McLaughlin Whitewater - Confluence Park

CONFLUENCE PARK
South Platte River & Cherry Creek
Denver, Colorado

PROJECT CHALLENGES: The birthplace of Denver — the Cherry Creek and South Platte confluence — was poised between vacant lots and unattended industrial buildings. The City wanted to address:

Flooding, which is occasionally severe
Interest by the general public in swimming and boating
The fairly steep slope of the pre-existing chute
A need for a municipal diversion structure

ATTRIBUTES OF THE DESIGN: Confluence Park is now part of a revitalized urban area surrounded by a popular area for residential lofts and condos, sports stadiums, office buildings and retail shopping:

The floodplain was improved (by one foot... significant by land management standards)
It is enjoyable by beginner paddlers, throughout a wide range of water flow levels
Structural maintenance has been unnecessary
It is used as a venue for whitewater events
Water quality has improved

The design includes drops, waves and pools which offer a reliable recreational venue for beginners and experts alike. Thanks to our engineers' ability to replicate 100-year flood conditions in working scale models, Confluence Park has handled large flood events since its reconstruction in '95 with no boulder movement or structural maintenance.

Link to Confluence Park on the web.