 | |
| About | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Ducktown, Tennessee, United States |
| Managing agent | U S Forest Service |
| Designer | McLaughlin Whitewater Design Group |
| Main shape | Riverbed |
| Water source | Ocoee River Dam release |
| Surf wave | Yes |
| Canoe lift | No |
| Facilities | Yes, limited due to fire |
| Opening date | 1996 |
| Stats | |
| Length | 1,640 feet (500 m) |
| Drop | 37 feet (11 m) |
| Slope | 2.2% (120 ft/mile) |
| Flowrate | 1,400 cu ft/s (40 m3/s) to 1,600 cu ft/s (45 m3/s) |
| Ocoee Whitewater Center | |
The Ocoee Whitewater Center, near Ducktown, Tennessee, United States, was the canoe slalom venue for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta,[1][2] and is the only in-river course to be used for Olympic slalom competition. A 1,640 foot (500 m) stretch of the Upper Ocoee River was narrowed by two-thirds to create the drops and eddies needed for a slalom course. Today, the course is watered only on summer weekends, 34 days a year, for use by guided rafts and private boaters. When the river has water, 24 commercial rafting companies take more than 750 raft passengers through the course each day.
Because the river is dry most of the year, the Center, now operated by the U.S. Forest Service, also serves as a site for hiking, mountain biking, conferences, weddings, and receptions. It receives about 300,000 visitors a year.[3]
The Ocoee Whitewater Center visitor center was destroyed by a fire early on the morning of April 26, 2022, and the main structure was completely destroyed.[4] As of June 2023, investigators hadn't determined the cause of the fire.[5] On May 27, 2023, a little over a year after the fire, the day use area of the Center opened to the public and the U S Forest Service sought public input for developing a masterplan for the Center.[6][7]
- ^ 1996 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 1. p. 542.
- ^ 1996 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 3. p. 164.
- ^ "About Us". www.fs.fed.us.
- ^ Zechman, Bliss; Benninghoff, Eric (April 26, 2022). "Officials: Ocoee Whitewater Center a total loss, TBI fire investigation ongoing". WTVC. Chattanooga. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
- ^ "Work begins on the future of Ocoee Whitewater Center". Local3News.com. 14 June 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
- ^ "One year after destructive fire, plans for future of Ocoee Whitewater Center announced". WTVC. 26 April 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
- ^ "Reimagining the Future for the Ocoee Whitewater Center Begins". USDA. 16 June 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2023.