Articles

SNOTEL sites within the Dolores River watershed have reached records and the Colorado River Basin Forecast Center is predicting a most probable scenario that would provide 515,000 acre feet (af) (202% of average) to McPhee Reservoir. The reservoir sits over 50 feet below a full pool, needing approximately 200,000 af to get there. Despite the low reservoir levels, simple math indicates there will be plenty of water to release downstream. That excess water will be released from McPhee Reservoir to

To better connect our community, American Whitewater is launching a Community Events calendar in the May/June Issue of the American Whitewater Journal. This will amplify community events to larger audiences. Events will be limited to festivals, races, clean ups, and kayaking/rafting/SUP/river surfing clinics all across the nation. If space becomes an issue, we will prioritize events hosted by our Affiliate Clubs and Partners. Use this form to submit your event.  If you want to highlight your event in the May/June Issue

As you might recall, the House put forth a resolution to dissolve a new river protecting Waters of the United States Rule, or WOTUS. Well, they voted to repeal it and in an unfortunate turn of events, last week the Senate followed suit by also voting to repeal these clean water protections. It seems like clean water would be a no-brainer, but apparently not for many of our lawmakers. WOTUS is the rule that determines which waters in our country

American Whitewater and its partners in the relicensing of the hydropower dam on the Connecticut River signed a landmark settlement agreement that will restore flows to a dewatered section of the river in Turners Falls, Massachusetts. This historic agreement will reverse more than a century of flow diversions that blocked fish passage, destroyed aquatic habitat, and eliminated virtually all opportunities to boat on this section of the Connecticut River. For more than a decade, American Whitewater was joined in this

In late March, American Whitewater, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, and the Colorado River Outfitters Association filed an amicus brief in the Hill v. Warsewa stream access case that has the potential to clarify the public’s ability to affirm their rights to access Colorado’s streams and rivers. The case has bounced around between state and federal court all on the question of Roger Hill’s standing to bring the case. An appeals court agreed with Mr. Hill in his claims that having

Scheduled releases for the South Fork American River below Slab Creek for this weekend March 18th and 19th have been cancelled and will be rescheduled to April 15th and 16th. Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has informed American Whitewater that storm event modeling indicate impacts to their ability to physically control releases below Slab Creek Dam. Also, in anticipation of uncontrolled spill over the dam, SMUD elected to remove log booms from Slab Creek reservoir to protect them from high-water

Scheduled releases for the South Fork American River below Slab Creek for this weekend March 18th and 19th have been cancelled and will be rescheduled to April 15th and 16th. Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has informed American Whitewater that storm event modeling forecasts indicate impacts to their ability to physically control releases below Slab Creek Dam. Also, in anticipation of uncontrolled spill over the dam, SMUD elected to remove log booms from Slab Creek reservoir to protect them from

American Whitewater is proud to announce the continuation of our river safety films series, with two new releases available now! Tools of the Trade – Choosing Your Craft and Furthering Rescue and River Running Skills, offer short, up to date and easily digestible tips to help keep you and your friends safe on the water. Choosing the right vehicle for the right river is essential to safe river running, and we cover safety tips specific to individual crafts in our

The 2023 New York whitewater release schudule is official. From the Adirondacks to the Delaware River, the release schedule provides whitewater boating opportunities for paddlers from beginner to expert throughout the spring, summer, and fall. These releases have been brought to you by American Whitewater, affilliate clubs, and dedicated partners for more than 30 years. Below are the releases for the Moose, Beaver, Black, Raquette, Hudson, Salmon, and Mongaup Rivers. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++   2023 ADIRONDACK REGION RELEASE SCHEDULE Announcements: – SIGN

Last year, the Supreme Court of New Mexico unanimously upheld the state constitution by affirming the public’s right to access all rivers and streams for recreational purposes. Today, landowners who had been fighting for years to exclude the public – in many cases physically by installing barbed wire fences – from rivers that run through their property, had their petition to overturn the state court’s decision denied. These landowners are two of the original holders of non navigable water certificates

The Colorado Water Conservation Board finalized the first update to the state water plan at the end of January. American Whitewater submitted detailed comments on recommended changes to the draft plan that was released in the summer of 2022. Recreational considerations were included in both the original 2015 plan and the draft. However, our comments were focused on stressing the importance of river-based recreation to the economy and way of life of many communities in the state. About 50% of

Last week the Environmental Protection Agency released a new final rule governing which streams and wetlands will be covered by the Clean Water Act. If this sounds familiar, it is for good reason: this issue has been the subject of perennial debate and changes made by various administrations and courts for at least the past two decades. But, for today, for rivers, it is time to celebrate! The new rule, which will likely take effect in 60 days, will restore

American Whitewater is seeking the services of a contractor with significant experience in website design, implementation, and support to produce a new version of the main American Whitewater website – www.americanwhitewater.org – in WordPress. The project will integrate with but not replace the National Whitewater Inventory (eg River Info), our CRM, our current branding, or significant backend components of our site. The new site should provide an attractive, fun, and easy to navigate entry point for someone to learn about

Massachusetts joined 16 other states in establishing an Office of Outdoor Recreation to coordinate the efforts of various state agencies in promoting the outdoor recreation economy in the Commonwealth. American Whitewater worked in partnership with affiliate club Appalachian Mountain Club, whitewater outfitter Zoar Outdoor, and industry partners including REI in calling on the state to establish the new office. American Whitewater spearheaded the effort to enact legislation establishing the new office and build support for outdoor recreation in the state.