Championship this weekend could be last on Olympic venue

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Posted 9:58AM on Friday, October 11, 2002

DUCKTOWN, TENNESSEE - This weekend's national slalom championship could be the last on the $26 million Ocoee Whitewater Center Olympic venue. A five-year agreement for the Tennessee Valley Authority to provide free water for competitions has expired, utility spokesman Gil Francis said. TVA will now be seeking ``full-cost recovery'' for lost power production from any future water releases, he said. Outside of the agreement for free water, the agency charges $6,000 to $12,000 a day to fill the river with water. Rafting outfitters and area leaders say low commercial rafting ridership this year has already imperiled the industry. Making up the shortfall by raising rafting fees could kill commercial rafting on the upper river and deal a $15 million blow to the region's economy, supporters said. ``If the river sits dry, the Olympic Whitewater Center will have the nicest, most expensive rest stop that the U.S. Forest Service has ever built with taxpayer dollars,'' said Leland Rymer, a member of the Copper Basin Economic Development Agency board. Karen V'Soske, event coordinator for the Teva National Championships this weekend, said losing the venue for competition ``is not only a disruption to the competitive circuit, but ... the hopes for river-related economic growth in the Ocoee region.'' TVA water specialist Robin Kirsch has told outfitters and local leaders that the utility is aware of the economic impact on the region, but also owes ratepayers the lowest costs possible. The agency charges river users to make up for lost power generation, she said. Outside of competitions, commercial rafters reimburse TVA for water costs at rates that vary depending on time of year and power demand. Kirsch said the utility agreed in 1997 to provide free water to build race event attendance and for the events to become self-supporting. The agreement actually ended last year, but when a World Championship Slalom race was canceled because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, TVA allowed unused release days to be transferred to this year's Teva National Championships. Carlo Smith, president of the Ocoee Outfitters Association, said rafting companies estimated 35,000 customers this year and added a $6.25 fee to each ticket for TVA. But the companies expect to sell only about 27,000 tickets, leaving outfitters about $50,000 short on their TVA fee, he said. Kirsch said companies will have to renegotiate the fee with TVA. The slalom course was built for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. The U.S. Forest Service, which invested $14 million in the upper Ocoee River slalom course and Olympic Whitewater Center, has recommended that TVA provide 74 days of water on the upper Ocoee - 54 for commercial use and 20 for races.