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Feeder Canal at Brookmont
Kayak Slalom Course
The Feeder Canal at Brookmont is a narrow finger of whitewater that is set up with slalom gates and is suitable for kayaking at the site of the old Little Falls Skirting Canal. The "skirting" canal was originally a project of George Washington and the Patowmack Company to avoid falls and rapids. It was later taken over by the C&O Canal to supply (or "feed") water from Brookmont to Georgetown. In the 1970s, a kayaker hung racing gates in the entrance to the feeder canal to make it a whitewater slalom practice course, and Brookmont's reputation as a kayaking mecca was created. Today it is a popular spot for kayakers in training for competitive events.
The Feeder Canal is the main year-round training site for the Potomac Whitewater Racing Center (PWRC). It is located in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park next to Lock #6 off of the Clara Barton Parkway. PWRC athletes and volunteers have maintained slalom canoe gates on the Feeder Canal under an agreement with the National Park Service since the early 1970's. There are currently 40 to 50 training gates hung for practice on a course that features class I-II whitewater at normal river levels. PWRC often holds races in the Spring and Fall on the Feeder Canal open to PWRC and other athletes.
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Contact Information
Potomac River Whitewarer Racing Center
P.O. Box 435
Cabin John MD 20818
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