List of artificial whitewater courses
Encyclopedia
The first whitewater slalom race took place on the Aar River in Switzerland
in 1933. The early slalom courses were all set in natural rivers, but when whitewater slalom became an Olympic sport for the first time, at the 1972 Munich Games
, the venue was the world's first concrete-channel artificial whitewater
course, the Eiskanal
in Augsburg
. All Olympic whitewater slalom competitions have taken place in artificial courses, which now exist in 16 countries on five continents.
Streambed slalom courses still outnumber concrete channels, but most international competition takes place in the more controlled environment of an artificial course. The standard parameters for such a course, patterned on the Olympic model, are a length of about 300 meters, a slope of 2% (20 m/km, or 105 ft/mi), and a flow rate of 17 m3/s. Within those parameters, designs vary. Water diversion features can be natural rocks, shaped concrete boulders and wing dams, plastic bollards, wooden dams, or truck tires. Channel walls can be straight or slanted, and smooth or cobbled. The floor of the channel may have raised turbulence generators to slow the water speed. The course may be a single straight channel, parallel channels, one or more loops, or a figure-8.
Water can be supplied by diversion from a nearby river, tidal current, electric pumps, or a combination. The expense of operation is largely dependent on the water source. A single channel on the Olympic model — a 6-meter drop at 17 m³/s — represents one megawatt of energy, either supplied by pumps or sacrificed in the case of diversion around a hydroelectric generator. Ironically, diversion is often more expensive than pumping if the diverted water would have made a bigger drop inside the hydroelectric facility. The extreme example of this is the Ocoee Whitewater Center
where water must bypass a 96-meter drop in a dam, tunnel, and penstock, in order to water the 9-meter drop of the whitewater course.
Most artificial whitewater courses cover their operating costs by charging passengers for guided raft rides. Canoe and kayak slalom training and competition do not generate enough revenue.
The four riverbed courses on this list are all extensively engineered and used for major competitions. Ocoee is no longer used for slalom, but it was the 1996 Olympic venue. The other courses on the list have concrete channels, often built in former industrial canals or mill races. Every city that hosts a summer Olympics is now expected to build a spectacular new whitewater stadium, usually powered by electric pumps. The Lee Valley White Water Centre, constructed for four days' use in the London 2012 Summer Olympics
, cost £31million.
In the table below, the location of each facility for which there is no Wikipedia article is noted in the Comment column. If the facility is more than two years old, there is often a good satellite or aerial (bird's eye) picture available via the link.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
in 1933. The early slalom courses were all set in natural rivers, but when whitewater slalom became an Olympic sport for the first time, at the 1972 Munich Games
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
, the venue was the world's first concrete-channel artificial whitewater
Artificial whitewater
An artificial whitewater course is a site for whitewater canoeing, whitewater kayaking, whitewater racing, whitewater rafting, playboating and slalom canoeing with artificially generated rapids.-Flow diversion:...
course, the Eiskanal
Eiskanal
The Eiskanal is an artificial canal feature in the city of Augsburg, Germany that was constructed as the canoe slalom venue for the 1972 Summer Olympics that were hosted in Munich....
in Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
. All Olympic whitewater slalom competitions have taken place in artificial courses, which now exist in 16 countries on five continents.
Streambed slalom courses still outnumber concrete channels, but most international competition takes place in the more controlled environment of an artificial course. The standard parameters for such a course, patterned on the Olympic model, are a length of about 300 meters, a slope of 2% (20 m/km, or 105 ft/mi), and a flow rate of 17 m3/s. Within those parameters, designs vary. Water diversion features can be natural rocks, shaped concrete boulders and wing dams, plastic bollards, wooden dams, or truck tires. Channel walls can be straight or slanted, and smooth or cobbled. The floor of the channel may have raised turbulence generators to slow the water speed. The course may be a single straight channel, parallel channels, one or more loops, or a figure-8.
