DALLAS WAVE CLOSING: THE CITY PROVIDES THE FACTS, OLD NEWS

[CAPTAIN ALEVE]

Here is the response I just received from the Dallas Assistant Director of City Parks to my question about the Trinity River Wave being closed (which it isn't) (I also see that this general reply has already been posted, but it bears repeating to reinforce the need to gather complete info before jumping to conclusions):

Dear Michael,



On behalf of Dallas City Manager Mary Suhm and the Dallas Park and Recreation Department, I want to thank you for your support of The Dallas Wave. The City of Dallas is extremely proud of offering this exciting new recreational amenity to white water enthusiasts throughout North Texas and the United States.



As you may be aware there have been two construction projects side-by-side at this location. In addition to The Dallas Wave, the City of Dallas also has under construction the Santa Fe Trestle Hike and Bike Trail (Trestle Trail), which spans the river over the upper wave and includes an aerial ramp on the west shore of the Trinity River where The Dallas Wave shoreline improvements (access road, parking lot, concrete boat ramps above and below the waves and shoreline sidewalk) are located. The trail project will not be completed until the late fall of 2011, so the City had to make the difficult decision to restrict access to the shoreline area until construction of the trail project is completed. Due to the close proximity of the two projects, public safety was the paramount concern in arriving at this decision.



We wish to emphasize one important point: the Trinity River is open to boaters. The river is not closed. While it is possible to access The Dallas Wave from Eighth Street, the general contractor for the Trestle Trail keeps the gate locked much of the time in order to avoid conflicts between park patrons and heavy construction traffic during daytime hours and to maintain construction site security during evening hours. Should you find the gate open and decide to access The Dallas Wave, please bear in mind that it could be locked when you depart. If this occurs, you may call 311 and request that the gate be unlocked by on-call City maintenance crews. Full access to the river and The Dallas Wave will be restored this fall when construction of the Trestle Trail is complete.



The second issue that you are probably aware of also concerns public safety. When construction of the wave features were completed, the City invited kayakers to try it out and provide us with their reactions. We were gratified that the responses to The Dallas Wave were universally enthusiastic and favorable. However, the by-pass channel adjacent to the lower wave was criticized by a few canoeists as being too turbulent for safe passage by novice paddlers. Because this was brought to our attention as a safety concern, it was incumbent upon the City of Dallas to pause and address this issue in a responsible manner. The design team for The Dallas Wave is currently working on a modification that will decrease both the turbulence and the volume of water flowing through the by-pass channel. The proposed alteration must be submitted to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers for review and approval. When this process is complete, then work can begin on any changes to the by-pass channel. The anticipated timeline for these changes is in the winter.


In the mean time we thank you for your support and ask for your patience as the City completes construction of the Trestle Trail and simultaneously addresses the issue of public safety, which remains our highest priority.



Sincerely,



Willis



Willis C. Winters, FAIA | Assistant Director
City of Dallas Park and Recreation Department
Planning, Design and Construction Division I Facility Services Division


willis.winters@dallascityhall.com | 214 670-4074

End quote.

Captain Aleve, alias Mike "Just the Facts, Ma'am" Coogan

[bmartin]

I let Willis know that I was sharing his response to other AR kayakers (which I posted in another thread) and here is his response:

"DPARD welcomes the state of Arkansas to The Dallas Wave any time!"

Good vibes from the folks at the Dallas Parks.