History

Gore Canyon Whitewater Park at Pumphouse Open to Boaters

May 13, 2015 - Hot Sulphur Springs, CO. Grand County has completed construction of Gore Canyon Whitewater Park on the Colorado River at the BLM Pumphouse recreation site. The waves have opened to rave reviews from enthusiastic boaters, many of whom have been watching the project's progress over the winter. Completing this project took over five years of coordinated effort led by Grand County Commissioners. This included extensive planning, outreach, negotiation, water court processes, engineering, fundraising and permitting. The final--and shortest--phase of the project was the actual construction which was completed on schedule in under five months by the award-winning contractor, Kissner General Contracting. Boaters, landowners, regulatory agencies and a wide variety of Colorado River lovers all had crucial and active roles in bringing the project to fruition.  



Colorado River Gains Recreational Flow Rights for Whitewater Parks 

The Grand County Board of County Commissioners was awarded historic water rights for two whitewater parks on the Colorado River in a recent water decree entered by Judge Boyd in Division 5 Water Court. The Hot Sulphur Springs Whitewater Park was granted water rights for flows ranging from 250 to 850 cfs. The Gore Canyon Whitewater Park was granted water rights for flows ranging from 860 to 1500 cfs. Uniquely, the decree also protects deliveries of water up to 2,500 cfs to the Gore Canyon Whitewater Park.  Read on...

Gore Canyon Whitewater Park Awarded $500,000 by State Water Board 

Grand County took another huge step forward in the quest build the proposed Gore Canyon Whitewater Park at Pumphouse, thanks to the members of the Colorado Basin Roundtable and the Colorado Water Conservation Board. At their recent board meeting, the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) members awarded Grand County $500,000 from the Water Supply Reserve Account to help construct whitewater features in the Colorado River at the popular BLM recreational boating site west of Kremmling.  Read on...

Grand Buoys Hopes for Whitewater Park

Boaters on the Colorado River in Grand County one day may see an exciting new feature — pending fundraising, permitting and water-court hurdles. Read on...

Water Lines: Gore Canyon Whitewater Park First Rec Project Funded by State Water Board

Grand County took a huge step forward in its quest to build the proposed Gore Canyon Whitewater Park at Pumphouse, thanks to the members of the Colorado Basin Roundtable and the Colorado Water Conservation Board. Read on...

Grant Fuels Whitewater Park Plans for County 

A recent grant has given a big boost to a proposed whitewater park at the Pumphouse Recreation Area northeast of State Bridge. Read on...

Whitewater Wishes 

Whitewater enthusiasts preparing to enter Gore Canyon on the Colorado River head into a stretch of river with expert-only rapids. According to the Colorado River Outfitters Association, the upper Colorado River was one of the few rivers last year to show an increase in use over 2011.  Read on...


Gore Canyon Whitewater Park at Pumphouse

The Colorado Water Conservation Board awarded $500,000 to the $1.7 million project and the final $600,000 was sought from a variety of sources—including boaters. This “park and play” whitewater feature is located just upstream of launch #2 at the popular BLM Pumphouse recreational site on the Colorado River near the western edge of Grand County.