Articles - American Whitewater

Voluntary River Closure Proposed On the Slate River (CO)

November 2, 2018

Crested Butte, CO – Alleged disruption to a Heron Rookery and concerned private landowners have led to a "Voluntary Closure" of the Slate River from the Gunsight Bridge to the Town of Crested Butte between March 15 and June 21 for the 2019 season. The Slate River between Oh Be Joyful Campground and Skyland Bridge, a 10.5 mile stretch, provides an incredibly scenic and unique flatwater paddling experience in the Gunnison Valley. The majority of the paddling experiences in the

Bonus Flows and American Whitewater Requests Remediation On NF Feather (CA)

November 1, 2018

Tobin Section of the NF Feather River's Dangerous Retaining Wall American Whitewater, along with our partners at California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and Trout Unlimited, are requesting remediation by Union Pacific Railroad of the ongoing and increasingly serious threat to public safety caused by the instability of the Railroad’s retaining wall and adjacent hill slope on the North Fork of the Feather River near Tobin, California. For the past two years we have observed continuing erosion of the embankment behind the

Take Russell Fork Survey on Additional Releases (VA/KY)

October 24, 2018

A diverse range of agencies and organizations are interested in enhancing the dam releases on the Russell Fork River, located on the border of Kentucky and Virginia. This year, the Army Corps of Engineers has added releases on the first two weekends of November as a pilot program, in addition to the standard four October weekends. You can read about the exciting shift in a recent newspaper article. American Whitewater has worked with local partners to craft a survey to

Remembering Dangerous Dave Eckardt

October 19, 2018

Aspen, Colorado – Dave Eckardt, otherwise known as “Dangerous Dave” of Aspen, Colorado; co-author of the first kayak Bible: Colorado Rivers and Creeks, passed away earlier this month. He was mountain biking on Snowmass Mountain near his home, a double black diamond single track named “Valhalla”. He died of head and spine trauma. He was two days short of his 63rd birthday. Dave will be remembered for his heroic contributions to the world

AW Weighs In On Teton River Dam Relicensing (ID)

October 15, 2018

This week American Whitewater kicked off our involvement with the relicensing of Felt Dam on the Teton River, near Tetonia, Idaho. The process will take several years and will result in a new 30-50 year license for this hydropower project, which bisects a Class V reach and a Class III(IV) reach of the Teton River. Based on our conversations with local paddlers, there is an opportunity and need to improve river access and egress near the project, which is located

Opportunity for Input on Saint Vrain (CO) Stream Management Plan

October 5, 2018

There are two upcoming opportunities to have your voice heard on the future of the Saint Vrain Watershed. These are the first of many opportunities for the community to engage in the St. Vrain Left Hand Stream Management Plan (SMP) process. Join us for either or both events to learn more about the plan, provide input on your vision and values for the watershed, and identify opportunity areas. It's important for paddlers to show up and represent our interests in terms of

Help Protect Whitewater Resources In The Bear And Yuba River Watersheds (CA)

October 4, 2018

Our partners at the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) Need Your Help To Stop Centennial Dam by attending a rally and meeting next Tuesday, October 9th (details below). Nevada Irrigation District (NID) will vote at a special meeting to cease spending on the dam proposal and focus on their Raw Water Master Plan (RWMP). Plans for the proposed Centennial Dam threaten 91 miles of whitewater resources on the Yuba River watershed and would permanently flood whitewater sections on the Bear

Wild and Scenic 50th Anniversary AW Gear Available This Week Only!

October 4, 2018

New limited edition American Whitewater 50th Anniversary Wild & Scenic Rivers Act gear available this week only! Shirts, tanks and hoodies for both ladies and men! Support wild rivers and earn style points at the same time. We're extremely excited to partner with FLOAT to bring this river stewardship supporting gear. For every item sold FLOAT donates $8+ to American Whitewater to help fund our stewardship programs. Head on over to FLOAT and shop today!

