Success: Klamath River Access Sites Staying Open (OR/CA)
11/19/2025 - by Thomas O'Keefe
Two weeks ago, the states of Oregon and California unexpectedly announced the seasonal closure of three of the new Upper Klamath River access sites. Pioneer Park West, Moonshine Falls, and K’utárawáx·u were scheduled to close from November 20 through March 31 — a move that would have cut off direct access to the Big Bend Run and the K’íka·c’é·ki Canyon Run during the very season when flows are typically at their best and affected take-out access for the Keno and K’íka·c’é·ki Valley runs. Thanks to rapid engagement by American Whitewater, strong support from outfitters, and calls from many of you, both states have now reversed course. All three access sites will remain open this winter, with only short, weather-dependent closures if conditions genuinely warrant them. This is an important victory for the boating community and ensures that the public can safely reach and enjoy the newly undammed Klamath River during its prime winter and early spring season.
Pursuing New Legislation to Clarify Stream Access in Colorado
11/13/2025 - by Kestrel Kunz and Hattie Johnson
American Whitewater, Colorado Whitewater, and the American Canoe Association are pursuing a bill in Colorado’s 2026 legislative session to clarify the public’s lawful ability to float, scout, and portage around hazards on Colorado’s rivers. This legislation would include robust protections for landowners, including expanding liability protections and clarity around property rights violations. For decades, Colorado’s murky river access laws have led to regular conflicts between public river users and landowners, risking the quality of life for both parties. To continue our momentum and achieve success in Colorado, we need your financial support. We have a big gap to fill to meet a $80,000 campaign goal in support of our advocacy, stakeholder engagement, education, and broad grassroots efforts. If you enjoy Colorado’s rivers or if public river access is important to you, now is the time to make a contribution, whether small or significant, it all makes a difference. You can donate directly to this campaign using this form. We appreciate any support you are able to give!
2025 Board Of Directors Election–Current Members Please Vote Now!
11/13/2025 - by Evan Stafford
Each year American Whitewater's membership ratifies Board of Director members to serve three-year terms. These candidates volunteer to serve on the American Whitewater Board. Current American Whitewater members can cast their votes through Midnight Pacific Time, December 15th. American Whitewater has four Director Nominees to fill four open seats in this election, and you may vote for up to four candidates on the slate. The ballot for our Board of Directors election is placed online here.
Take Action: Oregon Waterway Access Permits
11/13/2025 - by Thomas O'Keefe
In 2025, the Oregon Legislature passed HB 2982, expanding the types of vessels subject to waterway access permits and increasing associated fees. The legislation moved quickly, with limited public input, and American Whitewater was the only organization to formally oppose the bill during the legislative hearing. We were successful in helping secure an exemption for small, nonmotorized boats engaged in whitewater recreation. We’re encouraging boaters to weigh-in with public comments at a rulemaking hearing regarding this legislation on Dec. 4.
Supporting Public Lands and Waters, Even During a Shutdown
11/13/2025 - by Evan Stafford
This past fall, despite a government shutdown, American Whitewater continued our work meeting with decision makers in Washington, D.C., and advancing the protection of our public lands and waters. Our team partnered with outdoor recreation and conservation leaders on three trips to the nation’s capital, meeting face-to-face with lawmakers to discuss the value of public lands, the importance of the public voice in hydropower licensing, conservation priorities for rivers, and the effects of agency staff reductions and shutdowns on river management. In partnership with coalitions like Outdoor Alliance and the Hydropower Reform Coalition, we had a busy fall–holding more than 100 meetings with both Republicans and Democrats. Our goal was to strengthen outdoor recreation and conservation priorities across the country.
“With the longest federal shutdown in history and ongoing staffing shortages at our land management agencies, it’s more important than ever to show up and make our voices heard,” said Thomas O'Keefe, Director of Policy and Science, of American Whitewater. “Outdoor recreation remains one area where we can have constructive, bipartisan conversations—and where our advocacy truly makes a difference. Even in a challenging political climate, we’ll continue to look for opportunities to protect access and the health of our rivers, and to ensure that agencies have the resources they need to care for these special places.”
American River (CA) Bridge Debris is Being Removed!
11/13/2025 - by Jeff Venturino
Placer County is currently in the process of removing bridge debris from the American River at Highway 49 just below the confluence of the North Fork and Middle Fork American Rivers. Debris removal was requested by the regional organization, Protect American River Canyons (PARC), and supported by local elected officials. A bridge failure in 1964 caused this hazardous and unsightly debris, which was abandoned in place at that time because an assumption was made that it would be flooded under the Auburn Dam reservoir. Restoring rivers to their natural state and removing infrastructure debris is incredibly important work. We’re thrilled that this project has moved forward despite the lack of a clear responsible party and long time scale. The confluence section of the American has several connected whitewater sections, which not only hosts boaters but also sees many tubers each summer. Recreational users have been endangered by this bridge debris for decades and it is exciting to see this situation will be greatly improved by next summer. American Whitewater has been in contact with Placer County regarding public, and on-water recreation safety, and has been pleased so far with the protective measures being implemented.
