Articles

Earlier today Congressman Dave Reichert (WA-8) introduced the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Wild Pratt River Act (H.R. 4113). By introducing legislation to protect the Pratt River valley and adjoining areas, Congressman Reichert is ensuring that world class recreational opportunities and clean water and wildlife habitat will be preserved into the future. AW’s Thomas O’Keefe issued the following statement on this legislation: “As someone who has explored hundreds of river miles across the country and around the world, I can

Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter says motorboat owners who have to register their vessels are being unfairly singled out to bear the state’s boat-related costs, and he wants to discuss extending the burden to others, such as kayakers, canoeists, rafters and even windsurfers. Otter’s form response letter to letters sent by concerned non-motorized boaters states "[i]t is my position that all users of waterways should pay their fair share of the costs of maintaining and improving that resource.  I have concerns with

    Paddlers are in the news this week, speaking out in support of protecting our nation’s remaining federally owned roadless lands.   Paddlers Rebecca Giddens and Mark Singleton authored an editorial on roadless area protection that has been picked up by several large newspapers including the Sacramento Bee and the Salt Lake Tribune.  Rebecca Giddens is co-owner of Kern River Brewing Company and is an Olympic silver medalist. Mark Singleton is the Executive Director of American Whitewater, and Chair of the

The Green River Headworks is one of the most popular beginner whitewater runs in the Puget Sound area serving paddlers from Tacoma, Seattle, and neighboring communities. The run starts at the City of Tacoma headworks where flows are diverted for municipal drinking water. With increased security requirements the City of Tacoma has constructed a new watershed entrance gate that limits access to the historic put-in. In anticipation of this change, Friends of the Green worked in partnership with American Whitewater,

The federal statute governing hardrock mining (e.g., gold, uranium, and copper) has been basically the same for the last 135 years. Much has happened since then, especially how Americans relate to their public lands and waters. H.R. 2262, The Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007, was passed out of the Natural Resources Committee last week. American Whitewater, through our membership in the Outdoor Alliance, has been working to highlight the benefits of modernizing mining laws for those who enjoy

The coffer dam at Marmot Dam site was breached this afternoon. The event started with a small flow with the true breaching at 5:28 pm. Flows were approximately 1900 cfs at breaching with a forecasted peak of 2800 cfs.  The channel that formed is well defined and nicely sloped. We do not have information on current boating conditions but request that anyone with additional information provide feedback to AW.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Clean Water Act – the landmark legislation that protects paddlers and the rivers we enjoy from pollution impacts.  American Whitewater was honored to receive an invitation to testify before Congress to celebrate and discuss this environmental milestone. Earlier today, American Whitewater’s executive director, Mark Singleton, presented oral and written testimony, on behalf of the Outdoor Alliance.  The Outdoor Alliance (www.outdooralliance.net) is a coalition of human-powered recreation based organizations that share a common

On September 25th, American Whitewater staff members Kevin Colburn and Mark Singleton spoke at a public hearing in Cullowhee, North Carolina, in support of removing Dillsboro Dam on the Tuckasegee River.  The hearing was held by the North Carlina Division of Water Quality to take public comment on the issue, prior to the agency issuing (or refusing to issue) a permit later this year for the removal of the dam.  The dam removal received the support of the Federal Energy

Over the past few months, American Whitewater has been working with New England Flow and the Appalachian Mountain Club to analyze a proposal by the Vermont ski area Mount Snow to use water from the Deerfield River’s Somerset reservoir for snow-making.  The proposal would have required the construction of a 18,000 foot water pipeline that would cross lands protected by a conservation easement that was negotiated as part of the 1994 Deerfield River dam relicensing settlement agreement.  It also would

Georgia Power issued the following press release regarding Tallulah releases. October 9, 2007 Drought causes cancellation of Whitewater flows in Tallulah Gorge Tallulah Falls, Ga. – Georgia Power, in accordance with its Federal Energy Regulatory Commission licenses to operate hydroelectric power projects, has cancelled the whitewater flows for the Tallulah River that were planned for the first three weekends in November. If the flows into Lake Burton are below 95 cubic feet per second (CFS), Georgia Power has the option

The Tuolumne River needs your help!   As part of its Water System Improvement Program (WSIP), the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) has proposed diverting an additional 25 million gallons of water per day from the Tuolumne River.   In total, about 60% of the Tuolumne River is already diverted for urban and rural uses, and increasing diversion will do further harm to the River.  The SFPUC already diverts one-third of the Tuolumne River as it flows through Yosemite National

Few people in modern America have as much direct contact with river water as paddlers do. River water enters our bodies every time we go paddling through our mouths, noses, ears, eyes, and any cuts or scrapes we may have. Few of us would scoop up a glass of water from the rivers we paddle and drink it, but in many ways that is exactly what we do every time we go paddling. As we approach the 35th Anniversary of