Paul Paddles the Area Where the Fort Collins Whitewater Park Could Be [VIDEO]

I am totally in support of installing a whitewater park where the Poudre River crosses College Avenue in Fort Collins.

There are so many good reasons. Some of them have been detailed here. Many more are in the video above.

The biggest reason why it should be done? THEY ARE GOING TO CHANGE THAT SECTION OF THE RIVER ANYWAY.

You know that eyesore of a diversion dam that you see as you walk along Poudre Trail, under College Avenue? Or the rest of that section that is home to drunken transients? That area is going to be redone.

Unlike the rest of the town, when improvements are being made and no expense is spared, Fort Collins may put a band aid on this section, rather than enhancing it as much as possible, highlighting it as much as possible, giving as much access as possible and creating an even better Old Town, they may just do the minimum.

This town deserves a lot more than the minimum. The river deserves so much more than the minimum. I know this is a big project, and it's not as easy as just saying, "Yeah, let's put a whitewater park there" and poof, it's done. But still, how many towns have a river that runs through it?

Not many.

On top of that, how many towns have a river that is as close to the point of creation of that water running through it? Very, very few.

I grew up in Pittsburgh. We had three rivers running through our town. And it wasn't a good idea to swim in any of them. We still did, because water is such a blessing.

The water in the Poudre is fresh. It's clean. It is beautiful. It doesn't flow through any industrial areas before it reaches Old Town. You'd have to be in Durango or somewhere higher up in the mountains to find cleaner water. Besides a few pastures, there is barely an opportunity for the water to be polluted. That is special. That is rare.

It reminds me of Fort Collins. Special and rare? No doubt.

Let's make it more special, with a whitewater park.