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Last winter, like every other year, boaters who were lucky enough to pull permits for the 2020 Grand Canyon river season were planning and gearing up for their spring trips. Trip leaders and their groups were preparing all of the gear, travel plans, menus, rental equipment, and itineraries that make a trip down the Grand Canyon possible. However, this year was different. COVID-19 cases were rising at an alarming rate in late winter and when the river was closed to

A local coalition of whitewater boaters, hunters and anglers, small business leaders, clean water advocates, veterans, local elected officials, and other community members are thanking Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today for introducing the River Democracy Act of 2021 (S. 192), which will designate 4,700 miles of rivers across the state as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System (S. 192 on Congress.gov).   You can take action and let your representatives in Congress know you support

Clean water advocates are buoyed by the recent Executive Order, issued on the first day of the new Biden administration, revoking a prior executive order that resulted in regulations limiting the ability of states to require that hydropower dams meet state water quality standards. The new Executive Order (Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis issued January 20, 2021) revokes Executive Order 13868 (promoting Energy Infrastructure and Economic Growth issued April 10, 2019)

Within their day one executive orders, one of the first things the new administration did was to start the process of restoring more robust Clean Water Act protections to our nation’s rivers that were weakened under the prior administration. This is good news for rivers and paddlers. This first-day executive order signals that a new rulemaking is coming that will restore protections to many headwater and desert streams in particular, which will of course restore protections for many downstream river

Legislation has been introduced in the Washington State legislature that would require operators of all boats and vessels that are human-propelled (e.g. kayaks, canoes, rafts, stand up paddle boards) to possess a boater education card providing evidence of completing a boating safety education program.   House Bill 1018 had a hearing in the House Community & Economic Development Committee on Wednesday January 20th at 10am. It is sponsored by Representatives Lovick, Ryu, Ortiz-Self, Goodman, and Orwall.   Proposed Substitute Senate

In a joint project with the River Management Society, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), US Forest Service (USFS), and National Park Service (NPS), American Whitewater has published the River Access Planning Guide (print) (River Access Planning Guide (low res). American Whitewater is regularly called upon to assist with river access projects. Some are a spectacular success, while others are a disappointment. Over the past three years, American Whitewater has been working with NPS Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Programs to better

In difficult times rivers bring us solace. Those rivers we spend the most time with fill our hearts with truth and wisdom. One of those truths is that we are the guardians of our rivers. For many, the past year was incredibly challenging, but because our community rallied around us, our resilient team was able to continue working hard to protect, restore, and ensure our safe access to flowing water. Thank you! Our stewardship work in 2020 played an integral

The Bluestone Dam blocks the New River not far upstream of the popular New River Gorge and New River Dries, and is currently undergoing significant repairs. These repairs will keep 9 of the 16 gates out of service until 2027, allowing for total releases of around only 12,000cfs. To account for the reduced release capacity, the Army Corps of Engineers, who owns the dam, will attempt to capture high flow events in the reservoir and more slowly release them at

Today, January 20th, 2021, Joe Biden was officially sworn in as the 46th president of the United States. Inauguration day is one of the most important symbols of the strength of our democracy and a peaceful transfer of power is critical for maintaining the public’s trust in our democratic institutions. These institutions hold the power to protect and enhance our ability to enjoy the rivers and watersheds we love, and we see an abundance of opportunities to positively influence the

Thank you for quick mobilization earlier this month to urge the Eagle County Planning Commission to deny an application for a gravel pit that would run for a mile along the Upper Colorado River just upstream of its confluence with the Eagle. There were 148 letters sent to the Commission in barely over 24 hours. In line with recommendations of Eagle County staff and at the urging of many residents and visitors, the commission denied the applications with a 4-2

Last year the Virginia Legislature passed a new law into effect that requires the public to pay a fee to use river access areas that are managed by the Department of Wildlife Resources. The new fees kicked in January 1, 2021, and the program is outlined in news articles as well as on the Department’s website. If you do not have a fishing license, the fees are $23 for an annual pass or $4 per day for a day-pass. The

The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) was signed into law in August 2020, providing $9.5 billion to address the maintenance backlog on federally managed public lands through 2025. Although there have been some challenges with its implementation thus far, we are now starting to see some much-needed maintenance projects getting queued up. Here is a quick brief on a few of our favorite GAOA-funded projects that are being lined up this year by the US Forest Service. Flathead River (MT) access site

The New River Gorge, a premier paddling destination in southern West Virginia is set to become a national park, thanks to designating language in year-end funding legislation passed by Congress this past December. The “New River Gorge National Park and Preserve,” will become the 63rd national park in the U.S., and will continue to be one of three federally designated landscapes in West Virginia managed by the National Park Service (NPS). The Gauley National Recreation Area and the Bluestone National

American Whitewater is pleased to announce our 2020 Holiday Membership Offer – a one year Standard AW membership paired with our 2021 AW calendar AND a 14 oz AW cork-based ceramic mug. . . all for just $55! Give a great gift (or treat yourself!) and support your favorite non-profit at the same time. . . rockin’ river karma for the whole year!  We’ve made ordering the Holiday Membership Offer quick and easy, choose one of the options below and we’ll take care