New Voices are Rising Students join American Whitewater on the Moke

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 and Foothill Conservancy.

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. 

Katherine Evatt from Foothill Conservancy spoke about the new State Wild & Scenic designation of the Mokelumne and how it provides water to Oakland through East Bay Municipal Utility District. The kids had an excellent time at the river and learned a lot as well! New Voices Are Rising is a program which seeks to increase civic participation within under-represented communities, increase young people's commitment to environmental justice, and reduce air and water pollution that severely impact both human health and the health of the San Francisco Bay.