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We need your help to protect the San Joaquin River! The proposed Temperance Flat Dam would drown an incredible river canyon that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has already recommended for Wild and Scenic River designation. Despite the enormous price tag of at least $2.6 billion, according to the Bureau of Reclamation's preferred alternative for the project, the dam would only yield 70,000 acre-feet of water per year on average. Take action today.

For well over 20 years paddlers have sought improved access to a beautiful section of Daddy’s Creek flowing through Catoosa Wildlife Management Area near Crossville, TN. Daddy’s Creek only has enough water to float after significant rain, which typically happens in the fall, winter and spring. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) road and area closures related to hunting during this timeframe have limited paddling use. Earlier today TWRA notified American Whitewater of a recent decision to expand public access. We would like to thank the TWRA for supporting the Tennessee residents and visitors who cherish Daddy’s Creek, and we are grateful for TWRA’s partnership approach.

The September/October issue of the AW Journal is available in the "Library". This issue includes 'Celebrating 50 Years of Wild and Scenic Rivers’.  Read the issue now online or download your copy.

Current members - Read the issue now!
Not a current member - Join or Renew!

The U.S. Department of the Interior has issued Bureau of Land Management (BLM) negotiated 4(e) conditions that ensure vital improvements at Ward’s Ferry Bridge, the take-out for the iconic Merals Pool run on the Wild & Scenic Tuolumne River. Far from an ideal take-out, Ward's Ferry is the site of steep eroding pedestrian trails, rampart graffiti and a vandalized bathroom.  American Whitewater believes the improvements mandated by the revised 4(e) condition will one day provide a take-out worthy of the Wild & Scenic Tuolumne River.

American Whitewater is seeking an iOS developer to extend American Whitewater's existing iOS application. At the heart of our online river guide app is innovative crowdsourcing, rich mapping and photography, river safety advice, and engagement with conservation initiatives. An interest or experience in river recreation is a plus for this project, but not required.

The Feather River Festival will be September 21-23, 2018! This event is hosted by American Whitewater with a Bar-B-Que and party presented by the Chico Paddleheads. This is California’s biggest whitewater festival and is held annually on the fourth weekend in September to coincide with the Rock Creek Dam scheduled release. Come on out for multiple sections of excellent whitewater, guaranteed flows, and and awesome party.

American Whitewater is pleased to recognize Amy Howell as AW’s September Volunteer of the Month. Amy absolutely was our star volunteer at the Gore Canyon Festival this year. She was our first ever Volunteer Coordinator for the event and she worked tirelessly to help with pre-event volunteer coordination and job planning for our incredible group of volunteers. She also booked and coordinated the music for our event (her specialty) for free and manned the registration station all weekend long so that Nanette Johnson could finally go into the canyon and view the Gore Race for herself. Always in lookout for what needed to be done and where she could be useful all told Amy volunteered for over 30 hours!

Lyons, Colorado - The St. Vrain Creek on Colorado's northern Front Range is one of several Colorado streams now targeted for comprehensive management plans.   American Whitewater is helping lead the effort, and a series of public and stakeholder meetings is underway this month. Your input can help decide how we can improve public access and safety, stream health, and connectivity between our communities - all critically important after the flooding of September 2013. 

Today, September 5, marked the close of the public review process for the DRAFT Wilderness Evaluation Report. The Evaluation Phase is the second step of 4 different steps required in the assessment of lands that may be suitable for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS). American Whitewater thoroughly reviewed the DRAFT Wilderness Evaluation Report and submitted our comments to the Forest Service on September 4, 2018. Overall, we found that key paddling reaches throughout the GMUG area were greatly under-represented in the Polygon narratives and thus weren't acknowledged as contributing factors to the Polygon's respective Wilderness Ratings. We let the Forest Service know this, highlighting specific paddling reaches that should be added to each Polygon and which Polygons we believe should have a higher Wilderness Rating based on the high-quality recreation opportunities that each area has to offer. 

Please stay tuned as we continue to report on the GMUG Land Management Revision Process and in the meantime you can learn more about the GMUG here. (Photo of Josh King by Nick Spitzer)

Get your groove on baby! This year Gauley Fest is a 60’s themed event to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. To memorialize that historic event we are flashing back to another era for a 60’s throwdown. Started in 1983 to celebrate the derailment of a hydro-electric project that would have disrupted the flows on the Gauley River, Gauley Fest has grown to become the largest paddling festival in the world.

