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Image for Phil Kast: Volunteer of the Month, Presented by Kokatat

Phil Kast: Volunteer of the Month, Presented by Kokatat

We are pleased to recognize Phil Kast as American Whitewater’s Volunteer of the Month, presented by Kokatat!   Phil recently stepped up to improve the American Whitewater iOS App, to help us deliver the rich trip-planning information in our National Whitewater Inventory to your Apple mobile device. The App began as a compelling volunteer project by AW Board Member, Greg Lee, who continues to help out on the project. American Whitewater then secured water safety funding from the US Coast

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Image for PIT 5 (CA) SEPT  2021 RELEASES CONFIRMED

PIT 5 (CA) SEPT 2021 RELEASES CONFIRMED

American Whitewater has confirmed with Pacific Gas & Electric that recreational releases will take place on Pit 5 for September 11th and 12th (10am to 4pm at 1200 cfs). PG&E will open restrooms at both the Madesi put-in and the James B. Black take-out. However, in an effort to protect resources and align with the forest closure order for all California USFS National Forests, PG&E will not open Madesi for overnight camping. Obviously, with the current wildfire season no open

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Image for Deerfield Fest Evening at Berkshire East Canceled

Deerfield Fest Evening at Berkshire East Canceled

Paddling Friends & AW Supporters   We have made the difficult decision to cancel the Deerfield Fest evening at Berkshire East scheduled for September 11 and put all of our attention to on-water activities. The good news is that there will be a lot to enjoy at the Deerfield River that weekend.   Safety is core to American Whitewater’s mission, both on and around the river and in the communities where we paddle. While we have been working hard to

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Image for Court Restores Pre-2020 Clean Water Act Protections

Court Restores Pre-2020 Clean Water Act Protections

Yesterday, in a big win for rivers, a US District Court in Arizona tossed out a 2020 federal rule that had dramatically reduced the number of waterways covered under the Clean Water Act. The court decision wiped the 2020 rule off the books because the rule was based on significant errors and posed a serious risk of harm to the public and the environment. Effective immediately, the more protective 1988 rule governing the Clean Water Act is back in place.

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Image for Recreational Release Update for the Feather and Pit River Watersheds (CA)

Recreational Release Update for the Feather and Pit River Watersheds (CA)

Feather River Watershed Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) has cancelled its scheduled recreational releases for August on the NF Feather River Rock Creek Run. This area is within the footprint of the Dixie Fire and is  closed to all public access through September 30, 2021 by a Plumas National Forest closure order. American Whitewater has confirmed with PG&E that October 9th and 10th will be the dates of the NF Feather River Poe Run releases. The Poe Run is also

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Image for Gauley Season 2021 - An Open Letter to Boaters from NPS

Gauley Season 2021 – An Open Letter to Boaters from NPS

American Whitewater received the following open letter to boaters from the rangers and staff of the Gauley River National Recreation Area. This letter will keep you up to date on important management actions of the National Park Service on the Gauley River for the 2021 season. American Whitewater is once again leasing the Legg field (above Mason’s Branch) for overflow boater parking. As part of our agreement with the land owner, there is no camping allowed on the Legg field that

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Image for SELF SUPPORT SAFTEY

SELF SUPPORT SAFTEY

For part one of this series I wrote about paddling, rolling and portaging a loaded self-support kayak. Part two covered the basic gear you might use and why. In this part (three) we will consider some of the variables that contribute to safety and survival during a multi-day trip in a wilderness river environment.   Intro   The unexpected, the unfortunate, the unimaginable—it  happens. We all know it and yet our powers of denial are impressive. We tell each other

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Alabama Navigability Report

Alabama Navigability Report Summary There is no simple test of navigability and public access of streams in Alabama. The test of navigability is a subjective decision based on many factors.[1]  Public waters include all “natural bodies of water such as rivers, creeks, brooks, lakes, bayous, bays, channels, canals or lagoons or [waters that] are dug, dredged or blasted canals and if these waters traverse, bound, flow upon or through or touch lands title to which is held by more than

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Image for Pit Watershed (CA) Scheduled Whitewater Releases Update

