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(CO) American Whitewater Wins First Round of Legal Battles

Jay Kenney, American Whitewater’s President, reports that we have won the first round of our legal battles in Colorado! As Jay says, “This is great news!”By order dated September 10, 2001, the Gunnison County District Court granted Colorado White Water Association and American Whitewater’s motion to intervene in the “trespass” lawsuit filed there. The lawsuit, which Gateview Ranch and Timber Bridge Ranch filed against Cannibal Outdoor Network and Jack and Leslie Nichols, claims that boaters and floaters on the river

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Gore Canyon Race Scores for Access

Ninety three kayakers and thirty one rafts created a terrific show of skill at the 2001 Gore Canyon Race on August 25th. Paddlers from around the country (including Jeff Snyder, striding!) joined to support safe fun, and a fundraiser for American Whitewater and Colorado Whitewater Assn. in their effort to insure access to rivers in the access-challenged state of Colorado. Safety was set expertly by Tim Kelley, assisted by 28 in a well-organized skilled safety team, statined at each of

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Free 2001 Gauley t-Shirt!

You cannot buy this t-shirt!! This is the volunteer t-shirt for the 2001 American Whitewater Gauley Festival. There will only be 200 made. It has been specially designed for the American Whitewater 2001 Gauley Fest volunteers by Dan Peschio of Asheville NC. Once you earn it and wear it, it shows your boatin’ buds that you cared enough to give two (just two) hours of your time to help American Whitewater pull off the 2001 Gauley Festival on Saturday, Sep.

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<center> <b>You cannot buy this t-shirt!!</b> <p><img height="429" width="468" src="/resources/repository/Gauley2001_t-shirt_Lg.jpg"></p> <p><font size="2">This is the volunteer t-shirt for the 2001 American Whitewater Gauley Festival. There will only be 200 made. It has been specially designed for the American Whitewater 2001 Gauley Fest volunteers by Dan Peschio of Asheville NC. Once you earn it and wear it, it shows your boatin’ buds that you cared enough to give two (just two) hours of your time to help American Whitewater pull off the

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Enter the Great Gauley River Trivia Contest

Enter American Whitewater’s Great Gauley River Festival Trivia Contest! Answer these questions about Gauley whitewater history correctly and you will have a chance to win a specially signed, first edition copy of Sue Taft’s new book "The River Chasers". This new book is a comprehensive history of whitewater sport drawn from the people who influenced it most in the U.S. and abroad. Well researched through personal interviews and illustrated with many personal photos this book should be in every whitewater

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Penobscot releases for September

John Frachella, American Whitewater regional coordinator for Maine announced that Great Northern Paper will be releasing 400-450 cfs on September 7, 8 and 9 on the Canadian Falls section of the South Branch of the Penobscot, followed on September 10 and continuing through the month with 600 cfs on the Seboomook section of the West Branch. While not optimal boating levels, John points out that this should be welcome following a recent drought and that any rains could augment these

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Penobscot releases for September

John Frachella, American Whitewater regional coordinator has announced that Great Northern Paper will be releasing 400-450 cfs on the Canada Falls section of the South Branch of the Penobscot on September 7, 8 and 9 followed by 600 cfs on the Seboomook section of the West Branch beginning September 10 through the month. While not optimal boating levels, John points out that these should be welcome following a recent drought and that any welcome rain could well augment these. Please

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Penobscot releases for September

Long time Maine activist and regional coordinator John Frachella announced that Great Northern Paper will be having scheduled releases on the Penobscot in September. First, on the Canadian Falls section of the South Branch of the Penobscot they will be releasing 400-450 cfs on September 7, 8 and 9. Beginning September 10 and running through the end of the month they are promising to release 600 cfs on the Seboomook section of the West Branch. John informs us that there

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Image for FERC Extends Deadline on Upper American River Project (CA)

NOWR Goes Union

The NOWR Goes Union At the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City, American Whitewater announced that the National Organization of Whitewater Rodeos has been dissolved and a progressive new organization has been created to fulfill the functions formerly performed by the NOWR. American Whitewater will continue its role as the preeminent organization for organizing whitewater events through the American Whitewater Freestyle Union. After carefully considering the needs of event organizers, sponsors, and athletes, the AW Events staff worked to

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(WV) Fly Fishermen Fear Blackwater is Endangered

American Whitewater listed the Blackwater River in our Top 40 River issues in 1998, 1999, and 2000, based on concerns about logging and development. Now, another national recreation and conservation organization, the Federation of Fly Fishers, has added the Blackwater to their list too; thereby demonstrating once again that boaters have much in common with fishermen including our love for naturally clean and protected rivers. NEWS FROM THE FEDERATION OF FLY FISHERS Contact: Greg Pitts — President FFF — 406-222-6110AMERICA’S

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(CO) River Access in Colorado Under Siege!

American Whitewater is protecting your right to fish, float, and play on Colorado’s rivers and streams. Lake Fork, Gunnison: Landowner is trying to control use & issue permitsCheesman Gorge, South Platte: Private club has built death trap to block boatersDecker’s Run, South Platte: Landowner trying to claim ownership of riverTaylor River: Gun-toting landowner charged with threatening boatersFlorida River: Canoe club ordered off river by sheriff for “trespassing”Clear Creek: Town won right to allocate water for recreation at Golden Park WHY

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Joy Family Foundation Lends Support

American Whitewater wishes to thank the Joy Family Foundation for helping us bring you the new and we hope you will agree vastly improved website. Last year they underwrote this effort with a $20,000 grant and this year they have donated an additional $5000. American Whitewater is continually upgrading our pages and in the coming months we hope to bring you higher resolution maps, improved graphics, a commercial resource sub-site called "Gear, Guides & Services" and an improved database of

