Articles

American Whitewater received the following open letter to boaters from the rangers and staff of the Gauley River National Recreation Area. This letter will keep you up to date on important management actions of the National Park Service on the Gauley River. The Park Service also shared information regarding their flow alert program. Enjoy your paddling season on this classic whitewater river. As in past years, American Whitewater has leased the field above Masons Branch, also known as the Legg field,

Colorado River – As you may have seen reported in the news, a small aircraft (pictured) crashed alongside the Ruby-Horsethief section of the Colorado River, near the Colorado/Utah state line, on July 31, 2018.  Fortunately, the pilot of the accident aircraft was rescued by nearby rafters and not seriously injured.  However, the crash is a sobering example of how dangerous this sort of flying can be for pilots and other river users.  American Whitewater has received numerous reports over the past

The Gore Canyon Festival is the premiere whitewater event in Colorado. Focused around the Class IV-V downriver race through Gore Canyon, GoreFest has brought the worlds elite whitewater athletes together for an awesome end to the Colorado boating season, but it also has events for everyone. From a family fun float through the class II/III Hartman Canyon (aka Little Gore Canyon), a freestyle rodeo at the Gore Canyon Whitewater Park, and SUP downriver and cross races, to the party at Rancho

American Whitewater is pleased to recognize Greg Lee, Rachel Jin and Alex Kerney as AW’s August Volunteers of the Month. This team worked together to create the new American Whitewater iOS app. The app is a great way to see which rivers are running near you and learn a bit about AW and it was an incredible gift to our organization and the paddling community. The app is a breeze to use, is getting great reviews, and we like it

August 2, 2018, the President's signature marked the exciting finale of nearly a decade of efforts to protect Montana's East Rosebud Creek from hydropower development and other impacts. Twenty miles of this beautiful stream were designated as a Wild and Scenic River as it flows from the rugged Beartooth Mountains between Big Timber and Red Lodge, Montana. East Rosebud is treasured by local residents, paddlers, anglers, hikers, and other visitors.  The designation comes on the 50th anniversary year of the

American Whitewater is pleased to announce the creation of our first endowment ever! Thanks to long time AW board member and river safety educator, Charlie Walbridge, a generous donation was made to serve as the seed for American Whitewater’s River Safety Endowment. The income will be used for “promoting whitewater safety, responsible on-river behavior, safety education and outreach, and maintenance of the American Whitewater Safety Code and Whitewater Accident Database.’ Charlie’s generous support of safety education and outreach insures that, over the

Submit your best photos for American Whitewater's annual calendar! When The deadline is August 10th, 2018. How Via our online submission form. Images must be submitted as high-resolution files (suitable for printing up to 10", at least 1MB) for inclusion in the calendar, without monetary compensation. Maximum 10 photo entries per person. Who Any and all photographers, from professionals to complete novices. Have you taken a photo before? Then you're ready. Why First, you'll get a free copy of the calendar

American Whitewater is pleased to announce that a free iPhone/iOS App is now available that shares realtime details on the over 5,500 whitewater runs in our National Whitewater Inventory. The new location-enabled app allows paddlers to learn about nearby rivers within a selected distance or state, and safely pick trips that meet their group’s skill level, flow preferences, and timeframe. It offers enhanced mapping and links paddlers to the rich crowd-sourced information and river-related news on the American Whitewater website.  This app was developed

The Senate yesterday passed Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines and Congressman Greg Gianforte’s bill that protects 20 miles of the East Rosebud in south-central Montana as part of the Wild and Scenic River System.   American Whitewater has actively supported this bill and the many local community members that have advocated for it since day-one. We played a high-level role in defeating a proposed dam on the stream, and have since worked to encourage its permanent protection. We are

Do you like to paddle and/or recreate in other ways in Montana's Custer Gallatin National Forest or the western slope of Colorado? If so, we need your help to understand the economic impact of recreation there before Monday August 20th.   Our partners at Outdoor Alliance are working with a social scientist to measure the economic impact of human-powered recreation including paddling in priority national forests in Colorado’s Grand Mesa Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest (GMUG) and Montana's Custer Gallatin National

On Tuesday July 17, 2018, the East Rosebud Creek Wild and Scenic River Act passed the United States House of Representatives, clearing a make-or-break hurdle on the way to becoming law. Designation would protect twenty miles of East Rosebud Creek from hydropower dams and other impacts as it flows on Federal lands from the spectacular Beartooth Mountains in Montana. This broadly supported bipartisan bill would create the first Wild and Scenic River in Montana since 1976, on this, the 50th

As the ample 2018 snowpack slowly begins to dwindle in Montana and Idaho, a couple dam-related opportunities for Class IV and V paddling will occur in late July and perhaps early August.    On July 26, 2018, from 10:00am to 2:00 there will be a 1200cfs dam release on the Black Canyon of the Bear River. This release is related to a hydropower study and is not part of the pulse flow schedule negotiated by American Whitewater on the same

Just like the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest, the Salmon-Challis National Forest will determine which streams to protect for potential Wild and Scenic designation through their forest plan over the coming year. The Forest Service needs to receive compelling photos, videos, and personal stories featuring these streams. Deadline is July 16, which is coming up fast!  Your Comments Should:  1. Describe Specific Values and Experiences on Specific Streams First, pick the (draft) eligible streams you want to share information on from

Interested in what we're up to at American Whitewater in 2018? Check out our Spring Stewardship Update! Designating new Wild and Scenic rivers, removing dams, pushing back against bad hydropower policy, protecting access to our favorite runs, and much more – we're getting it done in 2018, but we can't do it without your help. This stewardship work is possible only through your support, and your financial contribution plays a vital role in our success.  Twice each year, we reach out

American Whitewater is proud to recognize Tom Welander for his assistance analyzing data from our recent membership survey. He is a survey researcher with 25 years experience in the field. Tom's analysis was presented to the AW Board of Directors at a recent meeting and will be used in an upcoming strategic planning process.   Along with other findings, the analysis provides an overview of our members demographics and choice crafts:     Our Members – The Crafts They Paddle and