River Parks

Designing Safe, Enduring, and Community-Driven
River Parks

Merrick designs river parks as legacy projects that transform waterways into safe, vibrant public assets. Our work goes beyond in-water recreation to create integrated river corridors that balance flood management, ecological health, and year-round community use. Each project is shaped by a clear design philosophy focused on safety, performance, and durability.

For a deeper look at Merrick’s whitewater philosophy, technical approach and project experience:

Safety is foundational to every river park we design. Many projects replace aging low‑head dams or other hazardous in‑river structures that pose serious public risk. Merrick eliminates dangerous hydraulics and creates predictable features using sculpted concrete and graded boulders that perform reliably across a wide range of flows—supporting activities from kayaking and surfing to tubing and swiftwater rescue training.

River parks must also work within complex regulatory and environmental constraints. Merrick uses advanced 1D, 2D, and 3D hydraulic modeling to validate floodplain performance and support permitting. Our designs often maintain or improve existing functions, such as irrigation delivery and fish passage, while oxygenating water, enhancing habitat, and creating deep pools that provide cold-water refuge for aquatic species.

What truly sets Merrick apart is our hands-on, multidisciplinary approach. Engineers, landscape architects, river specialists, and funding experts work as a single team from planning through construction, startup, and tuning. By testing and refining features in the field, we ensure river parks meet low-hazard and performance objectives before they open to the public.

Why Merrick

• Design philosophy centered on safety, performance, and durability through proven experience and adaptability
• Multidisciplinary in-house team combining engineering, landscape architecture, and river expertise
• Advanced hydraulic modeling to support flood management and regulatory approval
• Hands-on construction observation with startup and tuning to validate low-hazard, high-performance features
• Integrated upland amenities, including trails, viewing areas, restrooms, operational facilities, parking, and river access points
• Funding support from Merrick’s dedicated funding solutions team, helping communities identify funding, navigate grants, and ensure compliance through project implementation