Articles

  Dolores, Colorado – After a cold opening weekend on the Lower Dolores River, the Dolores Water Conservancy District will continue releasing 1,200 CFS below McPhee Dam until runoff starts climbing again later in April.  A new forecast from the Basin Forecast comes out this week that we will combine with the early runoff to run a new operating plan.  We still expect to release around 250,000 AF that will make McPhee releases last approximately 60 days.   The “ripe”

  American Whitewater  Accident Database Statistics: 1975 – 2016   Total Records 1588 Fatalities 1262 Near Misses   268 Injuries     58     Fatalities by Country United States 1192 Canada     30 All Other     40     Fatalities by Boat Type Kayak   446 Canoe   183 Raft and IK   486 Other   146 Commercial   231 Private 1030     Fatalities by Cause Cold Water   326 Flush Drowning   310 High Water   290 No

Why We Report Accidents (And How You Can Help) After over a year's work American Whitewater has released an upgraded version of their Whitewater Accident Database. It's the largest collection of its kind in the world, with over 1600 fatalities and close calls dating back to 1972. Each report has been checked for accuracy and AW Webmaster Ryan Groth greatly improved the search capacity. You can now locate accidents by a dozen different categories and characteristics. Here's how this project

American Whitewater’s Dave Steindorf will testify before a subcommittee of the US House of Representatives at 10 am on Wednesday, March 15th, on behalf of the Hydropower Reform Coalition. The hearing will explore the opportunities and challenges of expanding hydropower generation in the US. Dave has over 20 years of experience negotiating environmental and recreational improvements at existing hydropower dams on behalf of the paddling community.  Dave’s testimony will highlight the fact that hydropower is a mature, built out energy

The March/April issue of the AW Journal is available in the "Library". Read it online or download your issue. This issue includes. . . Salmon River Love Letter Beware the Great Defibrillator in the Sky Rio Maranon in Peril . . .and much more   Current members – Read the issue now! Not a current member – Join or Renew!

We would like to recognize Violet Jakab for being a vocal community advocate in our efforts to save Mosquito Road Bridge.  No stranger to adversity, as a young woman, Violet escaped communist rule in Romania in the back of a refrigerator truck.  She immigrated to the United States and worked hard for a Master of Science in Civil Engineering, Hydraulics at California State University, Long Beach. When not boating, Violet can be found with Yinky and Maggie her German Shepherds

The State Highway 49 Bridge over the South Fork American River in Coloma is set to be replaced during construction of a $22 million Caltrans project in partnership with the El Dorado County Transportation Commission. For paddlers, this bridge is one of the few remaining free public access sites to the river. American Whitewater worked through the stakeholder process to insure the state right of way on each side of the new bridge will remain open to the public once

Citing benefits to local Olympic Peninsula jobs, economy, clean water & salmon, more than 700 local businesses, elected officials, farms, faith leaders, sportsmen, conservation & recreation groups now backing Wild Olympics    QUILCENE, Wash. – The Wild Olympics Coalition today cheered the reintroduction of the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (S.483 and H.B.1285) by Senator Patty Murray and Representative Derek Kilmer to permanently protect more than 126,500 acres of Olympic National Forest as wilderness and 19

Yesterday, President Trump issued an order to the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers to review and replace a federal rule that protects our rivers from pollution. This action will start a multi-year public rulemaking process that will decide the safety and health of our nation’s waterways. Paddlers will have an important role to play in speaking up for the value of clean water and healthy rivers. The Clean Water Act is a 45 year-old federal law that governs how

This week the Oregon House Transportation Policy Committee has schedueld a hearing for the bill to establish a Non-Motorized Boating Program as proposed by the Oregon State Marine Board (House Bill 2320). Through a survey we conducted last year we have solicited feedback on the legislation to implement this program. The most controversial element of the proposal is a requirement that any person 14 years of age or older shall carry a non-motorized boating permit ($12 annually) while operating a

The state of Utah is currently proposing to eliminate their current rule that allows boaters to bring a throw bag on trips instead of a throwable personal flotation device. Federal Coast Guard rules require that all boats greater than 16 feet in length contain a throwable PFD. Utah's rule allowing throw bags better accomplishes safety goals than the Coast Guard rules, however the state has determined that they do not have the authority to waive the Coast Guard requirements. If

The state of Utah is proposing to eliminate their current rule that allows boaters to bring a throw bag on trips instead of a throwable personal flotation device. Federal Coast Guard rules require that all boats greater than 16 feet in length contain a throwable PFD. Utah's rule allowing throw bags better accomplishes safety goals than the Coast Guard rules, however the state has determined that they do not have the authority to waive the Coast Guard requirements. If Utah eliminates

While negotiations with Turlock and Modesto Irrigation Districts are ongoing for improvements downstream at the Ward’s Ferry take-out for the Wild & Scenic Tuolumne River, efforts are being made now to improve the put-in for this iconic California river at Meral’s Pool.  Our colleagues at Tuolumne River Trust along with the Groveland USFS, local outfitters and local volunteers are working together to implement long overdue improvements.  During the last year, the Forest Service, and 28 volunteers removed hazardous trees and

Future of Spring-Run Salmon Uncertain   Dave Steindorf – American Whitewater Chris Shutes- California Sportfishng Protection Alliance In a surprise move, PG&E announced on February 2, 2017 that it was withdrawing its application to relicense the DeSabla – Centerville Hydroelectric Project on Butte Creek and the West Branch Feather River.  The reach of Butte Creek affected by the Project is home to the only remaining viable population of spring-run Chinook salmon in California’s Central Valley. Spring-run salmon in Butte Creek