If You Purchased or Received a 2024 American Whitewater Calendar Please Read
03/08/2024 - by Evan Stafford
We need to sincerely apologize. We had a misprint in our 2024 calendars and the month of April is off by one day. April fools on us! We truly do sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this causes and we hope you'll still use our 2024 calendar. Here's a link to an easy to print replacement PDF for the days of April, which can be inserted to make sure you have the correct days in your American Whitewater calendar. We sincerely appreciate your support and understanding, as the calendar is a big fundraiser for us and one of our favorite ways to display the beauty of the rivers we work to protect on your behalf.
Harlequin Duck Surveys on the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River (WA)
03/06/2024 - by Evan Stafford
American Whitewater is partnering with Conservation Northwest and the Forest Service on a community-science project to monitor Harlequin ducks on the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River. The Middle Fork Snoqualmie and Pratt Rivers were designated Wild and Scenic in 2014 and the Forest Service subsequently developed a Comprehensive River Management Plan that recognizes the outstandingly remarkable values for recreation, fisheries, and wildlife. If you are interested in joining this effort we ask you to Sign Up here.
Opportunity to Stop Mine on Colorado River (CO)
03/06/2024 - by Kestrel Kunz
Last month, we reported on the zombie gravel mine that keeps rearing its head on the Colorado River near Dotsero, CO. With your help, we were able to rally over 900 comment letters to Eagle County elected officials in opposition to the mine. If you were one of the many people that have already written a letter, it will be counted and reviewed by the Commission prior to the March 11 meeting. If you have not written a letter telling Eagle County why this mine is a bad idea for the river and the community, you can still do that right here with American Whitewater's easy-to-use every action form! You can make your comments exponentially more impactful if you can attend the March 11 Eagle County meeting in person to voice your comments directly to the County Commissioners. Click the link to learn more about the in-person meeting and how you can engage!
California 2024 Recreational Releases
03/06/2024 - by Theresa Lorejo-Simsiman
Annually, American Whitewater starts the paddling year by confirming recreational release dates negotiated with hydropower projects across California like those operated by Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD). Here is what we have on tap so far for 2024. A reminder that all confirmed recreational releases can be viewed on the American Whitewater calendar here. If you would like to be notified of California releases and opportunities on specific watersheds, please fill out our form here.
Crystal River (CO) Wild & Scenic Feasibility Committee Consensus
03/05/2024 - by Hattie Johnson
On leap day, the Crystal River Wild and Scenic and Other Alternatives Feasibility Steering Committee came to consensus on a recommendation to the Town of Marble, Gunnison and Pitkin Counties, and the Colorado River Water Conservation District to protect the Crystal River. Three subcommittees were recommended to continue to implement protection measures discussed by the steering committee over the past year. The subcommittees are based on two river protection options: a state and local approach, employing an intergovernmental agreement between the counties and enhanced instream flows through the state and federal wild and scenic designation. These protection approaches were designed and agreed upon by the steering committee late last year. American Whitewater will lead and facilitate the group discussing Wild and Scenic protections and attend the other committee meetings.
West Virginia Bill Would Improve River Access At Bridges
02/13/2024 - by Kevin Colburn
A new bill in the West Virginia legislature aims to ensure public access to the state’s rivers and streams for recreational purposes. Specifically, the proposed West Virginia Public Waterway Access Act would require river access be provided as part of bridge construction or substantial repairs if it is safe and practical to do so. The result of this bill would be a gradual improvement to river access throughout the state over many years to come, increasing safety for both paddlers and drivers, and ensuring the economic and health benefits of river recreation will be a secure part of West Virginia’s future. We make it simple for West Virginia residents to reach out to their state senator and support this bill, SB 425 using our easy-action form.
Uinta Basin Railway Permit Withdrawn, Colorado River Protected!
02/08/2024 - by Evan Stafford
A court finding overturned the Surface Transportation Board’s approval of the Uinta Oil Train Project, leading the Forest Service to withdraw the Project’s Special Use Permit. This permit removal protects the Colorado River and the classic whitewater of places like Gore Canyon (pictured), Glenwood Canyon, Westwater Canyon and so many more – for now. This is a moment for celebration! As well as a moment to commit to vigilance in protecting and stewarding the Colorado River through what is likely to be a time of significant threats. We applaud the Forest Service for withdrawing this permit and the Congresspeople who stepped up to help protect the river, and we thank the coalition of local governments in Colorado that led the lawsuit asserting their concerns about unaddressed risks to the Colorado River, increased wildfire danger, and climate impacts.