Water can be supplied by diversion from a nearby river, tidal current, electric pumps, or a combination. The expense of operation is largely dependent on the water source. A single channel on the Olympic model — a 6-meter drop at 17 m³/s — represents one megawatt of energy, either supplied by pumps or sacrificed in the case of diversion around a hydroelectric generator. Ironically, diversion is often more expensive than pumping if the diverted water would have made a bigger drop inside the hydroelectric facility. The extreme example of this is the Ocoee Whitewater Center
Ocoee Whitewater Center
The Ocoee Whitewater Center, near Ducktown, Tennessee, United States, was the canoe slalom venue for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The Olympic race course was built in the dry riverbed of the Upper Ocoee river. The Upper Ocoee is the section between Ocoee Dam #3 and its downstream...
where water must bypass a 96-meter drop in a dam, tunnel, and penstock, in order to water the 9-meter drop of the whitewater course.
Most artificial whitewater courses cover their operating costs by charging passengers for guided raft rides. Canoe and kayak slalom training and competition do not generate enough revenue.
The four riverbed courses on this list are all extensively engineered and used for major competitions. Ocoee is no longer used for slalom, but it was the 1996 Olympic venue. The other courses on the list have concrete channels, often built in former industrial canals or mill races. Every city that hosts a summer Olympics is now expected to build a spectacular new whitewater stadium, usually powered by electric pumps. The Lee Valley White Water Centre, constructed for four days' use in the London 2012 Summer Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
, cost £31million.
In the table below, the location of each facility for which there is no Wikipedia article is noted in the Comment column. If the facility is more than two years old, there is often a good satellite or aerial (bird's eye) picture available via the link.
| Slope | Streamflow | |||||||
| Date | Course Name | Location | Water Source | Power Source | Shape | ft/mi (m/km) | cu ft/s (m³/s) | Comment |
| Australia | ||||||||
| 2000 | Penrith Whitewater Stadium Penrith Whitewater Stadium The Penrith Whitewater Stadium is located near Sydney, Australia. It is an artificial whitewater sporting facility which hosted the canoe/kayak slalom events at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. The facility is part of the Penrith Lakes Scheme, which is converting open-pit sand and gravel mines... |
Penrith Penrith, New South Wales Penrith is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Penrith is located west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Penrith... |
Penrith Lakes | Pumped | Loop | 91 (17) | 494 (14) | 2000 Olympics Sydney |
| Brazil | ||||||||
| 2006 | Itaipu Slalom Course | Foz do Iguaçu Foz do Iguaçu Foz do Iguaçu is the 7th largest city in Paraná state, Brazil, with a population of 255,900 inhabitants. It is located approximately 650 km west of Curitiba, Parana's capital city, being the westernmost city in that state... |
Itaipu Lake, Paraná River Paraná River The Paraná River is a river in south Central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina for some . It is second in length only to the Amazon River among South American rivers. The name Paraná is an abbreviation of the phrase "para rehe onáva", which comes from the Tupi language... |
Flow Diversion | Loop | 115 (22) | 441 (13) | 25.432°N 54.581°W |
| Proposed | Rio de Janiero | 2016 Olympics Rio de Janiero | ||||||
| Canada | ||||||||
| - | Pumphouse Tailrace | Ottawa Ottawa Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario... |
Ottawa River Ottawa River The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:... |
Flow Diversion | Linear | - | - | 45.417°N 75.711°W |
| - | Rutherford Whitewater Park | Whistler Whistler Whistler may refer to:* Someone who whistles* Whistler Group, a brand name of mobile electronic equipment* Whistler , a very low frequency radio phenomenon* Whistler , Microsoft's Trainable Text-to-Speech Engine... |
