Riding the Rapids

Viewing rivers as an economic development tool is a fairly recent phenomenon in Maine. Towns long thought of the water that flowed through their hearts as a source of power for a mill and a means to wash away pollutants. Now, towns realize that people will come to a clean river to boat and fish, spending money in local establishments on the way. Skowhegan is the latest town that hopes to capitalize on this positive trend.

Worried that its downtown would be bypassed when a new bridge is built to carry traffic across the Kennebec River, local officials now want to build a white-water park on the river. The park will include an Olympic-quality kayak course, viewing areas for the public and hiking trails.

A similar park in Golden, Colo., has pumped $2 million a year in the economy of the Denver suburb, according to local officials. Three other parks are in operation in Nevada, Texas and Colorado. The courses are free to use and are safer and more accessible than wild rivers. They feature man-made waterfalls and obstacles that allow kayakers to do aerial tricks, which attract curious spectators. They also have calm, flat areas where novices can learn to paddle and roll. At least six more parks are expected to open in coming years, according to Outside magazine.

Skowhegan’s plan to be among them has gotten a boost from the state’s congressional delegation. Sen. Olympia Snowe has submitted a request for $1.2 million in the 2005 budget to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies. Rep. Michael Michaud is also pressing for funds through a congressional transportation bill.

In many ways Skowhegan is building on what its neighbors up the river are already doing. The small towns scattered along the banks of the Kennebec north of Skowhegan have long catered to the white-water rafters. People from across the state and beyond trek to Caratunk and The Forks in droves to paddle through the river’s rapids.

What Skowhegan hopes to do is concentrate white-water activity in the gorge formed by the river as it flows through town. A white-water construction consultant who was the engineer for a Kentucky park where training events for the 1996 Olympics were held has praised the Skowhegan site. The town hopes to have the park open in time to be a training ground for the 2012 Olympics.

These are lofty aspirations, but this is a project well worth pursuing.