Cloward H2O, an expert in aquatic design, is celebrating the success of Montgomery Whitewater in Montgomery, Alabama, which has been recognised with a Dream Designs award by Aquatics International.
This major new outdoor lifestyle centre opened in July 2023, introducing whitewater and other water sports excitement to the city, with the aim of boosting economic growth, enhancing residents’ quality of life, supporting ongoing tourism development, and increasing Montgomery’s appeal to a broader workforce – one that values quality of life when choosing a place to live and work.
The main feature of the development is an Olympic-standard, recirculating whitewater course. It provides challenges suitable for all skill levels, from beginners to experts.
A 2,200-foot Adventure Channel offers a Class II whitewater experience that simulates a natural river, serving as a perfect introduction. For more experienced paddlers, the 1,600-foot Competition Channel offers a great space to test their skills.
The course includes training sections suitable for commercial operations as well as a standing wave surf component.
See also: Montgomery Whitewater: creating a new outdoor lifestyle destination
Olympic-standard course
Cloward H2O delivered engineering services for the pump station, upper and lower basins, river channel structures, and waterproofing.
The firm also handled whitewater flow circulation pumping, water quality management systems, and control and automation. Additionally, it supplied specialised items such as conveyor systems, slalom gates, and course obstacles.
S2O Design and Engineering was the lead designer for the Montgomery Whitewater project, and the project team also included Liquid Design and Motus Management.
Innovative filtration & recirculation system
Cloward designed a filtration and recirculation system with twenty-four high-rate horizontal media filters, utilising activated media instead of sand, which captures particles as small as 1 micron.
RapidBloc Technology enables operators to adjust water flow by repositioning large steel and polyethylene blocks within the concrete, creating tailored rapids for various events.
This raises the possibility of significant water loss from backwashing. The filters backwash into a large holding tank located near the pump room, which features its own filtration and ozone system to clean the water before it is recirculated.
The system saves approximately 14.6 million gallons of water yearly, reducing backwash water loss by 95% to 480,000 gallons.
Last month, Cloward H2O shared more details about its contribution to Legoland Shanghai Resort, which opened on 5 July. The new park features one of the most technically advanced and creatively integrated water systems in any Legoland park worldwide.
