LaPorte woman floats whitewater park idea

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

Rafters and rainbows, boaters and browns: Can they coexist peacefully on the Poudre? And, would a proposed water park in LaPorte be good for the community as well?

The answer from Mandy Kotzman of LaPorte is an enthusiastic "Yes!" Now, she's hoping that Larimer County and the Colorado Division of Wildlife will agree.

Kotzman is actively working on the creation of a whitewater park at Lions Park in LaPorte. The park could be a playground for folks with kayaks, rafts, canoes and even surfboards. It could also be home to a healthy population of trout, Kotzman said.

"There's no reason we can't create something that will work for both," she said. If more pools are created in the river, Kotzman noted, more fish might survive over the winter.

Kotzman has received 106 letters of support for the project, as well as offers of funding and labor.

"I've been blown away" by enthusiasm for the water park, she said. The principal of Cache La Poudre Middle School wrote a letter of support, and she has received positive feedback from the three private property owners who would be directly impacted.

However, everyone does not share this enthusiasm. On July 22, Kotzman met with the Larimer County Open Lands Advisory Board about the project. At the meeting, Caryn and Gary Delehoy, who own property just downstream from the proposed water park, expressed several concerns. They cited inadequate parking for current use and the traffic problems that result from overflow vehicles parking along Overland Trail.

The Delehoys noted that trespassing problems along the river already exist and would likely increase with added activity. In addition, they worry that LaPorte people who use Lions Park might be crowded out.

Nonetheless, because of the strong public support that Kotzman demonstrated, the advisory board agreed to begin a management plan review for Lions Park and consider adding kayaking to the list of park activities. The review by county natural resources staff will begin early next year.

Kotzman envisions a water park with one or more drop features for boaters to enjoy. The drops, she said, must be "porous" so that fish can move upstream through them. Her plan also includes more pools and riffles for fish, just upstream from the water park.

In fact, a fish-friendly environment is essential if the project is to proceed. The DOW owns the property at Lions Park in LaPorte where the water park would be located, and the agency must approve the project. To gain that approval, Kotzman and allies must show that the water park will fit into the agency's mission of protecting wildlife and enhancing the public's enjoyment of it.

Lions Park, Kotzman noted, offers many amenities for a water park such as restrooms, picnic tables and parking. Water parks are social places, she said, and good for family fun. They also make a positive impact on local economies.

Kotzman said there are 40 whitewater parks in the United States, with 20 of them in Colorado. Lyons, she noted, has three, and many towns that have built such parks have gone back later to expand them or add more. "Northern Colorado is particularly behind," she commented.

A LaPorte water park, she said, would not preclude building one in Fort Collins, where plans have been bobbing around for eight years.

There are no cost estimates as yet for the LaPorte project.