On Tuesday, Pitkin County commissioners and Basalt town council members will hear an update on plans to upgrade the areas surrounding the whitewater park.
Work on the wave structures in Basalt’s whitewater park wrapped up over the winter. Contractors raised the height of the pool between the two man-made waves, allowing boaters to flow more smoothly through the park. But Pitkin County attorney John Ely said there’s still a lot to do to make the park a true community amenity.
The goal now is to improve streamside access to public lands near the whitewater park. Elected officials from Basalt and Pitkin County will hear about extensive plans to build trails that would connect Fisherman’s park to more public property downstream. It could involve narrowing Two Rivers Road to make room for nature play areas for kids and observation decks near the whitewater park.
The purpose of the park, Ely said, is to protect the in-stream flow of the Roaring Fork. The county has a recreational in-channel water right, which could eventually allow it to call water in drought years.
“This would be the kind of the year that would typically be benefited from the water right,” he said.
Ely said drawing more people to the whitewater park could ensure the validity of the county’s water right.
The discussion about streamside improvements starts at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Basalt town hall.
