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Last month the Ashlu District Council voted to formally oppose the Ashlu Hydroelectric Project. While this was an important victory, the District Council does not have decision making authority and next week the project moves to the next stage as it comes before the regional decision-making body: the Squamish Lilloett Regional District (SLRD). The SLRD will meet on November 17th at 7 pm when a public hearing will be held. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. After this meeting,

For Immediate Release: 11/06/2004Contacts: John King, Regional Access Coordinator                 Phone: 276 328-8908                Email: virginiacreekin@hotmail.com Town of Big Stone Gap is underway with new dam construction for Big Cherry Resivoir. The town has proceeded with replacing the failing Big Cherry Dam with a new structure designed to increase the lake’s storage capacity from 400m gallons to 600m gallons.  On Thursday 11/4/2004 I spoke with Estes Brothers Construction job superintendent Greg Estes and informed him about the resource found in S. Fork Powell

For Immediate Release: 11/06/2004Contacts: John King, Regional Access Coordinator                 Phone: 276 328-8908                Email: virginiacreekin@hotmail.com Town of Big Stone Gap is underway with new dam construction for Big Cherry Resivoir. The town has proceeded with replacing the failing Big Cherry Dam with a new structure designed to increase the lake’s storage capacity from 400m gallons to 600m gallons.  On Thursday 11/4/2004 I spoke with Estes Brothers Construction job superintendent Greg Estes and informed him about the resource found in S. Fork Powell

Send a Strong Message for River Stewardship Today! Thanks to a massive letter writing campaign and public outcry, the Bush Administration extended its comment period on its proposal to repeal the landmark Roadles Area Conservation Rule – otherwise known as the Roadless Rule.  The Roadless Rule protects what is left of our public roadless lands from logging, mining, and other development, and keeps these lands suitable for future Wilderness designation.   Roadless lands support a vast number of rare, threatened, and endangered

AW is proud to award Stacey Johnson with the November volunteer of the month for her volunteer work at this year’s Gauley River Festival.  Stacey Johnson from Atlanta, Georgia is new to the boating community and recognized the importance of AW early.  Stacey unselfishly volunteered for four days during the Gauley Festival and worked close to 40 hours in total. Many of you might remember her as she most likely welcomed you to the festival with her bright smile before taking your

Jason Robertson, current Acting Executive Director and former National Policy Director, has been promoted to Managing Director of American Whitewater. As Managing Director, Robertson will occupy a new senior position within the organization dedicated to managing internal financial growth and program administration. “After a very successful term as Acting Executive Director, Jason is a perfect fit for this new position,” said incoming Executive Director Mark Singleton. “He brings a proven ability to represent AW’s river stewardship policies and build on

Mark Singleton has been selected as Executive Director for American Whitewater, the nation’s leading whitewater river conservation, access, and safety organization. Singleton will be responsible for leading American Whitewater’s staff and volunteers, and implementing the strategic goals and objectives of the organization. “Mark brings to American Whitewater deep experience and knowledge of our sport and our membership constituency,” states Search Committee Chairman and incoming Board President Sutton Bacon. “He is extremely well-regarded as both an industry executive and thought-leader. We

Mark Singleton has been selected as Executive Director for American Whitewater, the nation’s leading whitewater river conservation, access, and safety organization. Singleton will be responsible for leading American Whitewater’s staff and volunteers, and implementing the strategic goals and objectives of the organization. “Mark brings to American Whitewater deep experience and knowledge of our sport and our membership constituency,” states Search Committee Chairman and incoming Board President Sutton Bacon. “He is extremely well-regarded as both as an industry executive and thought-leader.

Access to the Puyallup River has long been of interest to recreational paddlers. Puget Sound Energy operates a powerhouse on the river that is located at a site well suited for access. This powerplant is exempted from FREC requirements so there is no formal opportunity to obtain access for recreation through a public process. After speaking with the Puget Sound Energy about the possibility of providing access at this site, however local volunteer Chris Wittenfeld drafted the following proposal (see

Access to the Puyallup River has long been of interest to recreational paddlers. Puget Sound Energy operates a powerhouse on the river that is located at a site well suited for access. This powerplant is exempted from FREC requirements so there is no formal opportunity to obtain access for recreation through a public process. After speaking with the Puget Sound Energy about the possibility of providing access at this site, however local volunteer Chris Wittenfeld drafted the following proposal. At

On October 23 and 24, roughly 35 paddlers attended a Controlled Recreational Flow Study on the Great Falls reach of the Catawba River in the heart of South Carolina’s Piedmont.  American Whitewater and other organizations requested this study that sought to determine the flow preferences, access needs, and desirability associated with paddling the Great Falls.   AW collaborated with Duke Power, and consultant Bunny Johns in the design and implementation of this landmark study.  Paddlers boated two parallel channels seperated by a large

Snohomish PUD announces start of relicensing process on the Sultan River The Sultan River cuts through a beautiful gorge with over 13 miles of classic pool-drop rapids, located just an hour from the greater Seattle area. There are almost no flat sections—medium-sized pools immediately lead into the next rapid. Aside from a potential wood portage, every drop is runnable and the difficulty factor is, for the most part, solid class IV, with a couple drops that may push class V.

