Montgomery Whitewater releases updated statement on season closure
FILE – Guests enjoy whitewater rafting at Montgomery Whitewater – Photo from WAKA Action 8 News
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) – Montgomery Whitewater has issued an updated statement on its sudden closure for the season earlier this month as some Montgomery County commissioners have questioned its financial health.
This is the updated statement:
“Montgomery Whitewater ended the 2026 season following the Labor Day holiday on September 8. Public operations will remain paused through the winter as essential maintenance and repairs are completed. Private events will continue as planned.
“Closing at this time will allow us to complete necessary maintenance while also planning for the future. Since opening in 2023, Montgomery Whitewater has received strong support from the community and beyond. Three years of operation have given us a clearer picture of what it takes to run a facility of this scale and the modifications necessary for its long-term success.
“As we look ahead, we are focused on operating more efficiently, creating new reasons to visit and investing further in the experiences that already draw people here.
“We’re grateful for the support Montgomery has shown from the beginning. The next several months are a critical part of a new and more successful future for Montgomery Whitewater as we strive to better serve the community.”
In an earlier statement, Bobby Jon Drinkard, the chairman of the Montgomery County Community Cooperative District which oversees the 120-acre recreation complex, said that during the off-season period, it is a standard practice to scale down the number of employees.
Action 8 News is working to find out how many people were laid off.
While water activities have wound down for the winter in past years, this closure appears to involve all activities and events, even those that were previously announced. Those events included a Nature School that was scheduled for Saturdays through November, a fall guide school for those who wished to be trained to be rafting guides and ice skating sessions that have been held in the past.
At the last Montgomery County Commission meeting, three members said they have doubts about the $500,000 that has been included in this year’s budget to help fund the outdoor recreation complex. That number has not changed from last year’s budget, but in July of 2025, commissioners also approved $1 million to help cover operating expenses and existing bills.
Even so, the commission has kept a previously-approved $500,000 allotment for Montgomery Whitewater in the 2027 fiscal year budget.
District 4 Commissioner Isaiah Sankey voted against that budget, citing concerns about continued county funding for Montgomery Whitewater. Sankey said he has repeatedly requested audited financial statements from Montgomery Whitewater for 2023 and 2024.
“We’ve extended a $7.5 million credit line to Whitewater without any financial statements, any opportunity to assess their ability to repay the money,” Sankey said.
District 3 Commissioner Justin Castanza voted in favor of the budget. He says the goal is not to guarantee Whitewater continues to operate exactly as it does now, but to give the facility a chance to change its business model.
“We’re not saying bypassing the budget today that Montgomery Whitewater will exist in the future in its current state,” he said. “What we are saying is that we are committed to Montgomery still having an opportunity to have not just public entertainment, but community engagement.”
The results of an audit of its finances are expected to be finalized later this year.
