Poudre River Whitewater Park, Phase II

The City of Fort Collins, Colorado, Art in Public Places Program is seeking submissions to select an artist or artist team to design art concepts for the Poudre River Whitewater Park Project. Artists and teams will work with the project team to develop site-specific art to be placed at this location. The Project Team is interested in art that helps tell the story of the river and/or the mutual benefits of the project, including natural systems, stormwater conveyance, and recreation. The art project is estimated at $170,000, with construction estimated to start summer 2018 and continue until summer 2019. Artists and teams will be selected based on their qualifications and application materials.

The Poudre River Whitewater Park Project encompasses the Cache la Poudre River from the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery to the BNSF Railroad crossing east of College Avenue. The master plan envisions a major remodel of this river reach, creating an active and vibrant setting where people are encouraged to engage with and play in the river in an urban setting. The transformation includes removing the existing Coy Ditch Diversion structure and boulder-lined boat chute, narrowing the river channel to a more natural, sustainable width, and deepening it through various terraces to improve natural river function and increase flood capacity. Four in-stream sloping rock features will be constructed, two of which will incorporate whitewater wave features and holes. These features will be designed to allow fish passage, creating aquatic connectivity that has not existed in this reach since the Coy Diversion was constructed.

Additional improvements on the river banks may include a river overlook, terraced seating areas on the south river bank, ADA river access, put-in and take-out areas, habitat enhancements, and a pedestrian bridge over the river between College and the BNSF Bridge. Supporting facilities such as parking, restrooms, new trails and trail improvements, terraced viewing areas, and water play areas will be needed to support anticipated use of the area. Submissions should include a minimum of 1 and maximum of 8 images.