American Whitewater is pleased to announce Bill Cross as our 2009 River Steward of the Year. American Whitewater annually awards this honor to a single volunteer who has shown exceptional dedication to our river stewardship mission, and who has recently reached a major milestone in their efforts.
Bill has been assisting AW and representing the paddling community on Oregon’s Rogue River for the past several years. Bill was the primary local advocate who brought a section of the scenic North Fork Rogue to our attention. Just downstream of the Avenue of the Giant boulders this reach includes some great whitewater in a deep canyon, but it was dewatered by a hydropower project throughout the summer in a river that historically saw consistent year-around flows. As the utility worked to secure a new license for the project, Bill recognized the opportunity this reach provided and was instrumental in our ability to achieve a successful ruling from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that included provisions for whitewater recreation. The utility had decided not to work with us during the relicensing process and formally objected to provisions for whitewater recreation; we would not have been successful without Bill who was able to articulate the value of this reach and mobilize local paddlers in support of restoring flows. Since then we have developed a good working relationship with the owner of the project, PacifiCorp, and are working together on an assessment of instream flow and access needs for this reach. Bill has been a major part of fostering a spirit of collaboration in this process.
In addition to Bill’s work on the North Fork Rogue where we have been the only actively engaged non-profit, Bill has been our guy on the ground for important projects to restore habitat connectivity and navigability along the Rogue River. While dam removal projects at Savage Rapids, Gold Ray, Gold Hill, and Elk Creek have all been multi-stakeholder affairs, we have served as an important voice in articulating the benefits of restored rivers. Bill has been critical to identifying opportunities to weigh in on these projects that have benefits extending well beyond the interests of whitewater recreation. A talented writer, Bill recently summarized the progress on these projects in an article in the AW journal.
We would like to formally thank and congratulate Bill on helping us restore the Rogue River and encourage all paddlers to get out and enjoy this great river. Bill continues to serve as a critical voice from the southern Oregon paddling community helping us advocate for the interests of whitewater paddlers from a conservation and stewardship perspective. In addition to our appreciation the AW River Steward of the Year Award comes with a Jackson kayak. Thanks Bill!