DURANGO WHITEWATER PARK

Stand up Paddle Boarding (SUP) at the Durango Whitewater Park designed by S2o Design and Engineering
S2o is the first whitewater park designer to commit to ADA access at all of our whitewater parks.
Natalie Anderson Rips it up at the Durango Whitewater Park
Wiley Corra surfs the Clocktower hole in Durango, Colorado.
Surfing Classes at the Durango Whitewater Pa
The Upper portion of the Durango Whitewater Park shows the extensive terracing and park-work that S2o includes with its whitewater design projects.
Luke Hansen surfing the Smelter Wave in Durango
Rogan Brown surfs the Corner Pocket wave in Durango, CO
A raft punches the Ponderosa Hole
Surfing the Ponderosa Wave in Durango Colorado
S2o engineer Nathan Werner surfs the Durango Whitewater Park
A stack of rafts navigates the Durango Whitewater Park
Surfing Smelter Rapid at the S2o Designed Durango Whitewater Park

Durango, Colorado

The Durango Whitewater Park is one of the country’s most utilized whitewater parks. S2O Designs’s re-design and Recreational In-Channel Diversion (RICD) permit for this project modernized the park to perform at a level capable of hosting recreational paddling, as well as international standard freestyle, slalom and paddle board competitions.

Due to the numerous challenges associated with this park, the design requirements were stringent and publicly reviewed by all parties. The design was further challenged when Durango submitted its park for a RICD water right. As a part of this process, S2O Design testified at the CWCB hearing, submitted expert reports on the park’s design, and successfully defended the design on behalf of its stakeholders and against the flow-restricting opposition. Based largely on the testimony of S2O Design’s principal, the objectors eventually settled and the original flow claims proposed by S2O Design were awarded.

The design of this park involved an extensive public process including work with the Animas River Task Force, the City of Durango, numerous stakeholders and various permitting agencies.

Project Highlights

  • Design efforts and testimony helped protect the flows of the Animas River for the foreseeable future, while avoiding an expensive, extended trial.
  • Obtained a RICD with maximum flows of 1,400 CFS, four times greater than the CWCB proposed maximum.
  • Worked with varied stakeholders to create a design meeting everyone’s needs.
  • S2o completed pre-design, RICD, design, construction documents and provided construction management of the project.