Rutherford Creek Rutherford Creek Rutherford Creek is a tributary of the Green River, British Columbia, Canada, entering that river a few miles above Nairn Falls Provincial Park, near the village of Pemberton. The creek's headwaters are on the eastern side of the Pemberton Icefield. from where it flows southeast for the first half... |
Flow Diversion | Linear | - | - | 50.274°N 122.867°W |
| China | ||||||||
| 2004 | Whitewater Stadium of Nanjing | Nanjing Nanjing ' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions... |
Xuanwu Lake Xuanwu Lake Xuanwu Lake is a lake in the central-northeast part of Nanjing, Jiangsu, China, near Nanjing Railway Station and Ji Ming Temple. The Ming city wall borders the park to its south and east and there is a notable pagoda and the Zifeng Tower overlooking the lake.The lake covers 444 hectares and is 15... |
Pumped | Loop | 79 (15) | 565 (16) | 32.065°N 118.81°W |
| 2007 | Shunyi Rowing-Canoeing Park | Shunyi | Chaobai River | Pumped | Loop | 110 (21) | - | 2008 Olympics Beijing |
| 2007 | Xiasi Canoe Slalom Course | Xiasi | Qingshui River | Flow Diversion | Linear | 102 (19) | 424 (12) | 26.527°N 107.804°W |
| 2007 | Rizhao Canoe Slalom Course | Rizhao Rizhao Rizhao is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It is situated on the coastline along the Yellow Sea, borders Qingdao to the northeast, Weifang to the north, Linyi to the west and southwest, and faces Korea and Japan across the Yellow Sea to the east... |
Rizhao Harbor | Pumped | Loop | - | - | 35.418°N 119.561°W |
| Czech Republic | ||||||||
| 1983 | Troja White Water Centre | Prague Prague Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million... |
Vltava River | Flow Diversion | Linear | 46 (9) | 565 (16) | 50.113°N 14.425°W |
| - | Ceske Vrbne Slalom Course | Ceske Budejovice Ceské Budejovice České Budějovice is a city in the Czech Republic. It is the largest city in the South Bohemian Region and is the political and commercial capital of the region and centre of the Roman Catholic Diocese of České Budějovice and of the University of South Bohemia and the Academy of Sciences... |
Vltava River | Flow Diversion | Linear | - | - | 49.013°N 14.452°W |
| - | Veltrusy Slalom Course | Veltrusy Veltrusy Veltrusy is a small town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It is situated 25 km north of Prague. It has circa 1,600 inhabitants. An interesting mansion surrounded by a large forest park borders the town.... |
Vltava River | Flow Diversion | Linear | - | - | 50.277°N 14.315°W |
| - | Trnavka Slalom Course | Zeliv Želiv Želiv is a village and municipality in Pelhřimov District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic.The municipality covers an area of , and has a population of 1,097 .... |
Zeliv Lake, Trnava Stream | Flow Diversion | Linear | - | - | 49.524°N 15.219°W |
| - | Roudnice nad Labem | Roudnice nad Labem Roudnice nad Labem Roudnice nad Labem is a small town on left bank of the Elbe River . It has about 13 500 inhabitants and covers an area of 16,67 km². The town is situated near the famous hill Říp, which is well known for its legendary connection with Praotec Čech.... |
Labe (Elbe) River Elbe The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg... |
Flow Diversion | Linear | - | - | 50.429°N 14.260°W |
| France | ||||||||
| 1992 | Lannion Whitewater Stadium | Lannion Lannion Lannion is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. It is a subpréfecture of Côtes-d'Armor, the capital of Trégor and the center of an urban area of almost 60,000 inhabitants.-Population:... |
Leguer River | Flow Diversion, Tidal | Linear | 47 (9) | 530 (15) | 48.729°N 3.459°W |
| 1992 | Parc des Eaux Vives | Huningue Huningue Huningue is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department of Alsace in north-eastern France. Huningue is a northern suburb of the Swiss city of Basel. It also borders Germany . In 2008 it had a population of 6503 people... |
Rhine River | Flow Diversion | Loop | 75 (14) | 353 (10) | 47.590°N 7.582°W |
