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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

We’re experiencing some technical difficulties with our Join/Renew Membership form. We’re so sorry for the inconvenience and have a team working on a fix right now. Thanks so much for your patience! If you want to renew by phone, reach out to Bethany at 866-262-8429.

New report highlights 269 good, bad and unusual examples Confluence Research and Consulting has released a report highlighting examples of 269 boat launches from a wide range of locations, geographic settings, amounts and kinds of use, and types of facilities. “The Good, the Bad and the Unusual: What Makes a Boating Access Work (or Not)?” is the first of its kind and the first iteration of a national river access database. “The project objective was to review, organize and document

The 2021 American Whitewater calendar is now available! Get yours today – it makes a great gift for the paddler in your life. Each year, we collect the best photos from our gracious paddling community and pick out our favorites for the annual AW calendar. The proceeds from calendar sales support our river stewardship work. When this years calendar arrives, River Stewardship Across the Country, you’ll get to see a new beautiful image of a river that AW has made a

Colorado Gives Day is this Tuesday, December 8th! On this day, folks from around the state and country give to Colorado-based nonprofits like ours, with potential matches provided by CommunityFirst Foundation. You make an online donation here to support American Whitewater’s Colorado River Access Program. Our Colorado based team works on river access, stewardship and conservation issues from flow protection, water quality enhancement, Wild and Scenic management, and state level policies that highlight river recreation and the industry it supports.

As boaters, we’re all about geeking out on river flow. We know that no two rivers have the same range of flows for a good experience; each river has its own magic formula of flows for boating. And on our home rivers, we usually know the exact gage reading for when it’s time to go boating. Now, American Whitewater needs your local knowledge of flows on the whitewater segments of the Crystal and Roaring Fork Rivers. Your responses to the

Each year American Whitewater’s membership ratifies Board of Director members to serve three-year terms. These candidates volunteer to serve on the American Whitewater Board. Current American Whitewater members can cast their votes through Midnight Pacific Time, December 15th. Currently, American Whitewater has four Director Nominees to fill four open seats for election, you may vote for up to four candidates on the slate. The ballot for our Board of Directors election is placed online here.   You must be a

In April 2020, American Whitewater Affiliate Club and partner, the Adobe Whitewater Club (AWC), joined New Mexico Wildlife Federation and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers to petition the New Mexico Supreme Court to uphold the constitutional rights of the people to access our public waters, even where they cross private lands. We have been working closely with AWC since the issue arose in the summer of 2019 and you can read more about the evolution of this case here and a much