Gauley Fest AW Volunteer of the Month Presented by Kokatat

October 4, 2018

Glen Tsaparas of Falls Church, Virginia is the recipient of our Volunteer of the Month award after another year of generously sharing countless hours at American Whitewater’s biggest event of the year, Gauley Fest. Glen has been leading the Silent Auction team for over 15 years with his trusted paddling crew Jimmy, Shane and Liz. Glen has only missed two Gauley Fest’s in thirty years, has always been willing to go above and beyond, and is a lifetime member of

Feather Festival AW Volunteer of the Month Presented by Kokatat

October 4, 2018

Jeff Venturino is recognized as Volunteer of the Month for his outstanding work as the Volunteer Coordinator for American Whitewater's Feather River Festival! Recruiting and coordinating over 90 volunteers, Jeff also roped his Mom, Laura Montagna, into manning the ever important AW Membership Booth. Jeff is a Davis-based paddler, biologist, and seasonal kayak instructor for California Canoe and Kayak. He learned to paddle in the far Northwest corner of California paddling on rivers like the beautiful Trinity watershed. He is

New Film Celebrates 50 Years of Wild and Scenic Rivers

October 2, 2018

Pacific Rivers, American Rivers and American Whitewater release Run Wild, Run Free to celebrate anniversary and inspire protection for more rivers. The film will be available online October 2 for three days. Watch it here: https://vimeo.com/292826814 To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, filmmaker Shane Anderson and Pacific Rivers, American Rivers and American Whitewater released the new film Run Wild, Run Free. The film tells the story of the origins of the Wild

Take Action To Protect Lochsa Area Wild Rivers (ID)

October 2, 2018

Paddlers now have an important opportunity to oppose Forest Service plans to strip proposed protections from 89 rivers in central Idaho. The Forest Service really needs to hear from paddlers from across the country and it takes just a few minutes to send them a letter. These whitewater streams in the Lochsa, Selway, and Clearwater watersheds were proposed for protection through a Forest Planning process. But local officials and organizations have applied political pressure and demanded that the Forest Service

Opportunity for Input on Middle Fork Snoqualmie Planning Effort (WA)

September 28, 2018

Middle Fork Snoqualmie & Pratt Wild and Scenic Rivers Public Meetings and Online Mapping. The U.S. Forest Service has recently initiated a process to develop a Comprehensive River Management Plan for the 27 miles of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River and the entirety of the Pratt River that were designated Wild and Scenic in 2014. For boaters this includes the reach known as the “Upper Middle” and sections upstream that are largely on the Mt. Baker – Snoqualmie National

AW Wins Court Battle Protecting Green River (VT) Boating

September 21, 2018

The Vermont Superior Court sided with American Whitewater in a long-running dispute with the state over whitewater boating on the Green River in Morrisville. The Court overturned state restrictions that would have eliminated any meaningful opportunity for boaters to enjoy this extraordinary river and required scheduled releases in a ground breaking decision. AW and the Vermont Paddlers Club have be working to secure scheduled releases through the hydropower relicensing of the Green River Dam. Despite support from FERC and

Prevent a New Dam on the San Joaquin (CA)

September 20, 2018

We need your help to protect the San Joaquin River! The proposed Temperance Flat Dam would drown an incredible river canyon that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has already recommended for Wild and Scenic River designation. Despite the enormous price tag of at least $2.6 billion, according to the Bureau of Reclamation's preferred alternative for the project, the dam would only yield 70,000 acre-feet of water per year on average. That's less than .2% of California's annual water use. The

AW Journal – September/October Issue Online Now!

September 7, 2018

The September/October issue of the AW Journal is available in the "Library". This issue includes 'Celebrating 50 Years of Wild and Scenic Rivers’. East Rosebud (MT) Designated Wild and Scenic Mokelumne (CA) Welcomed to Wild and Scenic System Nolichucky Wild and Scenic Update An Adventure on The Middle Fork of the Salmon River Ridley Scott’s Lost Whitewater Commercial A Lesson from the Past: Advice from 1968 and much more. . . Current members – Read the issue now! Not a

Paddlers Applaud Expanded Daddy’s Creek Access! (TN)

September 7, 2018

For well over 20 years paddlers have sought improved access to a beautiful section of Daddy’s Creek flowing through Catoosa Wildlife Management Area near Crossville, TN. Daddy’s Creek only has enough water to float after significant rain, which typically happens in the fall, winter and spring. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) road and area closures related to hunting during this timeframe have severely limited paddling use. Earlier today TWRA notified American Whitewater of a recent decision to expand public access.

