Recreation
$280M Indiana Park Project's Whitewater Rapids to Wipe Out Area Brownfields
Origin Park is being developed on 430 acres of land that was formerly the site of landfills, junkyards and riverfront industrial uses.
A planned whitewater feature will feature more than 3,300 lineal ft of a simulated whitewater river system,
Plans are moving forward in southern Indiana for a $280-million riverfront redevelopment planned to transform 430 acres along the Ohio River into a linear park. Highlands Ranch, Colo.-based Calibre Engineering recently was selected to design and oversee construction of a whitewater venue, intended as a signature feature of the project.
The development of Origin Park, located in Clarksville, Ind., is intended to repurpose former landfills, junkyards and industrial riverfront areas into public spaces. The park, which is currently partially open, is expected to attract visitors from the Louisville metro area as well as from Indiana, Ohio and other nearby states.
"We’ve acquired 80 percent of 430 acres and we are in the process of cleaning it up," said Dennis Schnurbusch, CEO of the nonprofit River Heritage Conservancy, which is leading the project to redevelop the area.
Wildwater at Origin Park, the whitewater feature, is planned as a primary gateway and park attraction. It is scoped to have more than 3,300 lineal ft of a simulated whitewater river system, including a 2,000-lineal ft recreational channel, a 1,000-lineal-ft competition channel and a 92-lineal ft surf wave, offering whitewater experiences for beginners through elite athletes.
Calibre is leading all aspects of the whitewater system, including channel design, hydraulic engineering, structural systems and physical modeling, as well as civil engineering and integration with the park’s broader infrastructure. “We build these projects for adventurers—beginners and experts—who are seeking a unique whitewater experience that looks and feels like real whitewater,” said Scott Shipley, Whitewater Division manager at Calibre, in a press release. “Our approach is rooted in designing from the user’s perspective, to understand how people will use the park and then design for those needs.”
The whitewater system itself represents a feat of engineering and environmental transformation, according to Calibre, which will build the whitewater course across two former landfill sites. Plans also include a high-capacity pump system capable of delivering flows between 900 and 1,200 cubic ft per second that will power adjustable whitewater features, including surf waves and training zones, enabling year-round operation.
The park is planned to ultimately include more than 22 miles of trails, paddling access points and a range of other amenities such as zip lines, hiking trails, rock climbing walls, ropes courses, picnic areas, boardwalks and retail spaces.
Construction of the 14,000-sq-ft, $20-million event center that can accommodate up to 360 people was completed in May. The contractor was Dean Builds, which has offices in Lexington and Louisville, Ky.
Other remaining work includes restoring 1.5-miles of creek trails, removing utility poles and building ravine bridges.
Team members on the project include Perkins & Will (architect); Construct Solutions (owner’s representative); Cloward H2O (water treatment); WSP (structural and MEP engineering); ERI (feature design); JTL (surveyor); and SME (geotechnical and environmental services).
Noting that plans for the park have been in the works for ten years, Schnurbusch said the whitewater feature is in the design phase and a construction date has not yet been set. He said he'd like to have it open by 2029 and envisions it being the site for Olympic trials for whitewater rafting.
