By Michael Butler

The Tallapoosa River below Thurlow Dam in Tallassee has become a destination for select kayakers. One is Dylan Carr, who calls Tallassee home.

“I’ve been going down there since I was a kid. My dad used to take me,” Carr said. “I’ve been kayaking for almost seven years now. I’ve been fortunate to have the Tallapoosa right here in our hometown to practice. We’ve always been fascinated with the river. We have a beautiful river that runs right through the town. I think it’s the lifeline of our city.”

Carr is among a group of whitewater kayakers who travel all over the southeast to get on the water.

“It’s part of the fun of it, to see new places and run new rivers,” Carr added. “The (Tallapoosa) is definitely in my top five. What’s below the dam is equally as good as anything I’ve run. Those are big rapids. The Tallapoosa is known for one specific spot with play boaters called the “Sticky Hole.” We’ve had a world champion down there at that play spot.

“There are a couple of guys from Auburn who are professional kayakers that come to Tallassee on a regular basis. There’s a big crew from Auburn and Columbus that still come down. Anytime there are flows, we see them down here – all the time.”

Carr knows the dangers of any river and explained that the Tallapoosa in Tallassee is not for everybody.

“All rivers should be respected. There are some hazardous areas, potholes and pin potentials. It is a dangerous river if you don’t know what you’re doing. It took me a good year of kayaking before I sat foot on the Tallapoosa. It’s a big, wide river. If you were to swim out of your boat, it endangers not only yourself but your buddies with you. It’s not for the amateur but the seasoned kayaker.”

Alabama Power Company controls water flow that gives the river several different dynamics for those who raft down it.

“We have an app to look at generation flow,” Carr noted. “We watch those schedules.”

Carr and his fellow kayaking friends train regularly.

“We do that so we can be safe on the river,” said Carr, who is a Level 4 instructor himself. “Most of the guys I paddle with are Level 4 Swift Water Rescue Certified. I would not buy a “sit on top” and go down that river. I’ve talked people out of that.”

A recent experience was shared on Carr’s Facebook page. It was when the spectacle of rushing waters coming over the gates at Thurlow Dam took place.

“It was a special thing with them pouring water over the dam. I found out they weren’t generating and had divers in the water. So, I looked at the falls and saw that it looked doable. A friend of mine, Erik Amason, reached out to me and wanted to come down and run it.”

Amason drove down from Huntsville to take part with Carr.

“It’s definitely unique to have these rapids on perfect display right in the center of town,” Amason said. “The Tallapoosa has a great scope covering the full spectrum of easier rapids to the Class 5 realm in a short space. It checks all the boxes for competitions. It’s perfect for a lot of people to come and set up easily with accessibility for the athletes or anyone wanting to watch.”

“Most of these races happen on Class 5 rivers,” Carr added. “It’s well on par on what they do with other races and competitions across the United States.”

Turning this portion of the river into a spot on the competition circuit would require a partnership and cooperation with Alabama Power.

“There are a lot of formulas with athletes who have relationships with hydro stations or dams,” Amason said. “That would be an easy conversation for us to have with our connections and the templates they use to get the right insurance and build out the plan with the operators for the right flow and timing for an event like this. We have a lot of circles where this has been done before that we could apply here. This would be a great highlight for the area.”

Carr agreed.

“We’re in a triangle of whitewater activities,” he said. “We have Columbus, Ga. It’s created a lot of commerce for the city. We also have the whitewater center in Montgomery and the Coosa River. We have a lot to offer for whitewater kayakers. If we could include the Tallapoosa, it would be an amazing triangle of whitewater.

“It’s a hidden treasure. I would love for more people to enjoy the river. We’re down there on a daily basis. I think we have plenty of land around the river to do more ecotourism, like trail systems. I think that would be a great thing for Tallassee. More people are getting outside. It’s good for the soul and for us as a community.”