Articles

Oregon is renowned for its plentiful water supplies and outstanding recreation opportunities on its public waterways. The abundance of outstanding water resources is a reason why people continue to live, work, recreate and travel to the state.  Protecting rivers and access to them is important to conservation and recreation as it ties to strong local economies and community health.     Oregon House Bill 2835 started as an ambitious effort to address some of the access concerns in Oregon, and in

Nancy Kell, a very experienced Mid-States kayaker, died on February 24th after flipping in a Class II rapid on West Virginia's Red Creek. There were a number of strainers in the vicinity above and below the water. One of them snagged her tow, pulled her out of her boat, and held her under water. She was with a very experienced crew but they could not reach her quickly enough to save her life. Equipment snags are a real risk. (People

The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG) are conducting a Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Evaluation as part of the current Forest Plan Revision process. While the Forest Service is mandated to conduct an Eligibility Study as part of the Plan Revision process, this opportunity only happens every 15-20 years and we need to ensure that the Study is comprehensive and robust. We need YOU to share your love and knowledge of these rivers with the Forest Service!

Oregon is a state renowned for its plentiful water supplies and outstanding recreation opportunities on its public waterways. The abundance of outstanding river resources is a reason why people continue to live, work, recreate, and travel to the state.  Protecting rivers and access to them is important to conservation and recreation, as it ties to strong local economies and community health. Right now there is a bill in the Oregon House that will improve and protect our access to rivers

American Whitewater is hiring a new Southern Rockies Stewardship Director, following the announcement of the previous Director moving on to a new role with the State of Colorado. The Southern Rockies Stewardship Director role is a full-time position. The location of the position may vary within the state of Colorado, and the Director works from a home office. The Director reports to American Whitewater’s National Stewardship Director, and benefits from significant support and collaboration with AW staff, board members, and

It is with great appreciation that we announce that Nathan Fey will be leaving his role as the Colorado and Southern Rockies Stewardship Director of American Whitewater at the end of the month. Nathan served in this role for the past 12 years, growing our work in the region from an ambitious new idea to a thriving and effective program that has reshaped how rivers are protected and restored in the Southern Rockies. We will greatly miss working so closely

Calling all paddlers who've paddled or aspire to paddle the Devil's Postpile, and who could provide comments for the incredible nature of this section of the Middle Fork San Joaquin River. Comments are needed ASAP and are due on February 15th. Currently, American Whitewater is working with the Forest Service on the Inyo Forest Management Plan Revision. We are working both to ensure the Devil’s Postpile remains included in the inventory of Wild & Scenic eligible rivers and that whitewater

In 2018, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Wild and Scenic River System. In the wake of the impressive anniversary successes, however, one might ask, “So, now what?” Luckily, the rivers community asked that question some time ago. As with conservation innovations of the past, a group of river advocates and concerned citizens united to ensure that the rivers anniversary wasn’t simply a one-time party. And so, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Coalition was born at

Here at American Whitewater we are rapidly fixing bugs and enhancing the user experience on our newly redesigned website, which we launched late last week. Due to the complexity of the database that backs our National Whitewater Inventory and other aspects of our site, some bugs were expected. We launched our site under a hard deadline based on the outstanding financial support we received for this project from the US Coast Guard, and we appreciate our community’s patience and constructive

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American Whitewater has worked with an outstanding team of website designers and programmers over the past two years to redesign our National Whitewater Inventory (NWI). The NWI provides high quality information for a growing list of 5,760 whitewater river reaches across the United States. Each year this online guide helps almost 1,000,000 paddlers avoid hazards and match their skill level to the right rivers at the right flows. Like a Wikipedia of whitewater rivers, the Inventory is a dynamic crowd-sourced

On December 28, 2018 the Department of the Interior (DOI) proposed a rule that would change the way Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) records requests are handled by the DOI. The FOIA allows the public to access information the national government has in its possession. It provides a legal requirement for government transparency and accountability, allowing for public debate, and also provides an avenue for legal discovery in judicial challenges against the policies of public agencies, which are otherwise hidden

The National Paddling Film Festival is rapidly approaching! The fine folks who run NPFF are currently accepting films and still images. Entries are free and categories include amateur, accomplished, and professional. You still have time to enter today! NPFF has a long history of supporting American Whitewater, as well as other organizations dedicated to river conservation and access. This grassroot festival, located at a bourbon distillery Frankfort, Kentucky is on February 15th and 16th. Check out their Facebook Event Page

    The January/February issue of the AW Journal is available in the "Library". This issue includes 'The Top Ten River Stewardship Issues of 2019’, along with:    Revisiting the Top Ten River Stewardship Issues in 2018 Articles on the history of the Gauley River in West Virginia A highlight of the Nile River and impact of the Isimba Dam Some much needed cold-weather paddling tips Two touching remembrances and much more. . .             Current members – Read the

Earlier this week, American Whitewater presented the Town of Friendsville, Maryland with a $5000 check towards the extension of the popular Upper Yough Access. This, combined with a $1000 donation from Keelhaulers Canoe Club, made a strong statement of how much paddlers value the river and the town! Under the leadership of Mayor Spencer Schlosnagle and long time paddler and Friendsville resident Jess Whittemore the town raised $7 in additional funding for every dollar paddlers donated – just like they