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From 1980 to 1985 David Brown lead successful battles to secure recreational water releases on both the Ocoee and Gauley Rivers. These great victories are the subject of his new book “Whitewater Wars.” Dave was hired by outfitters on both rivers, and his efforts took him from the edge of the river to the halls of congress. On the Gauley a small cadre of private paddlers – Pete Skinner, Mac Thornton, Pope Barrow, Steve Taylor, and Charlie Walbridge – played

American Whitewater, reached a Settlement Agreement on the relicensing of three hydropower dams on the Mongaup River that will double scheduled whitewater boating releases below the Rio Dam in Forestburgh, New York. The comprehensive  Settlement Agreement was signed with Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, owner/operator of the Rio, Mongaup Falls, and Swinging Bridge hydroelectric projects, along with USFWS, NPS, NYDEC, TU, and lake homeowner groups. The agreement will expand recreational boating opportunities in the river and on reservoirs, protect instream flows

American Whitewater’s Spring Stewardship Update for 2021is here! We are working hard to protect water quality in our nation’s rivers, designate new Wild and Scenic Rivers, restore flows to rivers affected by hydropower dams, promote outdoor recreation for all on our public lands, and protect access to our favorite whitewater rivers – but we can’t do it without your help. This stewardship work is possible only through your support, and your financial contribution plays a vital role in our success.

On May 26th, 2021, we had an opportunity to gather the Pacific Northwest boating community online to celebrate American Whitewater’s river stewardship work in the region and build support for AW. Memberships and community support are essential to our organization and over the past year we’ve really had to get creative with ways to continue to engage paddlers in support of our mission. We’ve seen an incredible response and the Tonic of Wild event was a huge success.    We

In March of 2020, we updated our membership on a case our affiliate club, Adobe Whitewater Club of New Mexico, brought to the New Mexico Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the State Game Commission’s power to grant private landowners non-navigable certificates. At every level, the privatizing of streams and rivers in New Mexico has skirted due process, benefitted rich and largely out-of-state landowners, and is illegal.   Those certifications have resulted in dangerous fences and barricades across rivers, blocking

The General has coordiated with the hydropower dam operators to schedule the 2021 releases for the Moose, Beaver and Raquette. Looks to be a great year of paddling in the Adirondacks as we begin the dam relicensings this year for 21 dams on the Black, Beaver, and Moose rivers.  Adirondacks River Restoration Campaign date    river/run    release time    level    special eventsApril 18 – Sunday    Bottom Moose     approx. 10 am-5 pm (sign-in required)    varies

Pacific Gas and Electric reached out to American Whitewater with an opportunity for boating flows on Fordyce Creek. We took the chance to respond to PG&E and communicate preferred paddling flows. Thus, in good faith, PG&E is planning to open the outlet at Fordyce on Wednesday June 2. There is a good chance by the weekend (Saturday June 4) flows will be approximately 400 cfs and will persist in this range for at least the first few days. Flows will

On May 26th, American Whitewater will be hosting a special night of speakers, film showings, games, prize drawings and more to raise awareness for river stewardship issues in the Pacific Northwest. A Tonic of Wild will take place at 7pm Pacific Time and will feature a special presentation on the Wild Olympics legislation from professional kayaker and photographer Chris Korbulic. You do not want to miss this. As a fundraiser for this event we’re running an online auction with framed

Documenting your experiences on rivers in the Northern Rockies this summer could help secure lasting protections for those rivers. Several key landscapes are under review for protections by Congress and the US Forest Service, but we lack the kind of compelling descriptions and photos that can inspire and inform decision makers to offer rivers and their enjoyment key protections. So we need your help. As you explore rivers in the focal areas noted below, we encourage you to paddle with

Senators Merkley and Wyden introduced legislation this week to expand the Smith River National Recreation Area into Oregon.  In 1990, Congress enacted legislation to establish the Smith River National Recreation Area (NRA) to protect the watershed, but the boundary of the NRA stopped at the Oregon border, leaving the North Fork of the Smith River and its tributaries unprotected. The whitewater community knows how special the North Fork of the Smith River is for its unparalleled water quality and exceptional

American Whitewater is stoked to recognize Barry Grimes and Emily Grimes as our April Volunteers of the Month for their tremendous work with the National Paddling Film Festival (NPFF). NPFF has been going strong since 1984 but found itself in peril this year due to Covid restrictions and the inability to hold an in-person event. In an effort to keep the festival alive, Emily took over the reigns and launched the first-ever Virtual National Paddling Films Festival. Pulling off anything

The General has coordiated with the hydropower dam operators to schedule the 2021 releases for the Moose, Beaver and Raquette. Looks to be a great year of paddling in the Adirondacks as we begin the dam relicensings this year for 21 dams on the Black, Beaver, and Moose rivers.  Adirondacks River Restoration Campaign date river/run release time level special events April 18 – Sunday Bottom Moose  approx. 10 am-5 pm (sign-in required) varies   April 25- Sunday Bottom Moose  approx.

Photo: Rafters on the Colorado River shortly after the Grizzly Creek fire started. Credit – Whitewater Rafting LLC.   Last August, historic wildfires raged across Colorado, threatening homes, recreational sites, and transportation arteries. The Grizzly Creek Fire quickly spread throughout Glenwood Canyon, jumping both I-70 and the Colorado River in the first few days. The active fire closed down traffic on the interstate for an unprecedented two weeks, blocking important freight, residents and tourists. Many Glenwood Springs businesses were impacted

A new proposed Bureau of Land Management (BLM) management plan for 55.7 million acres in Northern Alaska would fail to protect any of the 11 rivers their analysis finds to be eligible for Wild and Scenic designation. If you have paddled any of the affected rivers in this area we strongly encourage you to review the planning documents and submit comments in support of protection of Wild and Scenic River values in the Central Yukon Draft Resource Management Plan and

Federal relicensing of 21 hydropower dams in the Adirondacks begins this month on the Moose, Beaver, and Black rivers, home to iconic whitewater boating runs treasured by paddlers throughout the northeast. We’ve been paddling these rivers for the past four decades thanks to the efforts of dedicated paddlers including Pete Skinner and Chris Koll that resulted in historic settlement agreements providing scheduled boating releases on the Moose and Beaver. We celebrate those victories each year at Moosefest and at the