| 1993 | L'Argentière-la-Bessée | L'Argentière-la-Bessée L'Argentière-la-Bessée L'Argentière-la-Bessée is a commune of the Hautes-Alpes department in the Alps in southeastern France.The town lies on the River Durance, which is used for kayaking, white-water rafting and other water sports. The Argentiere Canoe Slalom Course is in the Durance River south of the town. The town... |
Durance River Durance The Durance is a major river in south-eastern France.Its source is in the south-western Alps, in Montgenèvre ski resort near Briançon and it flows south-west through the following départements and cities:* Hautes-Alpes: Briançon, Embrun.* Alpes-de-Haute-Provence: Sisteron, Manosque.* Vaucluse:... |
Natural Flow | Riverbed | 47 (9) | 2470 (70) | 44.780°N 6.560°W |
| 1996 | St Laurent Whitewater Stadium | St Laurent Saint-Laurent-Blangy Saint-Laurent-Blangy is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Saint-Laurent-Blangy is a light industrial suburb and river port on the northeast side of Arras, at the junction of the N50, D42 and D919 roads.-History:Joan of Arc was imprisoned... |
Scarpe River | Gravity, Pumped | Linear | 86 (16) | 424 (12) | 50.298°N 2.804°W |
| 1997 | Bourg-Saint-Maurice | Bourg-Saint-Maurice Bourg-Saint-Maurice Bourg-Saint-Maurice, popularly known as Bourg, is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is the last large town along the Tarentaise valley in the heart of the French Alps.-History:... |
Isère River | Dam Release | Riverbed | 184 (35) | 883 (25) | 45.603°N 6.766°W |
| 1997 | Nancy Whitewater Stadium | Nancy | Meurthe River Meurthe River The Meurthe is a river in north-eastern France, right tributary to the river Moselle. Its source is in the Vosges mountains, near the Col de la Schlucht in the Vosges département... |
Flow Diversion | Linear | 72 (14) | 706 (20) | 48.694°N 6.201°W |
| 2000 | Cergy Whitewater Stadium | Cergy Cergy Cergy is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris, in the "new town" of Cergy-Pontoise, created in the 1960s, of which it is the central and most populated commune.... |
Oise River Oise River The River Oise is a right tributary of the River Seine, flowing for 302 km in Belgium and France. Its source is in the Belgian province Hainaut, south of the town Chimay. It crosses the border with France after about 20 km. It flows into the Seine in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, near Paris... |
Pumped | Loop | 103 (20) | 565 (16) | 49.029°N 2.052°W |
| 2000 | Millau Whitewater Course | Millau Millau Millau is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. It is located at the confluence of the Tarn and Dourbie rivers.-History:... |
Tarn River Tarn River The Tarn is a long river in southern France , right tributary of the Garonne.The Tarn runs in a roughly westerly direction, from its source at an altitude of 1,550 m on Mont Lozère in the Cévennes mountains , through the deep gorges and canyons of the Gorges du Tarn The Tarn is a long... |
Flow Diversion | Linear | 31.5 (6) | 565 (16) | 44.0934°N 3.079°W |
| - | Epinal Slalom Course | Epinal Épinal Épinal is a commune in northeastern France and the capital of the Vosges department. Inhabitants are known as Spinaliens.-Geography:The commune has a land area of 59.24 km²... |
Moselle River Moselle River The Moselle is a river flowing through France, Luxembourg, and Germany. It is a left tributary of the Rhine, joining the Rhine at Koblenz. A small part of Belgium is also drained by the Mosel through the Our.... |
Flow Diversion | Linear | - | - | 48.173°N 6.446°W |
| - | Isle de la Serre | Sault-Brénaz Sault-Brénaz Sault-Brénaz is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France.-Population:-References:*... |
Rhône River Rhône River The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone... |
Flow Diversion | S-shape | - | - | 45.849°N 5.414°W |
| - | Slalom Ardeche | Vallon-Pont-d'Arc Vallon-Pont-d'Arc Vallon-Pont-d'Arc is a commune in the Ardèche department in southern France.Vallon-Pont-d'Arc is a capital of prehistoric and cultural tourism. This small village, peaceful in wintertime, sees its population expand ten-fold in summer... |
