Published: January 17, 2009 11:59 pm      

Bids sought for work to make whitewater dream a reality

HOLLSOPPLE — For years, local boating enthusiasts have argued that a five-mile stretch of the Stonycreek River has potential to become a whitewater Mecca.

Now, that dream is on the verge of becoming reality.

Cambria Somerset Authority is soliciting bids for construction of a whitewater-release mechanism at Somerset County’s Quemahoning Reservoir, and work is expected to begin this year.

While the alterations would happen on authority property, officials are crediting whitewater advocates with raising substantial amounts of cash and moving the project forward.

“The work they put into it, it’s been amazing to me,” authority board Chairman Jim Greco said.

The Stonycreek, which has seen dramatic improvements in water quality due to mine-drainage treatment, already attracts boaters through the annual – and highly successful – Stonycreek River Rendezvous.

Also, a man-made whitewater park in the Tire Hill area of Conemaugh Township, Somerset County, was completed in late 2007 and dedicated last year.

But the crown jewel of the whitewater effort is a portion of the river known as the Stonycreek Canyon, stretching roughly from the Hollsopple area to Carpenter’s Park in Conemaugh Township.

That’s where the massive Quemahoning Reservoir comes into play.

The plan is to periodically release water at a rate of 500 cubic feet per second into Quemahoning Creek, which flows into the Stonycreek.

And that would create a whitewater experience that would greatly bolster the Stonycreek’s already-strong reputation in the boating community.

It’s also hoped that the availability of a popular whitewater experience could bolster the area’s ability to attract new businesses and new employees for existing businesses.

“It becomes an economic-enhancement tool,” said Mike Quinn, facilitator for the nonprofit Stonycreek Quemahoning Initiative.

Cambria Somerset Authority officials have said they cannot afford to pay for reservoir upgrades necessary for a whitewater release. So the project’s backers have spent years trying to arrange funding.

Big grant announcements came in quick succession late last year. Money from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Richard King Mellon Foundation and the Colcom Foundation gave the initiative about $1.2 million to work with.

Until construction bids arrive – the deadline is Feb. 27 – no one is sure how much the project might cost. But officials are hoping the sour economy might keep prices reasonable.

Still, it is not a small job.

Quinn said fabricating a 48-inch diameter valve that will be installed at the Que could take 46 weeks.

“The estimated cost of the valve alone is a quarter-million dollars,” Quinn said.

Due to the large volume of water involved in the controlled releases, the project also includes channel reinforcement.

“Work has to be done along the stream bed to account for the erosion,” Greco said.

Ideally, whitewater releases would happen every other weekend between April and October, giving boaters plenty of opportunities to experience the Stonycreek.

But both Quinn and Greco said the number of actual releases will depend on the Quemahoning’s water levels.

“We won’t release any water unless we’re within one foot of the spillway,” Greco said. “It would have too much impact on our (water) customers and our recreation.”

State environmental regulators have reviewed every aspect of the job to ensure that whitewater releases will cause no environmental harm, Quinn said.

The state Department of Environmental Protection currently is finishing its permitting process.

“All this stuff is going by the book,” Quinn said.