Join American Whitewater on September 6, with the Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed, American Rivers, and New Belgium Brewing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act! We’ll have swag giveaways and opportunities to take action on behalf of rivers near and far. Featuring the short film, PROTECTED: A Wild & Scenic River Portrait and $3 Fat Tire Amber Ale and Fat Tire Belgian White. 

American Whitewater received the following open letter to boaters from the rangers and staff of the Gauley River National Recreation Area. This letter will keep you up to date on important management actions of the National Park Service on the Gauley River. Enjoy your paddling season on this classic whitewater river. As in past years, American Whitewater has leased the field above Masons Branch, also known as the Legg field, for overflow parking.

August 2, 2018, the President's signature marked the exciting finale of nearly a decade of efforts to protect Montana's East Rosebud Creek from hydropower development and other impacts. Twenty miles of this beautiful stream were designated as a Wild and Scenic River as it flows from the rugged Beartooth Mountains between Big Timber and Red Lodge, Montana. East Rosebud is treasured by local residents, paddlers, anglers, hikers, and other visitors.

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.

The Senate yesterday passed Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines and Congressman Greg Gianforte’s bill that protects 20 miles of the East Rosebud in south-central Montana as part of the Wild and Scenic River System. Here at American Whitewater we are overjoyed by the bill's passage, and would like to thank the entire Montana delegation for working together in a bi-partisan way to protect this wonderful stream.

American Whitewater is pleased to announce that a free iPhone App is now available that shares realtime details on the over 5,500 whitewater runs in our National Whitewater Inventory. The new location-enabled app allows paddlers to learn about nearby rivers within a selected distance or state, and safely pick trips that meet their group’s skill level, flow preferences, and timeframe. It offers enhanced mapping and links paddlers to the rich crowd-sourced information and river-related news on the American Whitewater website. 

As we head towards Upper Yough Race Day (July 29th) in Friendsville it's time to recognize some people who make access to the river easier. Thanks to Jess Whittemore the Town of Friendsville for creating the parking lot. Thanks to hundreds of paddlers who stay clear of residential areas on Water Street, patronize local businesses, and contribute to AW's Access Fund in Sang Run or on line. And a special thank you to Don Millard who has mowed the access areas in both Friendsville and Sang Run to keep our access costs low. If not for him you'd probably see a parking fee of $5 a head at both ends! Keep the good times coming! Don't forget to contribute!! Jeff Macklin photo.

This past fall American Whitewater met with Ohiopyle State Park managers to discuss possible updates to their whitewater paddling regulations. The first topic was to change the rules governing raft sizes at different water levels to recognize the capabilities of self-bailing rafts. Shorter self-bailing boats will now be allowed to run the river at high water. Some small changes to the regulations will make Ohiopyle Falls more accessible to paddlers. A change in the way the gauge is interpreted should make the falls "legal" on more days. Although whitewater paddlers are only one part of the vast public that visits the park, every effort was made to accommodate them while avoiding user conflicts and safety hazards. Special thanks goes to Ken Bisbee, Ohiopyle State Park Operations Manager and John Hallas, a former Ohiopyle State Park Operations Manager who is now Director of State Parks. Click here to read the updated Ohiopyle River Regulations:

It is looking like another great year to be a paddler in the Southeast! Over the past two decades American Whitewater has worked with affiliate clubs and partners to negotiate an awesome array of scheduled releases on river reaches previously dewatered by hydropower dams. Each year we are part of a process to schedule these releases in an integrated manner that aims to maximize their recreational value. Check out the outstanding line up for 2018. 

On November 8th, 2017, the House passed H.R. 3043, the “Hydropower Policy Modernization Act.” H.R. 3043 undermines the current hydropower licensing process, which is a key tool for protecting and restoring rivers impacted by privately and municipally owned and operated dams. The bill moves to the Senate next.

 You can help by reaching out to your Senators and encouraging them to stand up for rivers as they consider hydropower legislation.

ARKANSAS RIVER, Colo. - The Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA) is revising their Management Plan for the first time since 2001. The new Draft Plan was made publicly available in October and the AHRA is accepting public comments through November 10, 2017 (next week!). In order to design effective and productive comments, American Whitewater has thoroughly reviewed the Draft Plan, discussed the Plan with our local Affiliate Clubs, attended AHRA Public Open Houses, and reached out to key members of the local paddling community. To make it easy for you to SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS, American Whitewater staff have compiled our key concerns and comments for your review.