The new Argo Cascades, a boat bypass channel around Argo Dam, means a much easier passage for Huron River paddlers when it opens this spring. The old portage around Argo Dam has been removed and replaced with a series of nine gentle drop pools. Ann Arbor city staffers gave the new feature a dry run a couple of weeks ago.
"We tested rafts and tubes and sit-on-top kayaks, and all different kinds of boat design," says Cheryl Saam, facility supervisor for the
Ann Arbor canoe liveries.
The Colorado-based designer of the drop pools will be returning in April or May to make any final tweaks to the design. A pedestrian bridge over the entry to Argo Cascades is under construction and in April a new, wider section of the Border-to-Border Trail will be paved. The project should be wrapped up by mid-May, says Colin Smith, Ann Arbor parks and recreation services manager.
Smith originally did a test trial of the cascades after a December snowfall. "I stayed dry, so that was a good thing when it's that cold out," he says of the experience. "I think it's going to be a lot of fun, you just actually have to let the boat take you where it's lined up to go because the way it's designed the pools will actually take you through. There's not much that you really need to do in terms of steering through it."
Saam adds: "Basically the water shoots you right through the middle."
A grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, June 2, from 12-3 p.m.
A separate whitewater feature in the main stem of the Huron is also planned. DTE Energy is in the process of remediating its Broadway site and will be covering the cost of the installation, which is set to begin in late summer or early fall. Smith says the feature should be running by the 2013 season.
Sources: Cheryl Saam, facility supervisor, Ann Arbor canoe liveries; Colin Smith, Ann Arbor parks and recreation services manager
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar
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