Ardeche River Ardèche River The Ardèche is a 125 km long river in south-central France, a right-bank tributary of the Rhône River. Its source is in the Massif Central, near the village of Astet. It flows into the Rhône near Pont-Saint-Esprit, north-west of Orange... |
Flow Diversion | Linear | - | - | 44.399°N 4.385°W |
| 2008 | Pau-Pyrénées Whitewater Stadium Pau-Pyrénées Whitewater Stadium Pau-Pyrénées Whitewater Stadium is the home training facility for the French national canoe slalom team. It was first used to train the French team for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. It 2009, it was the first of three venues used in the canoe slalom World Cup... |
Pau | Gave de Pau Gave de Pau The Gave de Pau is a river of south-western France and a left tributary of the Adour. It takes its name from the city Pau, through which it flows. The river is in length, and its source is at the Cirque de Gavarnie in the Pyrenees mountains.... |
Flow Diversion | Loop | 94 (18) | 494 (14) | 43.286°N 0.358°W |
| 2008 | Châteauneuf Paddle Adventure | Châteauneuf-sur-Cher Châteauneuf-sur-Cher Châteauneuf-sur-Cher is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France.-Geography:An area of farming and forestry comprising a large village and several hamlets situated in the valley of the river Cher, some south of Bourges at the junction of the D940 with the D73, D35 and the... |
Cher River Cher River The Cher is a river in central France, left tributary to the river Loire. Its source is in the Creuse département, north-east of Crocq. It joins the river Loire in Villandry, west of Tours.... |
Diversion, Pumped | 110 meter Loop | 58 (11) | 459 (13) | 46.856°N 2.320°W |
| Germany | ||||||||
| 1972 | Eiskanal Eiskanal The Eiskanal is an artificial canal feature in the city of Augsburg, Germany that was constructed as the canoe slalom venue for the 1972 Summer Olympics that were hosted in Munich.... |
Augsburg Augsburg Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a... |
Lech River Lech River The Lech is a river in Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube in length with a drainage basin of .Its source is located in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg, where the river rises from lake Formarinsee in the Alps at an altitude of... |
Flow Diversion | Linear | 79 (15) | 353 (10) | 1972 Olympics Munich |
| 2006 | Kanupark Markkleeberg Kanupark Markkleeberg Kanupark Markkleeberg, built in 2006, is the second of two artificial whitewater canoe/kayak slalom courses in Germany, and the only one powered by pumps. The other German course is the Eiskanal in Augsburg, used in the 1972 Summer Olympic Games in Munich... |
Leipzig Leipzig Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing... |
Markkleeberger See Markkleeberger See Markkleeberger See is a lake in Saxony, Germany, next to Markkleeberg, a suburb on the south side of Leipzig. At an elevation of 112.5 m, its surface area is 2.52 km². It is a former open-pit coal mine, flooded in 1999 with groundwater and developed in 2006 as a tourist area... |
Pumped | 2 Loops | 111 (21) | 494 (14) | |
| Greece | ||||||||
| 2004 | Heleniko Whitewater Stadium Helliniko Olympic Canoe/Kayak Slalom Centre The Helliniko Olympic Canoe/Kayak Slalom Centre is located in the Helliniko Olympic Complex in Greece. The venue hosted the canoe slalom events for the 2004 Summer Olympics. It consists of a competition course, a secondary training course, and a warm-up lake of natural form that occupies a total... |
Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... |
Gulf of Athens | Pumped | Figure-8 | |
618 (18) | 2004 Olympics Athens |
| 2008 | Evinos River Slalom Course | Nafpaktos | Evinos River Evinos River The Evinos River is a river that flows entirely in the Aetolia-Acarnania prefecture. The river begins near the four boundaries area of Aetolia-Acarnania, Evrytania, Phthiotis and Phocis, near the village Artotina, in the Vardousia mountains. Its length is 92 km. The river was first mentioned in... |
Diversion | 520 meter Linear | 53 (10) | 530 (15) | 38.454°N 21.708°W |
| Italy | ||||||||
