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  Hi there,   Back in 2004, several of the American Whitewater Board members I knew recruited me for the position of Executive Director and I accepted. If I had known what kind of financial shape AW was really in when the job was offered I would have thought twice about taking the position, but I did accept. And in doing so, I have experienced one of the greatest career opportunities of my life. In those early years at American

The National Park Service recently announced a proposal to permanently close the Maryland Heights parking area, which is one of several small takeouts used by paddlers on the Needles section of the Potomac River near Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Paradoxically they are proposing to close the parking area in large part because it is too popular among hikers, climbers, and paddlers. American Whitewater responded with comments asking that the parking area remain open, and pointing out that the Park Service

SANTA FE, New Mexico.  Today, the New Mexico Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the State Constitution does not permit New Mexico’s waterways to be “privatized” and sealed off from public access. The lead petitioner on the case, Adobe Whitewater Club (AWC), is an affiliate club of American Whitewater. AWC and copetitioners from the New Mexico Wildlife Federation and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers New Mexico chapter, were represented in this case by Santa Fe based attorneys Gene Gallegos and Seth Cohen.

The Ashley National Forest is a 1.4 million-acre National Forest in Utah that spans from the Uinta Mountains to Flaming Gorge. The Forest released their draft management plan late last year which, when finalized, will guide Forest management for the next 15-20 years. Unfortunately, the Forest’s draft plan proposes to strip protections from 26 of 28 streams they have deemed eligible for Wild and Scenic designation. American Whitewater recently filed comments on the draft plan alerting the Forest to their

The Adobe Whitewater Oral Argument is scheduled for Tuesday, March 1 at 9:00 am. There is no seating in the Supreme Court courtroom; however, the Oral Argument will also be livestreamed for the public through the Supreme Court’s website at www.nmcourts.gov. On the left under NM Courts, click on Supreme Court. You will see a link saying “Click Here for Livestream of Supreme Court Oral Arguments.” https://supremecourt.nmcourts.gov/supreme-court/court-calendar-live-viewing-and-case-information/court-calendar-and-oral-argument-livestream/ The New Mexico Supreme Court has turned its attention to the public stream

The proposed expansion of Bear Creek Lake, a flood-control reservoir in southern Jefferson County, Colorado, is threating to eliminate over 1 mile of Bear Creek, a scenic Class III stretch of river that is free-flowing.  The Colorado Water Conservation Board and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are in the Feasibility Study stage of storing much more water in Bear Creek Lake, a flood-control reservoir built in 1974 to protect the Lakewood and Denver areas from floods that could occur

At the end of every year, American Whitewater’s staff reflects on the work we’ve done and then looks ahead to which issues we’ll be going hard on in the following year. We then come together as a group and discuss our priorities and where we see the best chance for reaching milestones and successfully completing projects. This process results in our annual list of our Top Ten River Stewardship Issues (hint: to view as spreads, click the 3-dot menu in

Join American Whitewater for our River Advocacy Training Series. We are hosting a series of River Advocacy sessions across Colorado during February and into March. The series will feature the following events: Crested Butte @Brick Oven Pizza on 2/15 Carbondale @Phat Thai on 2/16 A Virtual Event on 2/22 Buena Vista @The Surf Hotel on Thursday 2/24 Steamboat Springs (Date TBD) Denver (Date TBD) The goal of these events is to give AW members tools to engage in river advocacy

Today in far northern California, the Shasta-Trinity National Forest re-opened public access to nearly 100 miles of whitewater runs on six different rivers that had been closed since last summer’s wildfires. American Whitewater advocated for the re-opening of these rivers, and we thank District Rangers Tara Jones and Chris Losi for meeting with us and for recommending that the Forest Supervisor re-open the rivers and the surrounding 395,000 acres of National Forest land. These rivers and land had been closed