AW is Hiring: Help Take Our App to the Next Level

September 6, 2018

American Whitewater is seeking an iOS developer to extend American Whitewater's existing iOS application (written in Swift). At the heart of our online river guide app is innovative crowdsourcing, rich mapping and photography, river safety advice, and engagement with conservation initiatives. An interest or experience in river recreation is a plus for this project, but not required. This project will require interacting with notification APIs, HTTP APIs, mapping APIs, authentication APIs, and camera APIs. The backend is PHP/Laravel. Time-frame is

Feather Fest (CA) is Coming September 21-23, 2018!

September 6, 2018

The Feather River Festival will be September 21-23, 2018! This event is hosted by American Whitewater with a Bar-B-Que and party presented by the Chico Paddleheads. This is California’s biggest whitewater festival and is held annually on the fourth weekend in September to coincide with the Rock Creek Dam scheduled release. Come on out for multiple sections of excellent whitewater, guaranteed flows, and and awesome party. What: Feather Fest 2018 – a river festival including: film festival, primitive camping, dinner, beer,

Mokelumne River is a California State Wild and Scenic River!

September 6, 2018

Decades of home grown advocacy, including heavy lifting done by our colleagues at Foothill Conservancy and Friends of the River has finally resulted in the permanent protection of thirty-seven miles of the North Fork and main stem of the Mokelumne River. Like the Federal Act upon which it was modeled, the California Wild and Scenic Rivers Act affords, “certain rivers which possess extraordinary scenic, recreational, fishery, or wildlife values shall be preserved in their free-flowing state, together with their

AW Volunteer Of The Month Presented By Kokatat: Amy Howell!

September 5, 2018

American Whitewater is pleased to recognize Amy Howell as AW’s September Volunteer of the Month. Amy absolutely was our star volunteer at the Gore Canyon Festival this year. She was our first ever Volunteer Coordinator for the event and she worked tirelessly to help with pre-event volunteer coordination and job planning for our incredible group of volunteers. She also booked and coordinated the music for our event (her specialty) for free and manned the registration station all weekend long so

Saint Vrain Stream Management Planning is Underway (CO)

September 5, 2018

Lyons, Colorado – The St. Vrain Creek watershed on Colorado's northern Front Range, is critical to maintaining the health, biodiversity, character, and economy of communities within the region, including Lyons and Longmont. The creek is a stronghold for native fishes, receives Colorado River transmountain water, hosts one of the country’s largest outdoor industry events, and has its headwaters in Rocky Mountain National Park and the Indian Peaks Wilderness, and its confluence in the county with the largest agricultural economy in Colorado. The

AW Comments on Colorado Nat’l Forest Wilderness Process

September 5, 2018

The Grand Mesa Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG) planning process is well underway and we are working to ensure that the interests of the boating community are well-represented in the process. Today, September 5, marked the close of the public review process for the DRAFT Wilderness Evaluation Report. The Evaluation Phase is the second step of 4 different steps required in the assessment of lands that may be suitable for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS). The

Gauley Fest – September 13-16, 2018 – Summersville, WV

September 4, 2018

Get your groove on baby, it’s a 60’s themed event! Started in 1983 to celebrate the derailment of a hydro-electric project that would have disrupted the flows on the Gauley River, Gauley Fest has grown to become the largest paddling festival in the world. Gauley Fest is also our major education and outreach event and your support feeds our national river stewardship efforts. Put September 13-16 in your calendar and join us in West Virginia. For this year, 2018,

Celebrate the 50 Years of Wild & Scenic Rivers at New Belgium Brewery

August 31, 2018

Fort Collins, CO – Join American Whitewater on September 6, with the Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed, American Rivers, and New Belgium Brewing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act! We’ll have swag giveaways and opportunities to take action on behalf of rivers near and far. Featuring the short film, PROTECTED: A Wild & Scenic River Portrait and $3 Fat Tire Amber Ale and Fat Tire Belgian White. Just upstream of Fort Collins