Articles

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers are continuing the process of reversing and replacing the 2015 Clean Water Rule that offered protections for our nation's headwater streams and wetlands under the Clean Water Act. The agencies are receiving preliminary recommendations about which water bodies the Act should cover through Tuesday, November 28th. This action is the second step following a February 2017 executive order that directed the EPA and Army Corps to rescind or revise

Each year American Whitewater’s membership elects 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 19th. 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

Come out and celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act with American Whitewater staff and similar likeminded river lovers. For the past few years, the staff of America Whitewater has joined with a number of our members to participate in a four-day float trip on the Rogue River in southern Oregon. This trip has been a great opportunity to connect with members in ways that build a lasting understanding of the role of recreation in fostering

On November 8th, 2017, the House Passed H.R. 3043, the “Hydropower Policy Modernization Act.” You can see how your Representative voted here. The bill moves to the Senate next. H.R. 3043 amends the Federal Power Act as it relates to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) hydropower licensing process. This process currently strikes a balance between hydropower and all other values, ensuring that things like water quality, fish and wildlife, flows, and recreation are given equal consideration to hydropower when

The House is scheduled to vote on hydropower legislation during the week of November 6th. H.R. 3043, or the “Hydropower Policy Modernization Act” is substantively the same as the Discussion Draft that the House Subcommittee on Energy reviewed earlier this year. H.R. 3043 will amend the Federal Power Act as it relates to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) hydropower licensing process. This process currently strikes a balance between hydropower and all other values, ensuring that things like water quality, fish

American Whitewater is pleased to announce our 2017 Holiday Membership Offer – a one year AW membership paired up with our 2018 AW calendar or AW Klean Kanteen. . .and all for just $45! Giving a great gift and supporting your favorite non-profit at the same time. . .great river karma!  We’ve made ordering the Holiday Membership Offer quick and easy, choose one of the options below and we’ll take care of the rest.   A gift for someone else – if they already

Make your online shopping mean something for the rivers you love. American Whitewater is participating in the Amazon Smile program. Online retailer, Amazon, has committed to send 0.5 percent of proceeds from eligible purchases to American Whitewater and other eligible non profits. It won’t cost you anything extra to use Amazon Smile, as the company is simply donating part of its profits. Plus, there’s no cap to how much you can use the service.    As you contemplate your holiday

Make your online shopping mean something for the rivers you love. American Whitewater is participating in the Amazon Smile program. Online retailer, Amazon, has committed to send 0.5 percent of proceeds from eligible purchases to American Whitewater and other eligible non profits. It won’t cost you anything extra to use Amazon Smile, as the company is simply donating part of its profits. Plus, there’s no cap to how much you can use the service.   As you contemplate your holiday

American Whitewater has big plans for 2018, with a goal of securing permanent protections for over 5000 miles of streams in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. We see a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact by protecting some of our best remaining freely-flowing rivers, but we can’t do it without your ongoing support to keep our work on track.  Your membership dollars and donations will support our conservation efforts from protecting large landscapes and the whitewater rivers that flow through

Gunnison, Colorado – Last Wednesday, Matt Brown – longtime river guide, adventurer, and pillar of the Gunnison Valley community- passed away tragically after an accident in Moab. Matt was so much to so many.   Matt had been a river runner since the late 70’s. His passion for rivers and the right to float was unparalleled. As a owner of Scenic River Tours in Gunnison, CO he played an intricate role in teaching the people of Gunnison Valley and the

The American Whitewater Store has just received some new arrivals you don't want to miss. The special edition 2018 Calendar celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act is ready to order and, back by popular demand, we have the pink “Lady Bird Tees,” made of 100% organic cotton and fit just right for a woman. We’ve also got sharp looking hoodies, “Dam Busting Tour” t-shirts, Klean Kanteen steel pints, hats, books and much more. So stop

This week, Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) introduced a bill to effectively eliminate the Antiquities Act as a core conservation tool for landscapes that include many rivers important to our community (Learn More). Over more than a century, the Antiquities Act has served as the mechanism to protect some of our country’s most iconic paddling destinations that include the Colorado River through Grand Canyon (AZ), Black Canyon of the Gunnison (CO), Brown’s Canyon of the Arkansas River (CO), San Juan River

Paddlers might have noticed that flow releases on the Cheoah River were getting a bit skinny over the past couple years, until the juicy release this September. At the urging of American Whitewater, the dam owner had USGS come out and recalibrate the gage this July, and the results confirmed the dam owner had been under-releasing by approximately 100-150cfs. In our annual planning meeting last week, they committed to adjusting their releases to comply with their federal license, and actually

Bond, Colorado – Every August, Gore Canyon Festival brings athletes and river enthusiasts together to celebrate the upper Colorado River. This year, over 130 competitors entered the Class V Gore Canyon downriver kayak and raft races, SUP events, and a freestyle rodeo. Many others came to paddle for fun, spectate, volunteer, and celebrate with the river community. The 3-day event is organized by American Whitewater which plays a critical role in protecting paddling on the upper Colorado River by securing recreational flow-protections and representing paddlers in

If you’re one of the 4.6 million people who visit the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests each year, you already know how incredible this corner of the Southern Appalachians is. No matter your preferred form of adventure, you know the Nantahala-Pisgah offers access to unparalleled outdoor recreation opportunities — access and opportunity that’s hard to put a price on. But now a series of new economic studies, commissioned by Outdoor Alliance, does just that. The studies' authors found that paddlers,

Many of the technology tools deployed by American Whitewater have been developed in close collaboration with committed volunteers. In fact, early versions of our website date back to the late 1990’s as a volunteer driven project. This month, American Whitewater is proud to recognize Greg Lee as a Volunteer of the Month for his efforts developing an Android phone app based on the American Whitewater National River Database. This is the same information found on our website and utilized heavily