Andrew (Andy) Grizzell has been an ardent supporter and champion of American Whitewater for decades. He’s the lead organizer of the annual Millrace Massacre and Iceman Championship, an incredibly challenging race circuit that takes place in Columbia, SC on the Saluda River. To get more paddlers out on the water in the winter, Andy came up with this event that has become a staple Southeast kayak race over the last 22 years. He’s turned the event into a significant fundraiser

It’s now time to start thinking about multi-day trips for next year and there are several great opportunities on Western Rivers. Many of these rivers require you to fill out a lottery application and deadlines are coming up. Check our permit database for the information and links to detailed instructions and applications you can fill out.   Note that you can find this list at any time from the main home page on our website by selecting the River Info

At a year’s end, we often find ourselves reflecting on the rivers of our lives – the twists and turns, the obstacles and hazards, the pure joy of a successful descent. We may reflect on the metaphorical or literal rivers of our lives, but either way we know in our hearts that rivers teach us more lessons and give us more strength than we’ll ever be able to give back. These reflections help us to realize the true, incalculable value

What’s up with the Nolichucky? We get this question a lot here at AW, and it’s a good one. Last week, Carolina Public Press published Part 1 and Part 2 of an article that offers an accurate window into the current status of the Wild and Scenic River designation efforts. Check out the articles and know that our river protection work in Western North Carolina is not letting up and still has vast support.    Last summer, the diverse 26-organization

Late last month, the federal Surface Transportation Board approved construction and operation of the Uinta Basin Railway, a project that has the sole purpose of increasing crude oil extraction and transporting it through Colorado to Gulf Coast Refineries. The fossil fuel extraction in the Uinta Basin would lead to 53 million tons of carbon emissions per year and would send up to ten 2-mile long oil trains per day alongside some of Colorado’s most prized rivers, including the length of

Paddlers are invited to join American Whitewater and the National Park Service for a Zoom discussion to share an update on American Whitewater’s participation in the relicensing process for the Southern California Edison KR3 Hydroelectric Project, which encompasses the Wild and Scenic North Fork of the Kern River from Fairview Dam to Riverside Park.   In September, SCE filed a Notice of Intent and a Pre-Application Document to officially start the process to relicense this project. In December, paddlers and

For the past several years the Washington State legislature has had an interest in improving paddlesports safety and reducing fatalities. It’s a good thing to have the legislature interested in boating safety and we are pleased that it has helped raise the profile of Washington State’s Boating Safety Program. The program has done a great job of acknowledging the needs of the paddlesports community. While the interest in boating safety is appreciated, the specific legislative proposals introduced over the past

Forgive the pun, but packrafting is blowing up. There are over 30 manufacturers struggling to keep up with demand, and the global packrafting community is hungry for instructional resources.   Packrafts are a modern flavor of light and portable self-propelled boats, a natural evolution from the coracles of previous millennia. Coated nylon fabrics and heat-welded seams allow these boats to fold to the size of a sleeping bag and weigh as little as two pounds (1 kg). Whitewater-capable packrafts typically

American Whitewater is proud to announce the release of our new series of river safety films! Beginning with Planning and Preparing for a River Trip and At the River and on the Water, these new films offer up to date and easily digestible tips to help keep you and your friends safe on the water. Designed to simply and effectively communicate the most basic elements of whitewater safety, these films provide a basis for the essential but not always accessible

At the end of every year, American Whitewater takes an inquisitive look back at the success we’ve found and the steps forward we’ve taken in our vast array of projects across the country, and then quickly turns to the future and setting the next set of ambitious stewardship goals we hope to accomplish in the following year. We share these goals and the progress we’ve achieved towards them in our Winter Stewardship Update. And wow, do we have big plans

After another busy year in the southern Rockies, it is a great time to look back on our accomplishments and look ahead to what next year will bring. This year was full, yet again, with unprecedented challenges as well as opportunities. The first ever water shortage was declared on the Colorado River while hundreds of millions of dollars were appropriated for watershed restoration, aquatic habitat remediation and natural infrastructure in the West as a part of the Infrastructure Investment and