Mon River Fountain is Broken

Must replace anchoring system


Morgantown  Dominion Post
27 June 2009
By Alex Lang

One of the summertime fixtures on the Monongahela River has been absent so far this year.

The water fountain in the river has yet to be used because of a problem with its anchoring system, BOPARC Director Mark Wise said.

Debris and rushing water damaged the floating fountain.

BOPARC was forced to remove the fountain and create a new anchoring system so the fountain wouldn't float away.

The fountain was anchored in the river near Hazel Ruby McQuain Park.

On Thursday, Wise said they received a letter from the engineers detailing the new anchoring system.

Though BOPARC has new plans for anchoring the fountain, Wise said he has no timetable for when it will be back in the water.

"As soon as we get it ordered and installed, it will go out," he said.

The new anchoring system consists of Seaflex cables attached to large blocks on the river bed and banks, Wise said.

The old anchoring system was build for calmer waters than those on the Monongahela River, Wise said.

The fountain suffered a couple thousand dollars worth of damage, he said.

Wise said they initially hoped to have the fountain operating by now, but the first anchoring plan they developed left some involved in the project unsatisfied.

Rumy Hilloowala came up with the initial idea for the fountain and was a major fundraiser for the fountain's creation. He said the first proposed anchoring system was big and bulky and would have detracted from the idea of a floating fountain. The first proposal including anchoring the fountain the same way a dock is anchored, Hilloowala said. Engineers then came up with the new way to secure the fountain and Hilloowala said he was happier with the plan.

"Ideally, I would have liked to see it floating like it was the past two years," Hilloowala said.

But Hilloowala said he under-stands why the new anchoring system is needed to help protect the fountain from further damage. He said the new anchoring system is a much better choice than the first proposed anchor.