November '25 North Fork Feather (CA) Releases
11/13/2025 - by Jeff Venturino
Recreational releases will be happening on the Poe Canyon (V) and Bardee’s Bar (IV) sections of the North Fork Feather River this weekend. Releases will be 1400cfs from 9am to 3pm on November 15th and 16th, and 22nd and 23rd. These releases were negotiated for and are annually coordinated by American Whitewater in conjunction with Pacific Gas & Electric. We also advocated for license-required repairs to Bardee’s Bar road, which were completed this past spring after a significant winter wash-out and access for both sections should be open. This year’s releases were pushed out into November due to Pacific Gas & Electric maintenance needs, but are confirmed for November.
Access Closures on Upper Klamath River (OR/CA)
11/13/2025 - by Thomas O'Keefe and Scott Harding
Update: California has agreed to keep their sites open through the winter unless severe weather conditions justify a short-term closure. You can still call and thank the state for reconsidering their plan to close the K’utárawáx·u River Access for 4 months. We are still in conversations with Oregon but they seem inclined to reconsider their proposed closures and we are encouraging the state to align with the approach California is taking.
Just when the newly undammed Klamath River is ready to welcome boaters for its first full winter
season—with five brand-new river access facilities now in place—three of these access
areas are being closed to the public. The Klamath River Renewal Corporation, together with the
Oregon and California departments of fish and wildlife, announced the seasonal closures of Pioneer
Park, Moonshine Falls, and K’utárawáx·u river accesses from November
20, 2025 through March 31, 2026, citing “safety and weather conditions.” For
river-runners in Southern Oregon and Northern California, this news lands hard. These access
sites are the result of years of work by American Whitewater and our partners to ensure that, as
the reservoirs drained and the river returned, boaters would have safe, reliable ways to explore
the newly revealed reaches and witness the river’s revival. If you're interested in trying
to protect public access to the restored Klamath, you can take action by calling the Oregon
Department of Fish & Wildlife: 541-883-5734 and California Department of Fish &
Wildlife: 530-225-2300 and emphasizing why winter and early-spring access matters: these seasons
provide some of the Klamath’s best boating flows, and these new access sites were intended
to serve the public year-round. Image by Nicole Smedegaard.
2026 Calendars + Holiday Offer Membership Now Available!
11/12/2025 - by Bethany Overfield
Looking for that special gift for someone or just feeling the need to treat yourself? Our American Whitewater Holiday Offer just went live! You can get a Standard Membership ($35), a 16 oz MiiR Mug, and a 2026 calendar (plus shipping) all for $75. Head to our membership form and snag a Holiday Offer today. This is a splendid way to support our Stewardship work at American Whitewater.
We’re excited to partner with MiiR this year as they are a Climate Neutral Certified Brand and a B Corporation. In other words, MiiR walks the walks in the sustainable/environmental world!
Calendars make the perfect gift for the river lover in your life! You can head to our webstore to purchase one today (there are all kinds of gift goodies in the store!). Our calendar images are all contributed by our amazing and talented community and highlight many of the rivers you love. Keep American Whitewater close all year long with these gifts!
All Klamath River Accesses Now Open Along Undammed Reaches (OR/CA)
08/01/2025 - by Thomas O'Keefe & Scott Harding
With four dams removed, five new access sites completed, and all existing access points open, the 45 miles of newly restored river between Keno and the former Iron Gate Dam offer exciting new opportunities for boating—and are now more accessible than ever.
But before heading to the river, it’s important to know the specific use guidelines at each access site. Read on and check out our new map to learn more about each access and how to be a respectful visitor to this remarkable, newly undammed stretch of the Klamath.
Senator Murray & Representative Randall Reintroduce Wild Olympics Bill (WA)
05/13/2025 - by Thomas O'Keefe
Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and U.S. Representative Emily Randall (D-WA-06) reintroduced the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, legislation that would permanently protect more than 126,500 acres of Olympic National Forest as wilderness and 19 rivers and their major tributaries—a total of 464 river miles—as Wild and Scenic Rivers. Designed through extensive community input to conserve ancient forests and pristine rivers, protect clean water and salmon habitat, and enhance outdoor recreation, the legislation would set aside the first new wilderness on Olympic National Forest in over four decades and the first-ever protected wild and scenic rivers on the Olympic Peninsula. With a strong foundation of overwhelming local support, the bill has made steady progress each successive Congress—passing the House with bipartisan support twice before and passing out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last Congress for the first time in the bill’s history.
2025 Southeast Advanced Release Schedule
12/18/2024 - by Kevin Colburn
American Whitewater and our affiliate clubs have spent the past 25 years working to restore flows to incredible Southeastern rivers impacted by dams. A lot of our work has focused on releases and access on Class II and III rivers like the lower Nantahala, Tuckasegee, Hiwassee, and Catawba, but we also secured releases in some classic steeper reaches previously dewatered by hydroelectric diversions. Each year we meet with power companies and agencies to schedule future releases, review ongoing ecology studies, and discuss any issues with the release programs. We strive to create a schedule with minimal conflicts to maximize recreational value. Below are the 2023 dates for the Class IV/V Cheoah, Nantahala Cascades & Upper, West Fork Tuck, and Tallulah rivers. Also 2025 marks the third year of releases on the Great Falls of the Catawba! Thankfully, none of these rivers were significantly affected by Hurricane Helene.