| 2007 | Ivrea Whitewater Stadium | Ivrea Ivrea Ivrea is a town and comune of the province of Turin in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. Situated on the road leading to the Aosta Valley , it straddles the Dora Baltea and is regarded as the centre of the Canavese area. Ivrea lies in a basin that, in prehistoric times, formed a great lake... |
Dora Baltea River Dora Baltea Dora Baltea or Doire Baltée , is a river in northern Italy. It is a left-hand tributary of the Po River, and is about 160 km long... |
Flow Diversion | Linear | 168 (32) | 706 (20) | 45.464°N 7.875°W |
| Netherlands | ||||||||
| 2006 | Dutch Water Dreams Dutch Water Dreams Dutch Water Dreams is an Olympic artificial whitewater and surfing centre, near Zoetermeer in The Netherlands. It is the only course of its kind in the country.-Whitewater course design:... |
Zoetermeer Zoetermeer Zoetermeer is a city in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 37.06 km² . A small village until the late 1960s, it had 6,392 inhabitants in 1950... |
Plas van Poot | Pumped | Loop | 88 (17) | 572 (16) | |
| Poland | ||||||||
| - | Krakow Whitewater Course | Krakow Kraków Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life... |
Wisla River | Diversion | Linear | - | - | 50.032°N 19.825°W |
| Slovakia | ||||||||
| 1978 | Liptovský Mikuláš Slalom Course | Liptovský Mikuláš Liptovský Mikuláš Liptovský Mikuláš is a town in northern Slovakia, on the Váh River. It lies in the Liptov region, in Liptov Basin near the Low Tatra and Tatra mountains... |
Vah River | Diversion | Parallel Linear | 113 (21) | 530 (15) | 49.074°N 19.619°W |
| 1996 | Water Sports Centre Čunovo Water Sports Centre Cunovo The Water Sports Centre Čunovo is an artificial whitewater slalom course in Slovakia, on an island in the Danube river, 14 km southeast of Bratislava, near the village of Čunovo. It is powered by flow diversion from the Čunovo dam... |
Bratislava Bratislava Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava... |
Danube River | Diversion | 2 Loops | 98 (19) | 777 (22) | |
| Slovenia | ||||||||
| 1990 | Tacen Whitewater Course Tacen Whitewater Course The Tacen Whitewater Course is a venue for canoe and kayak slalom competition in Tacen, Slovenia, a suburb of Ljubljana. Located on the Sava River, eight kilometers northwest of the city center, it is known locally as KKK Tacen . The course played an important role in development of the sport... |
Ljubljana Ljubljana Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants... |
Sava River Sava River The Sava is a river in Southeast Europe, a right side tributary of the Danube river at Belgrade. Counting from Zelenci, the source of Sava Dolinka, it is long and drains of surface area. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia, along the northern border of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and through Serbia.... |
Dam Spillway, Tailrace | Linear | - | 989 (28) | |
| Spain | ||||||||
| 1991 | Parc Olímpic del Segre Parc Olímpic del Segre Parc Olímpic del Segre is a canoeing and kayaking facility in La Seu d'Urgell, Catalonia, Spain, built in 1990 for use during the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.... |
La Seu d'Urgell La Seu d'Urgell La Seu d'Urgell is a town located in the Catalan Pyrenees in Spain. La Seu d'Urgell is also the capital of the comarca Alt Urgell, head of the judicial district of la Seu d'Urgell and the seat of Bishop of Urgell, one of the Andorra co-princes... |
Segre River Segre River The Segre is a river tributary to the Ebro with a basin comprising territories across three states: France, Andorra and Spain.... |
Flow Diversion, Pumped | 2 Loops | 114 (22) | 618 (17.5) | 1992 Olympics Barcelona |
| 2008 | El Canal de Aguas Bravas | Zaragoza Zaragoza Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain... |
Ebro River | Pumped | Loop | 101 (19) | 424 (12) | Expo 2008 Expo 2008 Expo 2008 was an international exposition held from Saturday, 14 June to Sunday, 14 September 2008 in Zaragoza, Spain, with the theme of "Water and Sustainable Development". The exposition was placed in a meander of the river Ebro... |
| United Kingdom | ||||||||
