Wisconsin, Wisconsin, US

D) Wausau Slalom Course (0.35 mile modified natural channel)

River Description

Located in a nicely landscaped park, just a couple blocks from the downtown mall, this site allows easy access by boaters and spectators, and acts as a point of pride for the community.

Back in the 1970's, some area boaters recognized the potential for a whitewater course in what was a 'bypass channel' at a dam site in downtown Wausau. Through their efforts, working with city and state authorities, permissions were granted to clear years of accumulated brush and debris and make enhancements to the channel. A gravel and stone berm was created to narrow the channel, and huge granite boulders were trucked in to enhance the natural bedrock ledges in the river and provide (or augment) waves, holes, pourovers, and strategic eddies.

Releases are via an accordian-hinged or 'scissors' gate which allows water to flow over the gate at all release levels. Boaters start in the pool above and 'run the gate'. Flows may be regulated from 125 to 2000 cubic feet per second, though the standard release is 650cfs.

The gradient figure of 125 feet per mile cited above is technically not correct, since the course is only around 1/3 of a mile in length. I've seen conflicting information about the length and amount of drop. One site lists length as "600 meters with a drop of 15 meters" ( or 49' in 0.37 mi.), while other info suggests 39' in 1/3 mile. Either way, it works out to an equivalent of over 100 feet per mile, so it does tend to be a bit 'pushy'. While no part of the course exceeds a II-III rating, novice boaters may find the course a bit punishing if they don't have a solid roll.


Most boaters presently avoid 'Diagonal Ledge' due to being 'sticky' and a good place for windowshading and getting your bell rung.

While initially designed primarily as a 'slalom course', the relative decline of slalom boating combined with the increased popularity of freestyle or 'playboating' has lead to significant changes to the course, so a good number of spots allow for various 'play' maneuvers. Historically (and arguably) the best of these is simply called "the big drop". More recently, however, significant modification has caused this spot to fall out of favor, as a number of spots in both the upper and the lower part of the reach were improved and are now preferred by most playboaters. There are plans to continue modifications to try to improve features in the future, as funding for design and modification allow.


Wavewheel into the 'Big Drop'

The course relies heavily on volunteers to maintain the course and provide trained safety personnel for all releases. Interested parties are encouraged to contact the Wausau Whitewater to ensure the continued operation of this excellent facility.

Note: Paddlers must have proper safety equipment, sign a waiver, and pay a usage fee ($10 for ACA members, $20 for non-members) to access the course during recreational releases. Fees for 'special events' may vary.

The following video shows the features on the course as of May, 2011:

Wausau Whitewater Park 2011 (Long Play) from Michael Schroeder on Vimeo.