American Whitewater and the Vermont Paddlers Club today filed comments with FERC calling on Morrisville Power & Light (MWL) to schedule releases on the Green River in Vermont.  The Green is a 2.75-mile stretch of Class IV/V whitewater containing several gorges, falls and drops before converging with the Lamoille River.  This stretch of the river can provide whitewater paddlers with a unique and challenging paddling experience in the region.

In 2011, AW and VPC worked with the power company to perform a controlled flow study to assess the optimal level for paddling the river.  Based on the study, MWL proposed in its Preliminary Licensing Proposal scheduling two annual one-day releases from the dam in Morrisville.  While we credit MWL with recognizing the paddling community’s strong interest in the Green, we are seeking more scheduled releases than the two offered in the licensing proposal.  In their comments filed today with FERC, AW & VPC called on the MWL to provide five weekend 2-day releases from the dam in order to provide additional paddling opportunities.  We are hopeful that MWL and FERC will support our request and look forward to scheduled releases on the Green in the near future.