Hi everyone!

Sorry I haven't been on the forum lately, just got around to paying dues.

Well my senior year at UK is here, and as an engineering student, I am required to do a year long senior project with a few other students. These projects come mostly from businesses or student groups, such as reducing vibrations on a Harley or working on the suspension on the UK solar car.

I have long been wanting to work on something whitewater related for my senior project, and basically just need a group to sponsor it. All it takes is an email to the Dean of engineering with a brief paragraph describing what the project is and how its engineering related. The scope of the project is basically how much the sponsor wants, and can pay for. But hey, its 3-4 engineers working for about a year for free

So here are three projects I think are worth pursuing, and with help, I think all are feasable.

1. Design and build a wave tank. This would be a portable tank which houses a water-park style water pump, which would create a surfable wave. The wave would be attenuated by a combination of flow and/or a airbag system under the floor of the tank. The airbags could also be manipulated to remove the wave feature and create an eddy. This way the tank could be utilized by beginners learning to ferry, peel out, and catch eddys.

2. Plan, design, and build a whitewater wave in front of the courthouse in downtown Lexington. Currently there is a fountain with large rocks, a pump could be added and rocks moved to create a surfable feature.

3. Plan a whitewater course on the Elkhorn at the site of the current Jim Beam dam. The site could be modified to satisfy all parties involved, with a portion of the dam kept for a fire-suppressing pool, and a side scaped into a few whitewater features.


All or a portion of one of these proposals could be completed, for example, if a full wave tank is not economically feasible, a scale model could be built with a cost projection for the tank.

Any other ideas are more than welcome, and if anyone would like to discuss an idea further, I'd be happy to via the forum, email, or a beer. The Dean's info is Dean Thomas Lester, lester@engr.uky.edu. If the BWA is serious about proposing one of these projects, or a different one, I can definitely help write a proposal. Let's get some feedback going...

Thanks! - Robby

Here is the official letter from the dean asking for sponsors...

I don't see why we can't sponsor this. Thoughts? anyone?

I love all three ideas but how incredibly fun would it be to have a surf wave in downtown Lexington!!

I'm all for the BWA sponsoring any of these projects.

What kind of funding are we talking about?

What is your time frame Robby?

Is this something we need to discuss at the SC meeting?

-bo

The project description, due in late August, can be very vague, such as 'create a whitewater feature in Lexington', then, as we developed the costs and other aspects of the projects, the BWA would vote and pick one, and we would build it.

As a sponsor, the BWA would have the major say in what we do, and members could (and I would encourage) help with the project.

If the cost analysis comes back too much for the BWA, we could ask other organizations to contribute, such as Canoe Kentucky.

If the costs are completely outrageous, the proposal could just be to design, plan, analyze, and build a scale model of the feature.

I can come to a SC meeting if need be to discuss further.

Thanks! - Robby

What about a white water park at Boonesborough Park? I have a rendering for you (see the attachment). This image is crappy do to the low res max that AW allows but it gives you the idea. I can email you a higher resolution copy if you are interested.

I think a feature at the Jim Beam distillery would be the best project and realistic. It would sweet if JB would build it and have surf competitions with bourbon tasting. They could donate some land and make it a park. California dreaming here!

Ledgeman

A whitewater park at Boonesboro is a great idea Ledgeman!

Ledgeman,
The WW park at Boonesboro looks awesome, from what I could tell. You're right though in that the JB dam might be more realistic monetarily. Thanks for the input!

I second the whitewater park at Boonesboro, or at least a modification of the existing lock and dam to accomodate a single feature.

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Kentucky River Authority (and maybe the Army Corps of Engineers also) actually looked into modifying the structure to make a fish ladder that would allow fish to move between the pools separated by the dam. This was contemplated as part of the planned and, I think, scheduled repair/replacement of Lock 10, but the fish ladder plan was supposedly shelved because of funding and I was told that it would require money from the Federal Government (Rep. Ben Chandler) to make it happen.

You might look into a project that would incorporate a new lock and dam, a fish ladder, and a whitewater feature. The current administration in Frankfort is really into adventure tourism and Boonesboro offers a golden opportunity - great access to an existing state park, a nearly unlimited source of water, an environmental (fish) need, a planned project at an existing structure (with $$), and pre-existing studies of feasibility - so you might be able to get some funding at the state level as well.

Good luck.