As time ticks away, Lt.
Gov.
Lorraine Hunt fervently lobbies for construction of a whitewater course in downtown Reno.
It's not enough to be successful, the state's No.
2 official said a few days ago.
She has to find money for the course in time to allow construction to be under way by late summer.
Otherwise, she fears efforts to establish Reno as "America's Adventure Place" an image that includes whitewater sports will be set back.
The plan by the Nevada Commission on Tourism calls for a boating and kayaking recreational course to be constructed on a 24-mile stretch of the river between Verdi and Vista.
The course would run through Reno.
The key component of the project is a 2,500-foot kayak slalom course slated for construction at Wingfield Park in downtown Reno.
It would be the first phase of the construction project.
The kayak course could host national and international kayaking competitions such as the U.S.Team Trials and National Championships along with the World Cup Series, Hunt said.
In addition, Hunt said the whitewater course would boost festivals along the riverfront.
"Special events is going to be the key to our future," Hunt said, noting river festivals in other communities in the United States draw as many
as 300,000 people, she said.
Hunt also would like to see the river used as a showcase for the entertainment industry.
She envisions movie production companies using the river for scenes in movies.
"It going to get us publicity from all over the world," Hunt added.
NCOT spokeswoman Chris Chrystal noted that the whitewater issue is part of the effort to make Reno and Sparks an adventure destination.
"We want to open people's eyes and say 'Let's go there,' " Chrystal said.
"It would give Reno and Sparks an image that it needs."
Hunt said the Whitewater project would be only course of its kind in the world to be incorporated with an urban population.
Retailers along the river would get a boost including new shops specializing in boating, rafting and kayaking equipment.
The kayak course would cost $1.5 million.
Overall, the entire project would cost an estimated $6 million and take four to six years to complete.
The initial $1.5 million needs to be secured before construction can begin.
NCOT is looking at sources that include federal funding and private contributions.
Thus far, no local or state funding is available for the plan.
"This funding could turn out be a patchwork quilt," said Chrystal.
An even greater concern for the NCOT is time.
The committee wants begin work by August 1 of this year and be completed by Nov.
1.
NCOT has only a three-month window for construction because special events in downtown Reno before and after those dates prohibit construction.
"We're already missing out on this and we need to get going on this right away." Chrystal said.
Hunt met with Nevada's congressional delegation to discuss funding the project, but federal dollars would come too late for the August 1 deadline.
"We cannot afford to lose any more time," Hunt said.
Hunt and NCOT have good reason to be anxious for the project to get under way.
A report submitted by the steering committee for the project found a Whitewater Course could bring approximately $1.9 to $4.1 million a year to the local economy.
The study also reported that an average of 100,000 people use the river for recreational purposes during a year.
"It's going to be amazing on what it's going to do for our economy," Hunt said.
Optimistic about the potential of the whitewater course, Hunt is making a global pitch to promote the project.
Hunt has already planned a trip to China in June to promote the project and other area attractions.
Hunt said that approximately 250,000 Chinese visit the United States annually and enticing a portion of those people to visit Reno would be a great benefit to the local economy.
"If we get 1 or 2 percent of that population, it will have a great impact," Hunt said.
She added that the course would be promoted throughout North America and Europe.
Hunt and other backers say the project would revitalize the river as debris would be removed.
Aging dams that inhibit water flow could be either modified or demolished, and water levels in the river would be increased.
Currently, the kayaking and rafting season lasts only from March through July because of low water levels beginning in late summer.
Hunt said the plan is projected to assist in flood management and in maintaining fish migration.
"It's a win-win situation for all the different entities," the lieutenant governor said.
"Someday, we'll be able to say that it saved Nevada."