Pit Watershed (CA) Scheduled Whitewater Releases Update

American Whitewater in consultation with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and managing agencies has confirmed recreational releases for 2021 on the Pit watershed.   PG&E  has made a schedule change to required recreational releases on Pit 5 for 2021. This is due to resource adequacy requirements from the California Independent System Operator which maintains reliability for the State’s power grid. Scheduled whitewater releases for Pit 5 are still confirmed for August 7th & 8th at 1500 cfs from 10 am

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Image for Paddle Wise – A Responsibility Code For River Runners

Paddle Wise – A Responsibility Code For River Runners

Paddle Wise is a responsibility code for river runners developed by American Whitewater through a buildout and design partnership with NRS. The mission was to create a simple and shareable responsibility message for the increasing number of individuals participating in whitewater recreation. When you’re on the river you represent our community and your safe enjoyment of the river is in your hands. These helpful hints will not only make sure you represent the whitewater community well and enjoy the river

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Image for It’s Finally Time to Protect Colorado’s West Slope Rivers!

It’s Finally Time to Protect Colorado’s West Slope Rivers!

Today, the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forest Unit announced the much-anticipated release of the Draft Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The Draft Plan materials were released on Friday, August 13, initiating a 90-day review period. This point in the plan revision process is the most important time for the river community to engage and speak up to protect our beloved West Slope rivers in Colorado!    The GMUG National Forest is home to gems like Oh-Be-Joyful

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Image for Dixie Fire Forces Cancellation of Feather Festival Races (CA)

Dixie Fire Forces Cancellation of Feather Festival Races (CA)

Our annual Feather River Festival has always served as a venue to celebrate the decades of work American Whitewater has done in the watershed. So it is with great regret that American Whitewater has made the decision to cancel the 2021 September Feather River Races that were scheduled to take place in lieu of the festival.    As of this notice, the Dixie fire has been burning in the watershed since July and has raced across more than 552,000 acres,

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Image for New Mexico Game Commission Votes to Reject 5 Stream Privatization Applications

New Mexico Game Commission Votes to Reject 5 Stream Privatization Applications

In a meeting at the State Capitol in Santa Fe yesterday morning, the New Mexico Game Commission voted unanimously to reject 5 pending applications for non-navigable water status – a certification which has resulted in closing off whitewater segments to boating with concertina wire fences and dangerous diversions since its inception in 2017.   The vote came on the heels of a dramatic meeting in June at which the Commissioners were slated to review the 5 new applications. In a

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Image for Submit Your Best Photos for the 2022 AW Calendar by August 20th

Submit Your Best Photos for the 2022 AW Calendar by August 20th

Submit your best photos for American Whitewater’s annual calendar! When: The deadline is August 20th, 2021. How: Via our online submission form. Images must be submitted as high-resolution files (suitable for printing up to 10″, at least 1MB) for inclusion in the calendar, without monetary compensation. Maximum 10 photo entries per person. Who: Any and all photographers, from professionals to complete novices. Have you taken a photo before? Then you’re ready. Why: First, you’ll get a free copy of the

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Image for Gore Race 2021!

Gore Race 2021!

Every August we gather on the banks of the Colorado River for a chance to see our friends from across the region, share about the stewardship work we’ve been dedicated to all year, celebrate late season flows and go fast through one of the most impressive river canyons in the region. While things are still getting back to normal, our event is going to look different again this year while still achieving all of those goals. We will be hosting

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Image for Proposed Hydropower Dams on Little CO River Stopped (AZ)

Proposed Hydropower Dams on Little CO River Stopped (AZ)

Returning Home to Good News    Last week, I returned from a 19-day Grand Canyon trip to learn that two proposed hydropower projects on the Little Colorado River had been formally abandoned. On July 26, Pumped Hydro Storage LLC officially surrendered their two preliminary permits for the Salt Trail Canyon and Little Colorado River Pumped Storage Projects. These two projects received preliminary permits from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in 2019 and if completed, would have inundated 4.5 miles

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Image for Comment Opportunity on Deschutes River Business Plan

Comment Opportunity on Deschutes River Business Plan

The Bureau of Land Management Prineville District’s Deschutes Field Office is seeking public comment on a proposal to change the fee structure for the Lower Deschutes Wild and Scenic River. The proposed changes are intended to make fees more equitable for all users, including non-boating users, throughout the year and to account for rising operating costs and the need for year-round maintenance.   The draft proposal now open for public comment is to:   Amend the current individual special recreation