Local Coalition Celebrates Commission Ruling to Protect Colorado's Waters
09/09/2022 - by Kestrel Kunz
A Big Win for Rivers in the Sierra & Sequoia National Forests (CA)!
07/25/2022 - by Theresa Lorejo-Simsiman
The Sierra and Sequoia National Forests have released final forest land management plans containing protections for 498 miles of rivers found eligible for inclusion into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Since 2013, American Whitewater has been engaged in this forest planning process with the goal of getting California's whitewater resources included in the eligibility inventory and recognized for their outstandingly remarkable values. As a tenet of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, managing agencies like the Forest Service (USFS) provide interim protections for eligible river's free flowing character and outstandingly remarkable values until they can be designated by Congress.
American Whitewater Prevails in Case to Protect the Tuolumne River
06/21/2022 - by Theresa Lorejo-Simsiman
In a case before the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, American Whitewater and our allies prevailed to uphold the Clean Water Act in protection of the Tuolumne River. This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act which requires that any utility applying for a hydropower license that may discharge pollutants into waters of the United States must receive state certification ensuring the project complies with all state standards for beneficial use, water quality, and anti-degradation of the waterway. The case brought forth by the Modesto and Turlock Irrigation Districts (the Districts) challenged a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) order upholding California’s clean water certification for the Don Pedro and La Grange Hydropower Projects located on the Tuolumne River.
It’s Finally Time to Protect Colorado’s West Slope Rivers!
08/16/2021 - by Kestrel Kunz
Today, the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forest Unit announced the much-anticipated release of the Draft Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The Draft Plan materials were released on Friday, August 13, initiating a 90-day review period. The GMUG National Forest is home to gems like Oh-Be-Joyful Creek, the Taylor River, Norwood Canyon on the San Miguel, and numerous others. Many of these rivers are free-flowing and offer outstanding values, including paddling, breathtaking scenery, fish habitat, and profound history and culture. This point in the plan revision process is the most important time for the river community to engage and speak up to protect our beloved West Slope rivers in Colorado!
Black Canyon Put-In Closed for 2021 Season (CO)
04/06/2021 - by Kestrel Kunz
The National Park Service and Bureau of Reclamation announced this week that the East Portal Road which serves as the put-in for the Black Canyon section of the Gunnison River will be closed for maintenance for the duration of the 2021 season. While the road closure is an unfortunate obstacle for many this season, the needed maintenance of the road will lead to fewer unexpected road closures due to rockfall and will improve access to the Black Canyon for the long term. American Whitewater will track the status of the road closure and we will share an update as soon as access to the Black Canyon is reopened.
Train Operations in Eagle and Arkansas Corridors to Require Full Review (CO)
03/25/2021 - by Kestrel Kunz
This morning, the federal Surface Transportation Board (STB) made a much-anticipated decision on the revival of the Tennessee Pass Rail Line - a 160-mile rail line that follows the Eagle and Arkansas Rivers between Sage and Parkdale, Colorado. The STB formally rejected Colorado, Midland and Pacific Railway’s (CMPR) request to be exempt from oversight and regulation of their proposed operation on the line, which would be leased under an agreement with Union Pacific. This decision comes nearly three months after CMPR filed a notice of exemption on December 31, 2020, as people were bringing in the new year.
Help Protect Colorado’s Western Slope Rivers this Valentine’s Day
02/09/2021 - by Kestrel Kunz
American Whitewater is asking the paddling community to step up this Valentine’s Day to help protect rivers like the Taylor, Oh-Be-Joyful, and San Miguel rivers in the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG) in Colorado. This Valentine’s Day and for the whole month of February we are collecting LOVE LETTERS from you to your favorite river in the Gunnison and Uncompahgre National Forests. We want to hear directly from you about why you love these rivers and why they are worth protecting. We have made this easy-to-use form to submit your letter to us!
Urgent: Help Protect Browns Canyon and the Arkansas and Eagle River Valleys
01/21/2021 - by Hattie Johnson
It’s hard to imagine what it would be like if up to 10 trains full of heavy crude oil and hazardous chemicals were rumbling by while paddling the Arkansas or Eagle Rivers. It would, without question, change the experience in negative ways, including opening up the opportunity for the major disturbances associated with any kind of derailment and spill of hazardous materials into the river. We need your help today to protect these incredible places. This past New Year’s Eve, Colorado Midland and Pacific Railway filed a notice of exemption for lease and operations of the Tennessee Pass line that runs through the Eagle and Arkansas Valleys to Parkdale. You have two options to make your voice heard. We have created a sign on letter to be submitted along with American Whitewater’s’s technical comments. However, if you’ve got the time to go the extra mile, we’ve included detailed directions below to submit your own filing directly to the Surface Transportation Board. Please follow these directions carefully and copy hattie@americanwhitewater.org if you decide to file your own comments. Comments are due by January 22 - please take action today!
