The Pigeon River’s whitewater rapids are a favorite destination for adventure-seekers. Rafting outfitters launch the summer season by Memorial Day each year, generating tourism dollars all summer long and into the fall. With Hurricane Helene’s significant damage to Interstate 40 at Pigeon River Gorge, Waterville Road, and Duke Energy’s nearby hydroelectric power plant, immediate relief and recovery needs were a priority.
In early 2025, with summertime approaching in the tourism-focused region, ideas emerged for a plan to help rafting businesses open in time and save their season. N.C. Department of Transportation engineers Kenny McCourt and Daniel Ross devised a value engineering plan that benefits NCDOT, Duke Energy and the whitewater outfitters on the Pigeon River.
Creative Collaboration
Before Helene, NCDOT awarded an $8.4 million contract to Whaley Construction to replace two bridges on Waterville Road just a couple hundred yards from the state line. Construction operations halted as our state responded to immediate relief and recovery needs.
“It could have been the end of us if we couldn’t facilitate rafting trips this year,” said Lacy Bramlett, secretary of the Pigeon River Outfitters Association, which comprises eight companies that guide guests on rafting trips down the river.
McCourt and Ross proposed that DOT and its contractor build a new boat launch on Duke Energy property, downstream of the power plant under a Cocke County bridge that leads to Waterville Road.
The plan benefits all parties:
- NCDOT saves approximately $1 million in construction costs by having Whaley build both bridges at the same time.
- Duke Energy benefits from the launch being placed downstream of its reconstruction efforts.
- Whitewater businesses — and private boaters — have a full facility to launch and remain in business.
“We took aerial images of what they used as a boat launch before, asked about the basic necessities and details too, to figure out what would make it work and what would make it nice,” McCourt said. “We asked Duke Energy for their input and the county too.”
All parties agreed and went to work on a solution benefitting everyone.
The temporary launch has space for 10 buses plus private vehicle parking and signage directing visitors, and the river has a channel for safe boat loading and launching.
“They started work in like mid-March and had it ready for us on April 1,” Bramlett said. “We love what’s been created for us. It helps us plan for businesses, our employees and how to generate revenue this year.”
Saving Summer Tourism
For a decade, the Pigeon River has ranked among the top five most popular whitewater locations in the country, earning the local rafting industry an estimated $6 million in annual revenue. Comparatively, more people pay to go down the Pigeon River than all but the nearby Ocoee and Nantahala rivers, and the White River in Arkansas.
More than 176,000 people rafted down the Pigeon River last year. In 2020, that number topped 210,000 people.
“We’ve all had to flex since the storm,” Bramlett said. “NCDOT, working with Duke Energy and the county, has put us back in place to facilitate the same number of users we had last year.”
An interactive map and trip search tools are available on Visit North Carolina’s website, helping tourists plan their next outdoor adventure in western North Carolina.