| 1982 | Cardington Slalom Course Cardington Artificial Slalom Course Cardington Artificial Slalom Course was the first artificial whitewater canoe slalom course in the UK when it was completed in July 1982, having been first discussed in 1972.... |
Bedford Bedford Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town... |
River Great Ouse River Great Ouse The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in... |
Flow Diversion | Linear | 60 (11) | 530 (15) | 150-meter course 52.127061°N 0.428897°W |
| 1986 | Holme Pierrepont National Watersports Centre | Nottingham Nottingham Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group... |
River Trent River Trent The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent... |
Flow Diversion | Linear | 30 (5.7) | 883 (25) | 500-meter course 52.94569°N 1.09074°W |
| - | Canolfan Tryweryn Canolfan Tryweryn Canolfan Tryweryn is the National White Water Centre for Wales, and is based near Bala in North Wales. It developed the first commercial white water rafting operation in the UK in 1986, and since then has grown to become the largest and most well-respected rafting organisation in the UK... |
Bala, Gwynedd Bala, Gwynedd Bala is a market town and community in Gwynedd, Wales, and formerly an urban district of the historic county of Merionethshire. It lies at the north end of Bala Lake , 17 miles north-east of Dolgellau, with a population of 1,980... |
Llyn Celyn Llyn Celyn Llyn Celyn is a large reservoir constructed between 1960 and 1965 in the valley of the River Tryweryn in Gwynedd, North Wales. It measures roughly 2½ miles long by a mile wide, and has a maximum depth of... / Afon Tryweryn Afon Tryweryn For the flooding of the Tryweryn Valley, see Llyn Celyn.The Tryweryn is a river in north Wales which starts at Llyn Tryweryn in the Snowdonia National Park and after joins the river Dee at Bala. It is one of the main tributaries of the Dee and has been dammed to form Llyn Celyn... |
Dam Release | Riverbed | - | 350 (10) | 1000-meter course 52.94705°N 3.65137°W |
| 1999 | Nene Whitewater Centre Nene Whitewater Centre The Nene Whitewater Centre was the UK's first pumped artificial whitewater course. It is located on the River Nene in Northampton.The course was designed by slalom designers, Proper Channels Ltd and built in 1999 by Wrekin Construction. Water can be partially diverted around a weir via a manually... |
Northampton Northampton Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is... |
River Nene River Nene The River Nene is a river in the east of England that rises from three sources in the county of Northamptonshire. The tidal river forms the border between Cambridgeshire and Norfolk for about . It is the tenth longest river in the United Kingdom, and is navigable for from Northampton to The... |
Flow Diversion, Pumped | Loop | - | - | 300-meter course 52.2285°N 0.8684°W |
| 1995 | Tees Barrage White Water Course | Stockton-on-Tees Stockton-on-Tees Stockton-on-Tees is a market town in north east England. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority and borough of Stockton-on-Tees. For ceremonial purposes, the borough is split between County Durham and North Yorkshire as it also incorporates a number of smaller towns including... |
River Tees River Tees The River Tees is in Northern England. It rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines, and flows eastwards for 85 miles to reach the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar.-Geography:... |
Tees Barrage Tees Barrage The Tees Barrage is a barrage across the River Tees just upriver of Blue House Point in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees in North East of England and is used to control the flow of the river, preventing flooding and the effects of tidal change.... (tidal) |
Loop | 53 (10) | 353 (10) | 250-meter course 54.56545°N 1.28565°W |
| 2010 | Cardiff International White Water Cardiff International White Water Cardiff International White Water is an Olympic standard white water rafting centre based at the Cardiff International Sports Village in Cardiff Bay.... |
Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... |
