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GreaterUpperValley.com

A New Whitewater Park Could Be Coming To The Mascoma River

Apr 18, 2022 07:28PM ● By Virginia Dean
The Mascoma River is a 31.6-mile-long river in western New Hampshire which is comprised of two sections split by Mascoma Lake in Enfield and Lebanon. According to a local realtor Chip Brown, of Brown Commercial Realty in Hanover, it would be the perfect waterway for a whitewater park. Brown says he got the idea of creating a whitewater park from a project in Franklin, NH.

Having seen Hanover resident Alex Toth jump into the river one winter day a few years ago, Brown was inspired to propose a park that could get more people to pay attention to the Connecticut River tributary. Since then, Brown has insisted to the Lebanon Economic Development Commission members that a whitewater park in downtown Lebanon would be great for the town and would ultimately drive new traffic to the town and its shops and restaurants.

According to Brown, the park, which would be created by removing human-made debris from the Mascoma river and making slight changes to improve its flow, is still in the beginning stage. 

Brown said visitors could access the park south of the Mascoma street bridge where the rapids would be calmer. Even though obstacles could get in the way of a potential whitewater park in Lebanon, Brown acknowledged that if supporters were to move forward with the project, the river would end up being cleaner and a fiscal draw to the town and surrounding area.

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