Ladies of the Lower G returns to Gauley Fest! Spend a day paddling with Anna Levesque on the Lower Gauley and raise money for AW! What’s not to love? If you haven’t heard of the Ladies of the Lower G event it’s an annual event that Anna Levesque of Girls at Play and North American River Runners (NARR) put on around Gauely Fest. All the ladies who sign up spend the day boating down the Lower Gauley with
Friends of the Cheat, a watershed group based in Kingwood, WV, recently completed construction of a new parking area along the Big Sandy Creek in Rockville, West Virginia. The location on river left, just upstream of the Rockville Bridge, will provide public access to two of the popular whitewater runs in the state. There’s space for over 30 cars, more than enough to relieve congestion on busy spring weekends. The county road from the bridge to the lot was
Whitewater paddlers in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia have often used the parking lot behind the Little Sandy Church of the Nazarine to access Little Sandy Creek. This past summer Pastor Chad Harvey told me that parents in his congregation had asked for a fence to keep their youngsters from falling into the river. The church board approved construction, but because they wanted to continue the church’s tradition of hospitality towards paddlers they also planned to build a gate. This will
Volunteers Will Launch Flotilla to Clean Up the Clackamas River Sunday, September 7th Date: Sunday September 7, 2008When: Sign-in starts at 9:30am @ Barton ParkWhere: Meet at Barton Park. What’s Happening: River runners with big hearts are cordially invited to join us — kayakers, rafters, drift boaters, tubers, river boarders, snorkelers and even scuba divers! Join one of 15 pods which will launch under the leadership of skilled volunteers to paddle one stretch of river, either Barton to Carver, Carver
North Carolina’s Division of Parks and Recreation is conducting a survey of paddlers to help them assess citizen’s access needs and opinions on how river access initiatives should be funded and accomplished. The survey only takes a few minutes and if you paddle in NC, we encourage you to participate. Whitewater paddlers’ participation in the study will help provide vital information about recreational needs on whitewater rivers. Take the survey by clicking here.
Come out for this year’s Feather River Festival September 27th and 28th. The festivities will take place at Indian Jim campground/school, a mile upstream of Tobin this year. You can put in or take out or hang out and swim there, and be on site for Saturday’s festivities, including food, and a band. We will also do the slalom course there. The slalom course will be class II, suitable for the whole family – beginning to expert kayakers. The race
Come out for this year’s Feather River Festival September 27th and 28th. The festivities will take place at Indian Jim campground/school, a mile upstream of Tobin this year. You can put in or take out or hang out and swim there, and be on site for Saturday’s festivities, including food, and a band. We will also do the slalom course there. The slalom course will be class II, suitable for the whole family – beginning to expert kayakers. The race
Come out for this year’s Feather River Festival September 27th and 28th. The festivities will take place at Indian Jim campground/school, a mile upstream of Tobin this year. You can put in or take out or hang out and swim there, and be on site for Saturday’s festivities, including food, and a band. We will also do the slalom course there. The slalom course will be class II, suitable for the whole family – beginning to expert kayakers. The race
Come out for this year’s Feather River Festival September 27th and 28th. The festivities will take place at Indian Jim campground/school, a mile upstream of Tobin this year. You can put in or take out or hang out and swim there, and be on site for Saturday’s festivities, including food, and a band. We will also do the slalom course there. The slalom course will be class II, suitable for the whole family – beginning to expert kayakers. The race
We are happy to announce that Friends of the Cheat won second place in the Redwood Creek Wine Greater Outdoors Project, winning $10,000. The money will be used to secure land along the Big Sandy and place it in conservation easement. The land will protect public access to the river as well as the river itself. We would like to thank the many paddlers that voted online in support of the project, Friends of the Cheat for writing a
We are happy to announce that Friends of the Cheat won second place in the Redwood Creek Wine Greater Outdoors Project, winning $10,000. The money will be used to secure land along the Big Sandy and place it in conservation easement. The land will protect public access to the river as well as the river itself. We would like to thank the many paddlers that voted online in support of the project, Friends of the Cheat for writing a
The American Whitewater membership tent will be at the Nantahala Outdoor Center for the Guest Appreciation Festival (GAF). This years event is scheduled for September 26-28. Anchored by NOC’s annual used gear sale, GAF also features a used gear marketplace and big discounts on new equipment in NOC’s famous Outfitter’s Store. There’s also live music, on-river contests and clinics, free rolling pool instruction, manufacturer boat demos, paddling film premiers, a kids’ moonwalk and more! Check with NOC and stay up-to-date
In 2007, the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released it’s report on the eligibility of rivers in the Upper Colorado River basin for Wild and Scenic River designation. In response to potential federal protection for Colorado’s headwaters, and the impact Wild and Scenic River management might have on the ability of Colorado to develop new water projects, various state agencies, local governments, and water providers came together in a collaborative effort to propose a local alternative to Wild and
In 2007, the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released it’s report on the eligibility of rivers in the Upper Colorado River basin for Wild and Scenic River designation. In response to potential federal protection for Colorado’s headwaters, and the impact Wild and Scenic River management might have on the ability of Colorado to develop new water projects, various state agencies, local governments, and water providers came together in a collaborative effort to propose a local alternative to Wild and
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) is proposing to divert up to 25 million more gallons of water per day from the Tuolumne, enough to fill 1,000 swimming pools, every day. The proposal to divert more water is embedded in the SFPUC’s Water System Improvement Program (WSIP) a $4.3 billion plan to upgrade the Hetch Hetchy water system, which provides water for 2.4 million people in San Francisco, and surrounding communities in Santa Clara, San Mateo and Alameda Counties.