American Whitewater Appeals Bad Forest Plan in Idaho
02/08/2024 - by Kevin Colburn
Last week, American Whitewater, along with several other national and regional organizations, filed a formal appeal of the Nez Perce Clearwater National Forest’s new management plan. The new plan took well over a decade for the Agency to produce, and included an unprecedented reduction in river protections. These streams offer vast habitat for salmon and steelhead shortly upstream of the Snake River dams, and are recreational treasures for paddlers and other river enthusiasts from around the Country. The Forest Service is clear that they are releasing streams from both long-held and promised protections so that they can conduct logging and other projects on the Forest without the need to protect river values while they do it.
Our objection now goes to the Regional Forester, Leanne Marten, who will decide the fate of these 70+ rivers and streams. There are no more official public comment periods for this process. With that said, river enthusiasts are encouraged to respectfully email Regional Forester Marten with personal stories about these streams and their importance, and with requests to protect them as “eligible” and/or “suitable” for Wild and Scenic designation. Her email address is: leanne.marten@usda.gov
This Valentine’s Day, help protect the Dolores River! (CO)
02/08/2024 - by Kestrel Kunz
This year, American Whitewater is pulling out all the stops to ensure that the Dolores River is protected now and for our future generations. We are working closely with our partners and local stakeholders to ask our congressional leaders and the Biden Administration to protect the Dolores River Canyons. We need your help to tell decision makers why the Dolores River in southwest Colorado is so special and that it is worth protecting. For this Valentine’s Day, we are asking you to write a love letter to the Dolores River. Our staff will compile all the love letters and deliver them to your congressional representatives and the administration. You can use this easy form to craft your love letter and submit it to American Whitewater. We’ve included template language that you can use for inspiration, but make sure that your letter is unique! You can include stories from the river, whether it’s about the scenery, rapids, or the people that made a trip special.
Wild & Scenic Tuolumne River (CA) - Access Update
02/08/2024 - by Jeff Venturino
American Whitewater has been actively working to help restore public access to the Wild & Scenic Tuolumne River following extensive 2023 storm damage to two key access points, Lumsden Road and Wards Ferry Road. Repair of these roads is vital to the recreation economy in the area and each additional season without access to the river has a significant impact on whitewater paddlers. The extreme damage to these roads will require coordinated efforts to ensure they are funded and repaired for the long haul and not just patched for the next atmospheric river to take them out, again! The unfortunate news is that full traditional access will not be restored before the spring and summer of 2024. Access on an interim road is still available for the public and Outfitters. American Whitewater is working with other stakeholders to explore every viable interim solution. This update provides the most recent information regarding road repairs and access to the Tuolumne.
Paddlers Protect Lower Big Sandy with Purchase of River Left Corridor!
01/29/2024 - by Kevin Colburn
American Whitewater is thrilled to announce that last Friday, January 26, we purchased a large portion of the classic Lower Big Sandy river landscape. Located in northern West Virginia, the land includes 4.25 miles of river frontage spanning almost the entire river-left side of the gorge, the remainder of which is already under conservation ownership. This purchase safeguards the river-left Rockville Access and portage routes at Wonder Falls and Big Splat. This purchase effort was led by longtime American Whitewater board member Charlie Walbridge and retired Cheat River outfitter Dave Hough. It was made possible by major gifts from over two dozen paddlers. Thanks to their generosity the land will now be protected for its recreational and ecological values in perpetuity.
Take Action Now to Finally Stop a Gravel Mine on the Colorado River! (CO)
01/28/2024 - by Kestrel Kunz
On February 5, Rincon Materials Inc. will yet again bring their gravel pit mine proposal to Eagle County, this time to the Board of County Commissioners. The project proponents have been trying since 2016 to develop a mining operation in the Eagle River valley and while it hasn’t been successful yet, they are now bringing their proposal in front of the Eagle County Commissioners. The mine would span a whole mile alongside the Colorado River just upstream from the confluence with the Eagle River in Dotsero, Colorado, harming the viewscape, boating, and wildlife throughout the area. Use our easy action template today to tell the Board of County Commissioners to deny the Rincon Materials permit for good. Comments will be most helpful if submitted by January 31!
