Stimulus Money Could Pay For Rafting On River

Millions of dollars from the President’s Stimulus Plan could help bring white water rafting to Columbus in the coming months.

The City has been working with the private sector for years to get the project started, and it turns out the key to the cash box has been growing on the banks of the river all along. 

The City is calling the project an Ecosystem Restoration.  They say bringing white water rafting could help restore the Chattahoochee River to its natural habitat, a key selling point for the project because they are asking for up to $20 million from NOAA, or the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. 

If the City receives the grant, the money will help breech two dams on the river, the City Mill dam and the Eagle Phenix dam. 

People already use the river for kayaking and canoes, but this project would create over two miles of rafting, the longest route in any municipality in the country. 

The City is working closely with Uptown Columbus Incorporated to make the project happen. Uptown Columbus Inc.  President Richard Bishop says the project is a great fit for the President’s Stimulus Plan, “We think it will fair well, because it will create jobs on the front end for construction, and on the back end it will create even more jobs.  We will have outfitters and businesses in the uptown area because of the route, it’s long lasting.”

Deputy City Manager David Arrington says the City could get anywhere from a $1 million to $20 million.  If the City does get the grant, the amount they receive will determine the design of the course, and Arrington says they are hoping the stimulus money will be enough to cover at least the most basic design.

The application does say the project has to be finished within two years, and more than likely, if approved, the project would start somewhere in the next 3 to 4 months.

The grant application is due on April 6th.