The Big bend run on the North Fork Feather River has been a classic in low water years in California. As the lake level drops this run grows in length, uncovering the Big Bend Dam and rapids like, Boxcar and Meat Grinder on Steroids. The problem has always been that even with the lake below the 730-foot elevation mark, doing this run still required a two-hour paddle out. American Whitewater was able to negotiate as part of the settlement agreement for
Like many paddlers, American Whitewater yesterday submitted comments on the Forest Service’s environmental assessment (EA) of recreation on the Chattooga River. Our comments were a team effort, and can be downloaded and read in the box to the right. Our comments point out many of the flaws in the EA, which was clearly a strategic document attempting to justify a ban on paddling the upper Wild and Scenic Chattooga. The EA was the weakest such document that many of our
Like many paddlers, American Whitewater yesterday submitted comments on the Forest Service’s environmental assessment (EA) of recreation on the Chattooga River. Our comments were a team effort, and can be downloaded and read in the box to the right. Our comments point out many of the flaws in the EA, which was clearly a strategic document attempting to justify a ban on paddling the upper Wild and Scenic Chattooga. The EA was the weakest such document that many of our
The United States Forest Service (USFS) has recently issued a draft rule for Colorado’s National Forests that weakens and removes existing protections for backcountry roadless areas. Starting Monday, August 18th in Pueblo, the USFS is hosting a series of Open Houses to discuss the proposed Rule and to hear your comments. American Whitewater has been working with our colleagues in the Outdoor Alliance to analyze the rule and we believe that the draft rule inadequately protects those remote areas with
The United States Forest Service (USFS) has recently issued a draft rule for Colorado’s National Forests that weakens and removes existing protections for backcountry roadless areas. Starting Monday, August 18th in Pueblo, the USFS is hosting a series of Open Houses to discuss the proposed Rule and to hear your comments. American Whitewater has been working with our colleagues in the Outdoor Alliance to analyze the rule and we believe that the draft rule inadequately protects those remote areas with
Take a drive out to the Lock 32 Whitewater Park in Pittsford, NY this weekend for two days of clinics and competition. The schedule of events at Lockapalooza will feature boatercross, rodeo, whitewater clinics, plus a plastic slalom race. Not to mention plenty of opportunities for spectators to enjoy the show too. Most importantly, there will be American Whitewater signup forms for you to fill out to join your favorite whitewater-enthusiast-supporting non-profit. Enjoy some food off the
An Open Letter to Gauley River Boaters August 13, 2008 Dear Boaters, The 2008 Gauley season is going to be an exciting time for the Gauley River National Recreation Area. For the first time in the since the Gauley River NRA was established, the park now owns mid-river access where upper Gauley trips may take off the river and lower Gauley trips may put on. The river accesses recently acquired are the Masons Branch river access and the new
Since first raising the issue of boating on the Upper Chattooga with the Forest Service in 1995 AW has reached out to local and National Trout Unlimited (TU) leaders, the Chattooga Conservancy and Georgia Forest Watch on numerous occasions with no success. In 1995 our requests for a meeting was refused by all involved. Finally in May of 2001 two local TU representatives did agree to meet with us. It was a pleasant meeting but it was clear that they
An Open Letter to Gauley River Boaters August 13, 2008 Dear Boaters, The 2008 Gauley season is going to be an exciting time for the Gauley River National Recreation Area. For the first time in the since the Gauley River NRA was established, the park now owns mid-river access where upper Gauley trips may take off the river and lower Gauley trips may put on. The river accesses recently acquired are the Masons Branch river access and the new
Since first raising the issue of boating on the Upper Chattooga with the Forest Service in 1995 AW has reached out to local and National Trout Unlimited (TU) leaders, the Chattooga Conservancy and Georgia Forest Watch on numerous occasions with no success. In 1995 our requests for a meeting was refused by all involved. Finally in May of 2001 two local TU representatives did agree to meet with us. It was a pleasant meeting but it was clear that they
