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The Russell Fork (VA & KY) is one of the classic Class V creek runs in the United States. The river is run year round and relies on a combination of natural flow and dam release from the Flanagan Reservoir on the Pound River. Every October, the Corp of Engineers draws the reservoir down over 4 weekends, putting anywhere from 800-1100 cfs into the Russell. Paddlers from all over the world converge on the Breaks to sample the awesome whitewater,

American Whitewater is pleased to announce that an Android App is now available for our river and gage information. This is the same information found in the national river database accessible from our website and utilized heavily by the paddling community. The app can be downloaded at Google Play here.   Special thanks for development of the app goes to Greg Lee and Rachel Jin who donated their time in this volunteer effort. An iOS version is in the future also

September 2017, Charity Navigator, America's largest and most-utilized independent evaluator of charities, announced that American Whitewater has earned its eighth consecutive 4-star rating. Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that American Whitewater adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way. The letter from Charity Navigator informing American Whitewater that it was awarded a eighth 4-star rating from Charity Navigator is

American Whitewater is proud to recognize longtime Pacific Northwest paddling aficionado Christian Knight as our Volunteer of the Month for his efforts organizing an extremely successful clean-up at Eagle Falls on the Skykomish River in Washington state. Eagle Falls is a beautiful roadside attraction for a straightforward class V park and huck at low water or a frothy one drop rollercoaster at high water. The walls and boulders around the falls had become defaced by graffiti over time taking away

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) has confirmed that they are changing the scheduled recreational flow days for PIT 1 to 4 consecutive days starting Friday October 6 through Monday October 9 (Columbus Day Weekend). This is due to resource constraints brought on by a combination of winter storm damage to the facilities, roads and increased reliance on Pit 1 generation to make up for the outage of the Pit 5 powerhouse. PG&E will start ramping up spill at 7:00 am

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 letter is posted here. The Park Service also shared information regarding their flow alert program. American Whitewater was notified by the owner of the land at Sweets Falls who asked that paddlers not hang out on the

The Lochsa, Selway, Clearwater, and Salmon watersheds are special places for paddlers from around the world. These special rivers flow clean and cold, and boast thousands of miles of tributaries to explore. The Nez Perce and Clearwater National Forests are writing a new Forest Plan and are asking the public to share thoughts on which rivers should be protected as "eligible" for future designation as Wild and Scenic Rivers. This is a terrific opportunity for paddlers to protect rivers by

KREMMLING, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management has released for public review preliminary alternatives for managing about 40 miles of the Upper Colorado River between Parshall and State Bridge. This includes, Gore Canyon, Pumphouse, and Radium. The BLM is updating the Recreation Area Management Plan for that area, also known as the Upper Colorado River Special Recreation Management Area. It is within the Kremmling Field Office, an extremely popular area for commercial and private float-boating and fishing. More than

American Whitewater is proud to announce the two affiliate recipients of the 2017 Clif Flowing Rivers Campaign: The Upper Colorado River Private Boaters Association and Bluegrass Wildwater Association! Each group will receive a $1,250 grant to go towards their respective stewardship projects.   Upper Colorado River Protection – Upper Colorado River Private Boaters Association The Upper Colorado River Private Boaters Association (UCPBA) is a local advocacy group working to protect and ensure recreational opportunities on the Upper Colorado River and

Not so long ago options for paddlers in the Pacific Northwest were rather limited while awaiting the return of fall rains, but we’re excited to highlight some great opportunities for boaters to get out and enjoy rivers this fall in the region.   The fun begins the weekend of August 19/20 in Oregon with two days of whitewater flows on the North Fork Rogue and a shuttle provided by PacifiCorp. The run from Mill Creek Falls is a fun class

The Clean Water Act is responsible for the safe water quality and many of the dam releases paddlers enjoy. In 2015 the Environmental Protection Agency created the Clean Water Rule based on robust science and vast public comment to ensure the Clean Water Act was protecting our nation’s waterways as intended. Rules guide how agencies implement laws like the Clean Water Act. The EPA is now proposing to repeal their 2015 Clean Water Rule. Repealing the rule is the EPA’s

Colorado – The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, Gunnison National Forest (GMUG) is beginning a multi-year process to revise their Forest Plan and we need you to get involved!  Public meetings started last month and there are many opportunities to comment through the planning process. The new Forest Plan will dictate how recreation, wildlife habitats, watersheds, timber projects, grazing and more will be managed on the GMUG for the next 20-30 years.  This is our chance to protect important recreation areas, potential

Submit your best photos for American Whitewater's annual calendar! When The deadline is August 6th, 2017. 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

The July/August issue of the AW Journal is available in the "Library". This issue features ‘American Whitewater's 2016 Annual Report’.  Read the issue now online or download your copy. This issue also includes. . . ·         New and Improved River Access in California ·         The Grandest Canyon ·         The Wild, Magical Rogue River ·         . . .and much more Current members – Read the issue now! Not a current member

Please take this survey for a study of the economic impact of rock climbing, whitewater paddling, and mountain biking in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests! This is a partnership project between Outdoor Alliance, American Whitewater, IMBA, and Access Fund, and we'll use the data to advocate for recreation and good management of public lands in North Carolina.    Dr. James N. Maples, an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Eastern Kentucky University is conducting the study examining the economic impact