Klamath Dam Removal Update: Drawdown Has Begun (OR/CA)
01/24/2024 - by Evan Stafford
The next big step towards removing the remaining three hydropower dams on the Klamath River has begun. In early January, the Klamath River Renewal Corporation to began draining the three remaining reservoirs of the Lower Klamath Hydroelectric Project and performing other dam removal actions at the J.C. Boyle, Copco 1, and Iron Gate dams straddling the Oregon-California state line. Drawdowns began on January 11 at Iron Gate Dam and will continue over the following few weeks to months. As of January 23, all three dams have been breached and the Klamath is flowing unconstrained by hydropower dams for the first time since 1911. Dam removal activities will be ongoing through 2024. This is the largest dam removal project ever undertaken.
Recreation Gets a Voice in the Colorado River
01/11/2024 - by Kestrel Kunz
Every December, more than one thousand water managers, federal decision makers, and other stakeholders convene in Las Vegas for the Colorado River Water Users Association conference. At the conference, recreation typically has not had a seat at the table despite the fact that every water management decision in the basin implicates river recreation and its fast-growing economy. But this year, American Whitewater’s Southern Rockies Protection Director, Kestrel Kunz, was invited to speak about recreation in the Colorado River Basin. We are confident that river recreation will continue to have a place in these important conversations around the Colorado River Basin and American Whitewater is committed to ensuring the recreation voice has a seat at the table.
Idaho and Utah National Forests Block 983 Miles of River Protections
01/11/2024 - by Kevin Colburn
Late last year the US Forest Service released two new national forest management plans that deny protections for a total of 983 miles of streams that they had deemed eligible for Wild and Scenic designation. Federal law and policy requires them to protect these rivers for potential congressional designation, but instead they released the streams from protection. They released the protections to grant themselves greater flexibility to conduct logging and other activities in the river corridors, and for political reasons. American Whitewater filed a formal appeal of the Ashley plan that was denied late last year, and will file an appeal of the Nez Perce Clearwater plan in late January that is likely to meet a similar fate. With almost 1,000 miles of our nation’s finest rivers cued up to lose protection, we are working with our partners in the region to explore all of our options to protect these streams.
Washington State’s First Outstanding Resource Waters Designated
12/18/2023 - by Thomas O'Keefe
Today the Washington State Department of Ecology announced the state’s first Outstanding Resource Waters that will protect segments of the Cascade (Skagit County), Green (Skamania County), and Napeequa (Chelan County) River systems for future generations to enjoy. Outstanding resource waters are identified as having exceptional water quality, ecological and recreational values, or unique attributes that distinguish them among state waterbodies and warrant special protection. Outstanding Resource Waters have the highest level of protection assigned to a waterbody under the Tier III Antidegradation rule in Washington's water quality standards.
See What Your Membership Supports! Check Out Our Winter Stewardship Update
12/12/2023 - by Evan Stafford
Take a look at some of the ambitious stewardship goals we hope to accomplish next year in our 2023 Winter Stewardship Update! You should know, we have big plans for 2024. From dam removals, new instream flows in dewatered rivers, and securing new Wild and Scenic designations, to new access sites, influencing National Forest Plans and sharing an updated American Whitewater River Safety Code, we’ll have our work cut out for us. If our past success is any indication we’ll surely rise to the challenge, but we can't do it without your ongoing support to keep our work on track.
American Whitewater Holiday Offer Now Available!
12/04/2023 - 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), your choice of a navy or tan AW beanie, and a 2024 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!
2024 American Whitewater Calendar Now Available!
12/02/2023 - by Bethany Overfield
Each year, we collect the best photos from our gracious (and incredibly talented) community and pick out our favorites for our annual calendar. Proceeds from calendar sales support our river stewardship work. It's an awesome fundraiser and a product that we know you'll love! Keep AW close all year long.
Purchase a calendar from our webstore for $25. These make the perfect gift for all the whitewater enthusiasts in your life!
Calendars for those of you who receive them as a membership perk, should land in mailboxes the week of December 11th.
Help us Celebrate our Southern Rockies Program Success!
11/29/2023 - by Kestrel Kunz
As the year comes to an end, we have a lot of successes to celebrate for our rivers in the Southern Rockies region. We could not have accomplished this much without the support from people like you! Thanks for helping us achieve all the below milestones this year. Here are some regional highlights from American Whitewater's three pillars: Protect, restore, & enjoy!