Differences in rivers

A new white water canoeing course has been created for the upcoming Olympics, in Great Britain. It  is being used for a training ground for those interested in white water rafting.  It is opening up the sport to a whole new group of newbies.
The water course is geared to canoeists but is being used by rafters as well. Here is a video of paddling on the created course.

The water is pumped from a nearby lake and feeds into the water way at a constant 15 cms . By sculpting the channel a series of rapids and drops have been created to simulate a river. This controlled river would offer the competitors the same set of rapids all the time throughout their season. They will be able to reposition some of the rapids by introducing and removing obstacles.
Here in Alberta a similar river would be the dam controlled Kananaskiis River which always runs at the same rate, albeit at a higher rate of 34 cms. This is governed by Trans Alta Utilities for power generation reasons and is timed by power consumption needs. There is little variation in the river features trip to trip.
The Red Deer River, which is the river Otter Rafting Adventures paddles, is a wild river in that it is not dam controlled. Water volumes are dictated by the snow pack in the mountains and vary through out the season. This year the snow pack is above average for this time of year and if it continues, we can expect some high water again. Last year the flow rate peaked in the 200’s cms and this year, it is likely to be higher for a period of time.
Enjoy the video. What’s with lifting your paddles going through the rapids?? Notice the conveyer belt to take the rafts back up to the top? Imagine installing one of those at Cache Hill!

Two months to rafting season!

Just a quick note. The amount of snow pack, today, is at the same level as last year’s snow pack at it’s maximum depth. And we still have 2 months of precipitation yet to accumulate. Are you getting excited yet?

Awareness of white water rafting

With the 2012 Olympics happening in England this year, a white water course has been created for the canoeing events. The Lee Valley White water Centre is finished and open to the public.
With the opening of this facility there is a build up of the white water paddling industry. Many articles are being streamed out to create an awareness of what it is about, how close and available it is to the local market, the risks involved and how safe it is.
Here is an article on white water rafting geared to those who have never paddled before.

The Snow keeps falling in the mountains.

The rafting season is creeping ever closer. The latest heavy snow falls have done wonders for the snow pack in the mountains.  Check out the chart for the snow pack levels at the headwaters of the Red Deer River.

That should get everyone excited. The dramatic change in the chart readings is really appreciated at this time of year because the snow is denser and has a higher water content. With two more months of potential snowfalls to happen in the mountains this is looking very good for the rafting season.