I just ran across a news article that seems to indicate that there is a whitewater park being discussed in Ann Arbor MI, with the removal of an old dam. Is there anyone in the AW network who would be skilled at approaching the decision makers to explain the benfits of such a project and offer advise? The lower peninsula of MI is literally without ANY real whitewater. A park located in Ann Arbor could be a huge benefit to midwestern paddlers, as well as the local area.

Here's a link to the article:
[blog.mlive.com]

Quite a few people are on this one. We're very excited by the possibility. Jonathon Lutz, who is also the executive director of Michigan Audubon, and several members of the UM kayak club (Raw Strength and Courage Kayakers, [sitemaker.umich.edu]) are involved. My wife and I are members of the Huron River Watershed Council, and are advocating as well. In addition to providing a whitewater recreation venue in an area otherwise devoid of ww, converting Argo Pond to a whitewater park would have major environmental benefits. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality recommended the dam be removed more than 10 years ago. There are also safety issues with the aging dam. (What brought all this to the fore again is a set of costly repairs the dam will need soon, if it is not removed.) There are significant enough potential economic advantages to the city that a properly designed ww park could provide a positive return on investment fairly quickly even without considering the cost of dam repairs. The biggest challenge is finding quality alternative accommodations for the rowing club that uses the pond. Stay tuned! -Lee