fully enclosed | Pumped | 1½ Loops | 565 (16) | 250-meter course 51.44864°N 3.18186°W | |
| 2010 | Lee Valley White Water Centre | London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
Groundwater | Pumped | 2 Loops | 88 (17) | 460 (13) | 2012 Olympics London 51.688°N 0.0168°W |
| United States | ||||||||
| 1984 | East Race Waterway | South Bend IN South Bend, Indiana The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663... |
St. Joseph River St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan) The St. Joseph River is a river, approximately long, in southern Michigan and northern Indiana in the United States. It drains a primarily rural farming area in the watershed of Lake Michigan... |
Flow Diversion | Linear | 33 (6) | 500 (14) | 41.676°N 86.245°W |
| 1991 | Dickerson Whitewater Course Dickerson Whitewater Course The Dickerson Whitewater Course, on the Potomac River near Dickerson Maryland, was built for use by canoe and kayak paddlers training for the 1992 Olympic Games in Spain. It was the first pump-powered artificial whitewater course built in North America, and is still the only one anywhere with... |
Dickerson MD Dickerson, Maryland Dickerson is an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located on Maryland Route 28, between Sugarloaf Mountain and the Potomac River. It is a community situated near the town of Poolesville, Maryland. Dickerson is .-History of Dickerson:... |
Potomac River Potomac River The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles... |
Pumped | Linear | 91 (17) | 600 (17) | Heated water |
| 1996 | Ocoee Whitewater Center Ocoee Whitewater Center The Ocoee Whitewater Center, near Ducktown, Tennessee, United States, was the canoe slalom venue for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The Olympic race course was built in the dry riverbed of the Upper Ocoee river. The Upper Ocoee is the section between Ocoee Dam #3 and its downstream... |
Ducktown TN Ducktown, Tennessee Ducktown is a city in Polk County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 427 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Cleveland, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Ducktown is located at... |
Ocoee River | Dam Release | Riverbed | 99 (19) | 1560 (44) | 1996 Olympics Atlanta |
| 2006 | U.S. National Whitewater Center U.S. National Whitewater Center The U.S. National Whitewater Center is a non-profit outdoor recreation and athletic training facility for whitewater rafting, kayaking, canoeing, rock climbing, mountain biking and hiking which opened to the public on November 4th, 2006.... |
Charlotte NC Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009... |
Catawba River Catawba River The Catawba River is a tributary of the Wateree River in the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina. The river is approximately 220 miles long... |
Pumped | 2 Loops | 113 (21) | 550 (16) | |
| 2007 | Adventure Sports Center International Adventure Sports Center International Adventure Sports Center International is an Olympic standard white water rafting and canoe/kayak slalom center located on the mountaintop above the Wisp Ski Resort at Deep Creek Lake, McHenry, Maryland, USA... |
McHenry MD McHenry, Maryland McHenry is a small community located in Garrett County, Maryland on the northern most shore of Deep Creek Lake.Located on the outskirts of McHenry is the Garrett County Airport, Wisp Ski Resort, and Golf Club at Wisp.... |
Deep Creek Lake Deep Creek Lake Deep Creek Lake is the largest inland body of water in the state of Maryland. It covers approximately and has of shoreline. Like all lakes in Maryland, it is man-made. The lake is home to a wide variety of freshwater fish and aquatic birds. The Wisp ski resort is located nearby... |
Pumped | Loop | 91 (17) | 550 (16) | |
| Proposed | Oklahoma City OK Oklahoma city Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial... |
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| Note: Slope and Streamflow numbers refer only to the 300-meter section used for Olympic-style slalom training and competition. | ||||||||