Missoula Commissioners grant first permit to Brennan’s Wave

A river project called Brennan’s Wave got its first major permit to move ahead Wednesday, but it still has several more hurdles to overcome.

Missoula County commissioners voted unanimously to give the project a 310 permit, which means supporters have shown they won’t damage the Clark Fork River.

Now the groups must satisfy concerns, easements and rules from other agencies involved in protecting Montana rivers, fish and public lands.
That’s not a concern, said Missoula lawyer Trent Baker, who has handled legal work and negotiations for the backers. Working with the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation for another permit is next and should take 60 to 90 days, he said.

"November is not the end of our construction season," he said. "We could begin even then," and finish Brennan’s Wave by next spring or summer.

Brennan’s Wave will be a man-made, natural rock structure built in the Clark Fork River, west of the Higgins Avenue Bridge, and designed to create a whitewater play area for kayakers, canoeists and other paddle-boat enthusiasts. It is named after Brennan Guth, a world-class kayaker from Missoula who died in a river accident in Chile in 2001.

By MEA ANDREWS of the Missoulian

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/articles/2005/08/11/news/local/news05.txt

Additional info:

Brennan’s Wave slowly moving forward in Missoula – Whitewater parks build business http://www.matr.net/article-15405.html

There’s Gold in the Spills * Reno’s gamble seems to be paying off as kayakers flock to its man-made rapids in the casino-adjacent Truckee River. http://www.matr.net/article-12013.html

Kayaker envisions water park on the Gallatin River http://www.matr.net/article-13764.html