Guest speaker Josh Strange, a fisheries biologist for the Karuk tribe, arrived for his presentation wearing a shirt that said it all: “The Klamath… is my home, church, garden, highway, counselor, friend, brother and provider.”  As the week went on it became obvious to all of the participants that the Klamath River is many things to many people. As these unique relationships were examined it became evident how essential rivers are to their surrounding industry, recreationists, and residents.    During the

Tallulah Season is finally here on November 6-7, 13-14, and 20-21 and here are some important announcments to make this season a success for everyone:1. SIMPLE BEER RULERemember that you are in a State Park where alcohol is PROHIBITED! 2. SHUTTLESNOC will once again be providing shuttles for boaters from the takeout to the parking area beginning at 12:00. THANK YOU, NOC!3. RELEASE TIMES AND WATER LEVELSReleases begin at 9:30 am when the water in the Gorge is stabilized. The

Notable IssuesChattooga RiverColorado River – Grand CanyonNooksack RiverWillimantic RiverSaranac and Ausable Rivers2004 Nationwide Issues MapEach year American Whitewater highlights a series of issues affecting whitewater rivers across the nation by publishing our Top River Issues. American Whitewater staff selected this year’s Top Issues because we feel they are of critical importance this year and are representative of our broad work in river conservation and access. This year we have chosen only five, but American Whitewater staff and our network of

American Whitewater and many other stakeholders are making solid progress on the Catawba River relicensing in North and South Carolina.  Recreational flow studies have been ongoing for the past few months all along the Catawba thanks to Duke Power and the excellent guidance of consultant Bunny Johns, and the assistance of volunteers Maurice Blackburn (Carolina Canoe Club), Andrew Lazenby (AW), and many others. Later this fall we will be studying the Great Falls of the Catawba, a reach that currently only runs

At a meeting earlier this evening (5 Oct), the Ashlu District Council reversed last month’s decision to support the Ashlu Hydro Project, and decided to formally oppose this project. This will not be the last we’ll hear of this project, but it represents an important positive turn of events for the future of whitewater on the Ashlu. The following update of the meeting in Squamish was provided by Stuart Smith: Tonight, the District of Squamish lived up to its name

October 4th is the deadline to vote in the November 2004 general election.  Voting is an important responsibility in our democracy­- a responsibility we must exercise as citizens.  American Whitewater encourages all of its members to register to vote in the 2004 elections.  Be sure to research the river and environmental policies for respective candidates prior to voting.  You can register to vote by contacting your local elections office.  The Montana League of Conservation Voters provides excellent information on how

Grand Canyon National Park Releases Plans to Reduce 26-Year Wait List for Rafting CommunityImportant first step for equity and river management. Contact: GCPBA, Richard Martin, President, leigh@sedona.net  American Whitewater, Jason Robertson, Acting Executive Director, Jason@awa.org, 301-502-4610 For Release: October 1, 2004  FLAGSTAFF, AZ  The Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP) has released it’s long awaited Draft Environmental Statement (DEIS) today, an important part of the process of revising the methods used for recreational management of the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. The plan

The Ohiopyle Festival will be this weekend, Oct 1-3. Spread the Word. The Corps of Engineers have come through as stated in their web site: Yough Weekend Recreational Outlook! “We anticipate reducing the release to 200 cfs Friday morning, to facilitate that event. Criteria for the race requires Ohiopyle stage to be in the range of 1.5 to 1.8 feet. We expect to hold a release level to meet that criteria for the duration of the event.” Lets hear it

During summer 2003 Snohomish PUD constructed a new bridge across the Sultan River at the powerhouse. Unfortunately for river runners and fishermen, this bridge eliminated the historic social trails to the water that provided important river access. Paddlers continued to access the river but this involved climbing over sediment fencing, and with no clearly defined route, resource degradation issues began to develop in an area the PUD had identified for riparian restoration. New bridge constructed in 2003 Members of the