Many thanks those who have contributed to AW's Sang Run Access Fund on line. We raised just under $300 last week, a great start! Our goal is $1000 to pay for the porta potty and gravel. Let's get it done! To donate, please go to https://www.americanwhitewater.org/conte…/Membership/donate/? and and write "Upper Yough Access" in the comment line. Let's also give a special shout out to Don Millard, who has cut the grass in both Friendsville and Sang Run for many years to keep our access costs low. If not for him you might see a parking fee of $5 a head at both ends! The Upper Yough Race is July 27 this year.Be there! Jeff Macklin photo.

Releases from McPhee Reservoir into the lower Dolores River have come to an end for the 2019 season. American Whitewater is collecting feedback from paddlers who got out on the lower Dolores River this summer. Please follow this link to answer a few short questions about your experience. This feedback is incredibly helpful in our discussions with the reservoir operators and our conservation partners.  

American Whitewater is an organization that prides ourselves on getting work done, both effectively and efficiently. Eighty-three cents of every dollar we see goes directly to our stewardship work, and in 2018 we succeeded in turning that work into favorable outcomes on projects across the country. For a concise and graphic look at the work we accomplished together last year, check out our 2018 Annual Report.

A group of students participating in the Rose Foundation Project, New Voices are Rising based in Oakland, California recently spent a day learning about water issues and playing in the waters of the newly designated State Wild and Scenic Mokelumne River with American Whitewater staff and friends. California Stewardship Director Theresa Simsiman helped provide safety so the teens could enjoy swimming and wading in the Mokelumne, and gave a short talk on Pacific Gas & Electric's Mokelumne Hydropower Project. Theresa stressed the importance of balancing the impacts of removing water from our rivers to produce electricity with keeping water in our rivers for ecological and human benefits including whitewater recreation. 

On June 17, the Forest Service released a Working Draft of the Revised Forest Plan for the Grand Mesa Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests. The Working Draft outlines broad management direction for the Forests and proposes new management areas including Wilderness to be Analyzed, high-use recreation areas, Roadless Areas, and more. We still need your help NOW to tell the Forest Service that we need better protections for rivers throughout the GMUG. Feedback on the Working Draft is due by July 29 and the Forest Service will use this feedback to inform the official Draft Plan. The most effective thing you can do as a paddler is to tell the Forest Service where you love to paddle on the Forest, what you value about the area (e.g., primitive surroundings, facilities, clean water, etc.), and what management improvements you want to see. You can submit comments here! Remember - the Forest Service loves photos.

KEEN has been a longtime supporter of our river stewardship work and if you need a new pair of KEENs now is the time to get them - use the code AMERICANWHITEWATER in the KEEN online store to receive $10 off and KEEN will kick $10 our way to continue our stewardship work for rivers. It's a win win and your feet will thank you! Our good friends at KEEN Footwear provide a tremendous amount of support for our American Whitewater river stewardship program and this is our last call to use this AMERICANWHITEWATER code.

I can't keep my mouth shut any longer. I've been troubled the past couple weeks with the direction river surfing is going. I've been wrestling with bringing it up because I'm afraid of alienating myself and getting crucified online by the river surfing community. But this isn't about me, this is about the future of our sport and the lives of others. 

I don't like surfing in the river alone. And lately, even with a 15 person deep line up at the wave I feel alone. I feel alone because I am one of maybe two or three there wearing a PFD, or sometimes the only one. I feel alone because if something were to happen, like getting knocked unconscious or my body cramping up, I don't have faith that the people in the line up could save me.

This week, the House Natural Resource Committee's Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands will hold a hearing on bills that would designate over 1000 miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers. American Whitewater has brought the voice of the whitewater paddling community to the discussions that led to these legislative proposals with a goal of protecting rivers and the whitewater paddling experience.

Late in the day Wednesday, June 26th, the Washington State Court of Appeals Division II ruled in favor of Spokane River advocates, finding that the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) failed to protect summertime flows needed by the river, and thousands of boaters, fishers, anglers, and businesses. The court, in rejecting Ecology's Spokane River rule, underscored that the agency arbitrarily disregarded thousands of public comments, boater surveys, an analysis comparing the aesthetics of different flows, and testimony of river-dependent businesses.

As runoff begins to slow in the Dolores River Basin, releases from McPhee Reservoir are beginning to ramp down. After spiking Friday, cold weather brought inflows rapidly down. Releases are expected to remain at 1,200 CFS going into the week and remain there until Thursday June 27^th. Flows are expected to remain at or above 1,000 CFS through next weekend, Sunday June 30th. Please continue to check in to the Dolores Water Conservation District's (DWCD) release page for details. Low boatable releases are 800 CFS - 1,900 CFS.

Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA-06) reintroduced the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (S. 1382 and H.R. 2642) to 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 protect ancient forests, clean water and salmon streams as well as enhance outdoor recreation, the legislation would set aside the first new wilderness on Olympic National Forest in nearly three decades and the first-ever protected wild and scenic rivers on the Olympic Peninsula. 

For the past few years, the staff of America Whitewater has joined with a number of our members to participate in a four-day float trip on the Rogue River in southern Oregon. This trip has been a great opportunity to connect with members in ways that build a lasting understanding of the role of recreation in fostering a stewardship ethic. As one of the original eight Wild and Scenic Rivers in the country, the Rogue is an outstanding classroom for American Whitewater’s river stewardship program.

Thanks to an organization wide effort to provide transparency and operate efficiently, Charity Navigator awarded American Whitewater with its ninth consecutive 4-star rating. Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that American Whitewater adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way. Only 2% of the nonprofits Charity Navigator rates have received nine consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that American Whitewater outperforms most other charities in America. This “exceptional” designation from Charity Navigator differentiates American Whitewater from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust and support.

American Whitewater is pleased to announce the creation of an endowment to promote safety education and outreach. The endowment will support "promoting whitewater safety, responsible on-river behavior, safety education and outreach, and maintenance of the American Whitewater Safety Code and Whitewater Accident Database.' Anyone wishing to add to the fund can simply make a donation to American Whitewater here and include safety education in the comment field of the donation.

As we head towards Upper Yough Race Day (July 27th) in Friendsville it's time to remind everyone that we need to work together to maintain our access points. Thanks those who have contributed to the Sang Run Access Fund on line. We raised just under $300 last week; our goal to pay for the porta pots and gravel is $1000. To donate, please go to https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Membership/donate/? nd and write "Upper Yough Access in the comment line. Let's also give a special thank you to Don Millard, who cuts the grass in both Friendsville and Sang Run to keep our access costs low. If not for him you might see a parking fee of $5 a head at both ends! Keep the good times coming! Don't forget to contribute!! Jeff Macklin photo.