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Tallulah 2001 Release Info

Tallulah River Gorge 2001 Release Information No Permits No Pre-Registration Open Walk-On from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM For three weekends in November, 2001 (Nov.3/4; 10/11;17/18) Boaters are now allowed to run the Tallulah River Gorge in Georgia without a permit or lottery as required in the past. The number of Boaters will NOT be limited to 120 per day as in the past, but all Boaters must start down the stairs by 3:00 PM to beat the flow cut-off

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Image for ACTION ALERT: House to Vote on Wild and Scenic Roll Back

Gauley Season Flow Release Beta

Upper Gauley’s Pillow Rock Rapid “a splat” photo from the AW photo database by Bob Anderson GAULEY SEASON-DATES The Gauley season usually consists of five each four-day (Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon) weekends and one each two day weekend (Sat-Sun). That makes a total of SIX Gauley weekends and 22 days of releases. The FIRST Gauley weekend is ALWAYS the first weekend AFTER Labor Day weekend. (Occasionally legends get started when Labor Day falls “late” in September that the first Gauley weekend is the

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Volunteers Needed for Gauley Festival

2001 Gauley River Festival Be a Volunteer for the River The 2001 AWA Gauley Festival will be held onSaturday, September 22 in Summersville, West Virginia This festival is a major fund raiser for the American Whitewater, the premier whitewater access, conservation,safety, and event organization in the world. To make it work, the festival needsabout 150 volunteers for publicity, the silent auction, selling raffletickets, staffing the AW booth, gate and parking, and Sunday morning cleanup. It’s better in pairs. Get a

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William Nealy, Famed Whitewater Cartoonist Passed Away

Well known among paddlers for his instructional books, stories and river maps, William Nealy passed away July 19, 2001 at the age of 47. Nealy brought a self deprecating sense of humor and a wealth of practical knowledge to all his work. His river maps are still posted prominently at Southeastern rafting companies for the benefit of both customers and guides, and served to guide many kayakers and canoeists on their maiden voyages. William Nealy was a one of a

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William Nealy, famed whitewater cartoonist dead at 47

Well known for instructional books and particularly his hand illustrated guide maps, cartoonist and outdoor enthusiast William Nealy died on July 19, 2001. Nealy’s cartoons were appealing both as genuine instructional guides as well as humorous entertainment and paddlers frequently depended on his river maps to assist in maiden voyages on many of the Southeast’s most popular rivers. Rafting companies still prominently display his maps for the benefit of both customers and guides. His “devolution” cartoon demonstrated an ability to

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New American Whitewater Events Director In Place

American Whitewater has a new Events Director! Michael Phelan, working in the Southeastern Office near Asheville, NC, brings experience and enthusiasm as an outdoor educator and volunteer event organizer for the Farmington River recreation and conservation community. Michael’s educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and a Master’s in Outdoor Recreation Management. He has worked as the Director of Outdoor Programs and Assistant Professor of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism for Springfield College. “He is a perfect choice for the

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AW Comments on Chattooga Amendment 2001

Mr. Michael CraneDistrict RangerAndrew Pickens Ranger District112 Andrew Pickens CircleMountain Rest, SC 29664 IntroIssue 1: Purpose and NeedIssue 2: Reopening HeadwatersIssue 3: Affected RegulationsIssue 4: Private Boater Access AllocationIssue 5: Private Boater Access PermitsIssue 6: Water Quality ProtectionIssue 7: Shuttle PermitsIssue 8: Commercial Outfitter ManagementConclusion Comments Re Recreational Boating Use on the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River – Amendment #14 District Ranger Crane,We are writing on behalf of American Whitewater in regard to proposed amendment #14 to the Sumter National

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Hydropower Relicensing, Recreational Liability, and Access

Published in the American Whitewater Journal May/June 2001 as“Hydropower Relicensing and Recreational Liability“By: Jason Robertson, Steve Ledbetter, & Bob Glanville for American WhitewaterINTRODUCTION: A handful of hydropower owners have expressed concern during the FERC relicensing process that sharing release information or providing releases for the purpose of recreation exposes their companies to liability. This concern is a distraction from the real issue, and is generally considered a red herring or non-issue by FERC and other groups that are intimately familiar

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Chattooga – Amendment #14 River Management Plan

Alert!  The Forest Service released the Environmental Assessment (EA) regarding the proposed Amendment #14 on May 7, 2002. The deadline for comments is June 12, 2002. Permits, reservation requirement, fees, access to the headwaters, and water quality are at stake. If you care about these issues, it is vitally important for you to submit comments on the new Amendment! This is true regardless of whether you’ve written other letters over the past three years. Time is of the essence and

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2001 Gauley River Festival

Nicholas County Veterans Memorial Park Rt 19, Summersville,WV Admission $5 (no glass containers permitted) join American Whitewater for an evening in celebration of whitewater and the great outdoors Continous live music 7pm to 2am NEW this year! Blowout SUMO WRESTLING presentation suit up and take on your buddies! Satisfy your paddling needs all in one location Huge Silent Auction of paddling and related gear Dozens and dozens of generously donated boats, gear, clothing, books,videos, art, collectables. Auction concludes at 11pm

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American Whitewater Access Actions Featured in USA Today!

Check it out! American Whitewater’s access actions in Colorado and around the country are featured on page 3 of the USA Today’s weekend edition (July 27, 2001).MAIN ARTICLEBoating Rights Hit Choppy WatersBy Patrick O’DriscollThis feature article describes the developing national controversies over river access in relation to the fermenting problems in Colorado. The article also quotes Access Director Jason Robertson prominently.www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20010727/3514845s.htmSIDEBARExamples of River ConflictsBy Patrick O’DriscollThis sidebar describes American Whitewater’s database of national access incidents and the variety of problems

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