City Council approved a $44,000 feasibility study last week that will explore where a new surf wave could be optimally built along the Animas River in Durango.
The nonprofit Animas River Surfers proposed the feasibility study and a partnership with the city to get it done. It raised $13,000 to contribute to the study.
The city budgeted $40,000 plus a 10% contingency from the 2015 sales tax fund for the study, which City Council approved last week along with budget appropriations for a wide scope of other projects.
Parks and Recreation Director Scott McClain said it has received proposals for the study, and the chosen consultant will identify possible locations for a surf wave and narrow them down to one. The consultant will engage with commercial organizations and Animas River users during the study.
The need for a new wave
Animas River Surfers first proposed a new river surf wave to Durango City Council in June.
Animas River Surfers Board President Amanda Kiessel said river surfers enjoy the Whitewater Park in the north end of Santa Rita Park, but because of natural water levels they are able to make full use of the park for only about eight weeks every spring.
An engineered surf wave would extend the season, she said.
Proponents of a new wave told The Durango Herald it would be a safe and healthy option for Durango’s children and bolster the economy.
Riverwise Engineering Principal Shane Sigle said in July that the 29th Street put-in, the Whitewater Park in north Santa Rita Park and a spot upstream from the park are locations where a glassy surf wave are strong candidates.
They are good places to build structures to create hydraulics needed to make ideal waves and they are areas surfers wouldn’t intrude on other river users, he said.
“They’ll help us look at possible locations for the surf wave, look at concerns, narrow it down to a location, and then give us a price/cost estimate for that feature,” he said.
Councilor Kip Koso asked why the $44,000 budget amount is necessary if Animas River Surfers is contributing $13,000. McClain said the city appropriates the entire project cost and the contributed money is repaid into a sales tax fund.
McClain said the study will provide the city with information it can use to decide if it will pursue construction of a new surf wave.
“With a river surf wave like this there’s a lot of variables where it’s hard to just compare what we have in Durango to Salida or what it might cost for Farmington or some place else just because of the dynamics with the river,” he said. “This will help give us more information as we move forward.”
The Parks and Recreation Department is scheduled to start drafting a new department master plan – a process that could take two years – this summer. The feasibility study’s construction cost estimates could inform how community-wide projects are prioritized in the master plan, he said.
Councilor Shirley Gonzales asked if Animas River Surfers would get its money back should the study determine the project isn’t feasible. McClain said it would not.
Mayor Gilda Yazzie asked if the study would focus solely on river dynamics or if it would consider additional features such as parking and restrooms.
McClain said the study’s goal is to determine the total cost to construct a new surf wave and, if necessary, amenities at a single location.
“There may be one location that already is adjacent to a park that has parking, that has restroom facilities where those things wouldn’t be as much as a consideration as (if) we’re going to try to build a park facility along with a feature that needs those facilities – parking, restroom – somewhere else,” he said.
City spokesman Tom Sluis told The Durango Herald the city hasn’t yet hired a consultant to conduct the feasibility study and it will be another week or so before a consultant is selected.
cburney@durangoherald.com
