In the last few years, American Whitewater has brought our expertise to bear on the US Bureau of Reclamation’s Colorado River Basin Supply and Demand Study (CRBSS).  The Study was to determine if the Colorado River can sustain healthy flows and a robust recreation economy into the future. Working with conservation groups and the CRBSS Project Team, American Whitewater launched a targeted assessment of flows needed to provide whitewater recreation, and to demonstrate that a quantitative metric can be developed that will allow the BOR to evaluate the impacts to our rivers from continued drought, climate change, or additional large water pojects.

Our staff and consultants worked with Reclamation staff and the multi-state Project Team to develop and integrate quantitative metrics for whitewater boating into the Basin Study’s Findings and Report. With the official launch of Moving Forward, an effort that builds upon the recently completed Supply and Demand Study, American Whitewater is positioned as the sole recreation voice engaged in a coordinated way with other Colorado River Interests to examine both the challenges we face, and the potential solutions to meet shortfalls in the basin.

As the leading river-recreation interest on the Environmental and Recreational Flows Working Group, AW is committed to identify and address any scientific uncertainties associated with river recreation across the basin. We continue to examine in more detail the challenges presented by the Basin Study, and work to develop possible solutions that will reduce vulnerabilities and meet defined needs for healthy recreational and environmental flows across the basin.

The Basin Study recognized that future efforts to address water shortages in the Southwestern should be based on a solid understanding of the needs of flow-dependant ecological systems and river recreation, should reflect those needs in a modeling framework, and seek to better protect and improve those flows. AW is working to implement options that provide multiple benefits to improve flow and water-dependant ecological systems, power generation, and recreation.  We will also be instrumental in proposing future activities to be conducted in 2014.

We have several objectives for this next year:

Objective 1: Coordinate activities with federal, state, and environmental interests to select a clear, effective, and agreed upon set of principles that will guide how the Work Group identifies and develops potential solutions that protect and improve environmental and recreational resources, while recognizing other management goals in the Colorado River basin. American Whitewater will work to ensure that ecosystem health and the important recreational benefits that rely on streamflows in the basin are being advanced by a cohesive and powerful coalition of conservation groups.                 

Objective 2: Participate in the selection of “focus reaches” that will be used by the Workgroup to explore opportunities to improve flows for environmental and recreational attributes. American Whitewater will participate in developing or selecting methodologies to identify 2-6 “focus reaches” from the Basin that will be used by the Workgroup to explore options for assessing any scientific uncertainties associated with flow-dependant values.

Objective 3: Recognize and seek to eliminate current limitations in data and modeling tools as they relate to recreational flows on priority reaches selected by the Workgroup. American Whitewater will provide the best available information on recreational flow-needs on “focus reaches” to improve knowledge base of Workgroup and achieve goals relating to ecological and recreational values. This information will be collected and organized consistent with existing evaluations of flows and recreation quality conducted by American Whitewater.

Objective 4: Ensure that recreational interests are well informed, organized and communicate a clear and consistent message for reliable and predictable river flows in the Colorado River basin and its tributaries.

Stay tuned for more information as this project Moves Forward!