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Image for Whitewater Boating Opportunity on the Upper Sultan (WA)

Whitewater Boating Opportunity on the Upper Sultan (WA)

Snohomish PUD will be providing a whitewater boating opportunity on the Upper Sultan River on Sunday August 8th. Paddlers who plan to attend are asked to register on the Snohomish PUD website. We have been working for the past 3 years to provide this mid-summer opportunity. While we hoped to release a bit more water than the anticipated flow of 500-700 cfs, we agreed to this flow out of an abundance of caution to prevent impacts to fishery resources of

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Image for Whitewater Boating in the Chelan Gorge Returns (WA)

Whitewater Boating in the Chelan Gorge Returns (WA)

A whitewater boating opportunity will once again be available on the Chelan Gorge this September 18th and 19th and registration is open on the Chelan PUD website. Chelan PUD, the owner and operator of the hydroelectric project has expressed ongoing concerns with slope instability in Reach 2, the 0.75 mile reach immediately upstream of Entrance Exam and the start of the class V whitewater. Chelan PUD suspended the the whitewater boating event in 2018 and again in 2020 due to

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Image for Update on American Whitewater Events For 2021

Update on American Whitewater Events For 2021

It’s been a tricky spring to plan events for American Whitewater but we are super excited to get back out on the water with you and to see you in person at a river in your region! All of our events will have a different flavor this year, but most importantly there will be water in the rivers and there will be paddlers enjoying themselves. Read on for the most current information on the Deerfield Fest, Gore Fest, Feather Fest,

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Image for American Whitewater/Asian Pacific Islander Mental Health Day on the River

American Whitewater/Asian Pacific Islander Mental Health Day on the River

Earlier in the year, American Whitewater Southern Rockies Stewardship Director, Hattie Johnson, reached out to check on my well-being in the wake of anti-Asian hate crimes. She wanted to help the community in any way she could and offered a trip on the river as a venue for healing.  It wasn’t long before our conversation turned into a plan for an American Whitewater/Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Mental Health Day on the river. It would be a day of connecting

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Image for Annual Report 2020 – Team Work Made the Dream Work Last Year

Annual Report 2020 – Team Work Made the Dream Work Last Year

American Whitewater is an organization committed to benefitting rivers and river enthusiasts. Despite numerous challenges, we continued and strengthened our legacy of efficiency and success last year. Eighty-seven cents of every dollar we see goes directly to our stewardship work, and in 2020 we succeeded in turning that work into favorable outcomes on projects across the country. For a concise and graphic look at the work we accomplished together in 2020, check out our Annual Report.

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Image for Wild and Scenic Rivers Bill for Montana Re-introduced!

Wild and Scenic Rivers Bill for Montana Re-introduced!

Earlier today, Montana Senator Jon Tester re-introduced of the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act, marking another major milestone in the ongoing and momentous journey towards designating many of the state’s most renowned waterways as Wild and Scenic Rivers.   The Senator’s office noted that this legislation would be the “most significant Wild and Scenic River designation in the state in nearly 45 years.”   The Montana Headwaters Legacy Act (MHLA) will protect 387 miles on 20 rivers and streams in the

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Image for Water Quality Rollback Stopped, Issues Unresolved (CO)

Water Quality Rollback Stopped, Issues Unresolved (CO)

At 5pm tonight, Colorado’s Water Quality Control Commission voted not to rollback the antidegradation rule that has for decades helped to keep our rivers clean. However, they did uphold their ability to make arbitrary decisions on polluting Colorado’s waterways – like they did on the South Platte in 2020 – for the next ten years. The outcome followed a two-day hearing earlier this week, during which the antidegradation rule was discussed at length.   Over 4,800 individuals and business owners

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Image for FERC Approves Transfer of Klamath Hydropower License (OR/CA)

FERC Approves Transfer of Klamath Hydropower License (OR/CA)

Earlier today the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the license transfer for the Lower Klamath Hydroelectric Project and issued the following statement:   FERC Approves License Transfer for Lower Klamath Hydro Project The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today approved the transfer of the license for the Lower Klamath Hydroelectric Project (Project) from PacifiCorp to the Klamath River Renewal Corporation and the states of Oregon and California, as co-licensees.   Since 2016, PacifiCorp, along with a coalition of state and

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