Build a High Water Park and Play Wave on the Rivanna

OVERVIEW

Tired of driving at least an hour for a good surf when it rains? Then come out this Sunday to help build a surf wave a little closer to town. I have been eyeballing a spot on the South Fork Rivanna River immediately below the dam that already has a wave at high water. The spot is located downhill from the Walmart on 29 north off Rio Mills Road. You park at the end of the dirt road straightaway and cross over public land, following a wide path behind the guardrail, coming out to a small ledge on river left about 300 yards below the dam. I’ve seen a 2 foot high wave form at higher levels, but with no eddy access. I think if we moved some rocks around the riverbed on each side, we could compress the flow to form a bigger wave, with eddy access, possibly even at medium flows. The rocks that need to be moved range in size from softball to dorm fridge, a large crew of motivated volunteers could make this work much easier. This is a bit of a crap shoot: there are no regular releases from the reservoir, a flood could wash out our work, it usually only runs high in the winter and spring, but when it rains hard and the dam spills water, the payoff of a sweet wave 5 minutes from home is too hard to resist. As for other non-boaters worried about river engineering, look upstream at that enormous dam… Let’s try to move the rocks before the river gets too cold to wade without all your paddling gear. Plan on meeting out there at noon this Sunday, and putting in a good 4 hours. Dress for the occasion, we will be getting wet and muddy, and rolling around heavy rocks, so sturdy old shoes are better than river booties. Bring long pry bars or steel bars if you have them, and maybe a come-along. Hope to SYOTR this Sunday.
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Josh Tracy
Cell 434 249-9300