Articles

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

Yesterday American Whitewater filed comments on the proposal to rescind the Clean Water rule (2015 Waters of the United States rule, also known as the WOTUS) with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The deadline for comments is today September 27th. The clock is ticking, and we've made it easy for you to speak up and voice your support for the Clean Water rule alongside American Whitewater: Speak Up for Clean Water.    In our comments we express our strong opposition

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