Skowhegan, Maine—An anonymous donor recently gave $31,000 for the Run of River Whitewater Recreation Area, a proposed whitewater park and expanded trails network that will be located in and around the Kennebec River Gorge in downtown Skowhegan.
The $31,000 donation brings the total raised for Run of River in the last nine months up to $124,000. This includes a $25,000 grant from the Quimby Family Foundation, a $25,000 matching gift from a Maine Community Foundation Donor Advised Fund, $40,000 from the Somerset County Tax Increment Financing Community Benefits Fund, and $3,000 raised via Skowhegan River Fest event proceeds.
“We’re so grateful to the donor for this amazing gift,” said Kristina Cannon, Run of River Committee member and Main Street Skowhegan executive director. “We can’t thank them enough for believing in Skowhegan, this project, and the vision for community transformation through outdoor recreation.”
The committee will use the donation to help cover costs of required permits from state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Total permitting costs are expected to be $180,000. The committee hopes to apply for permits this summer, and has submitted several grant applications to raise the remaining $149,000.
Prior to applying for permits, final field work in the downtown river gorge must be completed—a project that was intended for November 2018 but was stalled by the early onset of winter weather. Data gathered from the field survey in the gorge will be used to create computer-generated 3D hydraulic models for fisheries review—a requirement by permitting agencies. Grant funding previously raised will cover the cost of field work and modeling.
The committee is planning for construction of the whitewater park— three whitewater features for playboating, surfing, and tubing; access trails; and terraced seating—during the summer of 2021, which will coincide with the installation of a fish passage apparatus at upriver Weston Dam and ensure low water levels in the Skowhegan gorge.
Total funds raised for the $5.3 million whitewater park now exceed $1.56 million. In addition to pursuing grant funding, the committee is gearing up for a major fundraising campaign to help raise the additional $3.7 million.
For more information, please check out RunofRiver.org or contact Kristina Cannon at Kristina@mainstreetskowhegan.org or 207-612-2571.