AW Works to Restore Boating Flows to West Canada Creek (NY)

American Whitewater is working to bring whitewater boating back to West Canada Creek in the Adirondacks as part of the relicensing of the hydropower dams at Prospect and Trenton. Over the past month, AW members have participated in two whitewater boating studies demonstrating the importance of whitewater boating on the river.

The upper reach, located in te natural river channel below the Prospect Dam, completely dewaters the dramatic 35-foot Prospect Falls. Participants in the whitewater boating study at Prospect likened the scenic high-walled canyon below the falls to the Ausable Chasm.

The lower reach, located far downstream from Trenton Falls above Kast Bridge, is a critical whitewater boating resource for developing new whitewater boaters and providing whitewater boating opportunity for a wide range of paddlers. Once a popular whitewater boating run, paddling on West Canada Creek vastly diminished after hydropower peaking operations limited boating opportunity.

The whitewater boating studies at West Canada Creek will help us in our advocacy to restore flows and access at Prospect Falls and down at Kast Bridge to provide a range of paddling opportunities for our community.