As part of comprehensive management planning for the Upper Colorado River, Grand County obtained a Recreational In-Channel Diversion water right to help protect recreational use, and healthy river flows below a series of large dams and reservoirs. To perfect this water right, the completed construction on a whitewater park at the BLM managed Pumphouse Recreation area (take out for Gore Canyon and put-in for Little Gore or Hartman Canyon). American Whitewater helped identify the best locations, and the range of flows that need to be protected in order to sustain a robust recreation and tourism economy in the region.
The whitewater park was completed in 2015. The next year, American Whitewater began hosting the annual Gore Canyon Race and festival at the whitewater park site, adding a freestyle rodeo to the event to celebrate the protection of the critical recreational flows the site protects. In 2024, American Whitewater passed the event organizing on to Whitewater Racing, LLC but continues to support the event.