater parks are waves or hydraulic jumps which are conducive to surfing a kayak, stand-up-paddleboard (SUP) or surf board. These waves are called standing waves and remain stationary in the current (in comparison to waves in the ocean which transit a body of water and break on the beach). Swift water Rescue Park: a park designed specifically to help train rescue authorities in swift water rescue. These parks can hold cars, trees, and platforms in the main flow and can be turned off in an instant if a rescue or scenario becomes dangerous. White water Park Design: The planning, design, market and business analysis, and creation of construction documents for a white water park. Whitewater Raft: a watercraft that is inflatable that is typically designed to carry paddlers through a whitewater rafting. Rafters can be commercial rafters as a part of a for -profit business, or private rafters, who own or acquire their own inflatable watercraft. Width, Depth, And Aspect Ratio When Referring to Whitewater Features: Constructed whitewater features —in particular freestyle features —typically span the river or channel in which they were built. These features, in order to meet permit and FEMA requirements need to match existing river morphology in the reach. As a rule the existing bed therefore defines the width, depth, and aspect ratio of the existing river bed and the designer often checks, by inspection, that the selected location is appropriate for improvements given the existing aspect ratio of the river. 74 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540 Bibliography Buncombe County. (2014, November 17). Buncombe County GIS. Retrieved from Buncombe County GIS: http://gis.buncombecounty.org/buncomap/Map_All.html Clean Water Act, Section 404. (n.d.). Retrieved from United States Environmental Protection Agency: http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/guidance/wetlands/sec404.cfm Endangered Species, Threatened Species, Federal Species of Concern and Candidate Species, Buncombe County, NC. (2014, 1 14). Retrieved from US Fish and Wildlife Service: http://www.fws.gov/raleigh/species/cntylist/buncombe.html FEMA. (2016, july 25). FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer (official). Retrieved from Fema.gov: http://fema.maps.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=cbe088e7c8704464aa0fc3 4eb99e7f30&extent=-82.6651541064452,35.61041597048608,- 82.4989858935548,35.656457454588185 Flood Risk Information System. (2014, 12 9). Retrieved from North Carolina: Floodplain Mapping Program: http://www.ncfloodmaps.com/ Floodway. (n.d.). Retrieved from FEMA: https://www.fema.gov/floodplain-management/floodway Free Demographics. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.freedemographics.com/ Google. (2015, February 11). Google Maps. Retrieved from Google.com: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Asheville,+NC/@35.5902946,- 82.5731198,474m/data=!3m 1! 1e3!4m2!3m1! 1s0x88598ca93c0f6f09:0x94ef31c106343a5d Haughey, J. (2013, August 6). Battle Over Riverbed Ownership Continues in North Caronlina. Retrieved from Outdoor Life: http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/open-country/2013/08/battle-over- riverbed-ownership-continues-north-carolina Hunt, M. (2016, July 29). (S. Shipley, Interviewer) Kahn, M. (n.d.). The Best River Towns in America, Asheville, NC. Retrieved from Outside: http://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/best-towns/Best-Towns-Asheville-North- Carolina.html Lance. (2012, February 25). Who owns the Yadkin River --revisited. Retrieved from Bluenc: http://www.bluenc.com/content/who-owns-yadkin-river-revisited Monson, S. (2014, October 22). Riverfront Redevelopment Office Director. (S. Shipley, Interviewer) 75 318 McConnell Drive 1 Lyons, CO 1 80540 Motsinger, C. (n.d.). Asheville named in Outside's Best Towns Ever Issue. Retrieved from Citizen Times: http://www.citizen-times.com/story/carol-motsinger/2014/08/13/asheville-outside-best- towns/14000495/ North Caronlina Division of Environment and Natural Resources. (2014, November 17). Division of Water Resources. Retrieved from NCDENR-Frequently Asked Questions: http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/wq/swp/ws/401/certsandpermits/faqs OSU. (2014, 12 9). Analysis Techniques: Flood Analysis Tutorial with Daily Data (Log -Pearson Type 111 Distribution). Retrieved from Streamflow Evaluations for Watershed Restoration Planning and Design: http://streamflow.engr.oregonstate.edu/analysis/floodfreq/meandaily_tutorial.htm R. Goodman, G. P. (1994). The Design of Artificial Whitewater Canoeing Courses. Instn. Civ Engnrs Mun. Engr, 191-202. Urban Drainage Criteria Manual. (2013, August). Retrieved from Urban Drainage and Flood Control District: http://www.udfcd.org/downloads/down_critmanual_vollll.htm USGS. (2014, 10 21-22). USGS 03451500 FRENCH BROAD RIVER AT ASHEVILLE, NC. Wikipedia. (2014, December 2). National Register of Historic Places Listings in Buncombe County, NC-- Wikipedia. Retrieved from www.wikipedia.com: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Register_of Historic_Places_listings_in_Buncombe_Coun ty,_North_Carolina 76 318 McConnell Drive I Lyons, CO 180540