Articles

We would like to recognize lifetime American Whitewater member, Keith Kishiyama, for organizing the ACA sponsored Rock Creek Slalom and Tobin Downriver Race for the 2016 Feather River Festival. Keith’s experience designing the annual Mokelumne River Slalom and organizing the annual Cherry Creek Race made him the perfect candidate to take over the paddling fun at this year’s Feather Fest.   Keith started paddling in 1991 and slalom racing in 1993 on the very same river he first kayaked, the

We would like to thank Matt Anger, our volunteer of the month for helping set a new precedent this year at Gauley Fest, American Whitewater's biggest fundraiser of the year! Matt was essential in contributing to the early set up and challenging break down at the festival grounds. Matt has been volunteering with American Whitewater at Gauley Fest for 7 years and has generously shared over 200 hours of his time. In addition to manning the sledge hammer and organizing

Federal agencies in the Northwest charged with protecting endangered wild salmon and steelhead from the lethal impacts of federal dams in the Columbia and Snake rivers are holding fifteen Public Scoping Hearings this fall in Washington State, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.   These Scoping Hearings represent the first phase of a court-ordered review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of salmon restoration alternatives in the Columbia and Snake Rivers. One obvious alternative is removal of the lower Snake River

Ohiopyle Falls (PA) Festival Update – due to significant rain in the mid atlantic for the weekend of the Ohiopyle Falls Race, the Ohiopyle Fall Festival and Over the Falls Race is being postponed to Oct 15, 2016. We hope to see everyone there.

Join us in a celebration of the paddling culture, on and off the river, at the 23rd annual Russell Fork Rendezvous. Meet up with old friends and make new ones and you paddle the Russell Fork River through some of the most beautiful Autumn scenery the Southeast has to offer. Don’t miss the annual “Lord of the Forks” race on Saturday. Camp at Carson Island, in Elkhorn City, KY with live music, drums, fire circles, food and dancing. All proceeds benefit American Whitewater.

Colorado, Sept. 2016 – After another lengthy round of meetings between American Whitewater and our conservation partners, and members of the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), a monumental shift in Wild & Scenic River considerations has been won in the State. This week, the CWCB reversed its long-standing policy of opposing federal Wild & Scenic River protections and voted unanimously to support the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) draft Resource Management Plan and Wild and Scenic Suitability determination for

Earlier this year, Oregon Governor Kate Brown designated portions of the Molalla and Chetco Rivers as the state’s first new State Scenic Waterways since 1988. Now, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is developing rules that will apply to how the rivers are managed. The agency is seeking public comment on their proposed rules through 5 p.m. on Friday, September 30th. The whitewater paddling community highly values the Chetco and Molalla Rivers, and it’s been exciting to see the state

American Whitewater "Ohiopyle Over the Falls Festival" will be held on Saturday, October 1, 2016. Come on out and participate in the Falls Race, the Freestyle event, or just run laps on the falls. We have prize money! Additional activities will include a Silent Auction and Town Party at 7:30pm at Falls City Pub.   For additional information and registration forms check out www.FallsRace.com website. The Festival welcomes any and all volunteers, if you're interested in volunteering please contact Barry

It’s safe to say that Gore Fest 2016 was a huge success! The weekend was host to great flows, skilled paddlers, just the perfect amount of carnage, and an incredible volunteer squad that kept the river safe and the party wild. Over 400 people joined us at Rancho del Rio to enjoy what Gore Canyon and the Upper Colorado have to offer. A total of 153 kayakers, rafters, and SUP-boarders competed in races and freestyle events. Overall, we had 159

Nannette Johnson is the bomb. No really. This was heard numerous times at the 2016 Gore Canyon Festival. This month, American Whitewater recognizes Nannette as our September Volunteer of the Month. Nannette was instrumental to this years GoreFest, working closely with our Colorado Stewardship Team to put on an amazing weekend of paddling, partying and raising support and awareness for the protection of flows in the Upper Colorado River.  Nannette not only volunteered the entire festival weekend, registering racers, organizing volunteers, directing shuttles,

The September/October issue of the AW Journal features "a Western Family Road Trip". This issue also includes. . . *   Owyhee River Paddle Boarding *   Jewel in the Desert *   Why I Kayak *   Whitewater Accident Summary *   . . .and much more Current members – Read the issue now! Not a current member – Join or Renew!

Colorado – Montrose County has acquired conditional water rights to the San Miguel River in southwest Colorado and is currently engaged in a water storage feasibility study aimed at pulling more water from the river and building multiple new reservoirs on BLM land. The County received a $300,000 grant from the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) and hired a water rights development coordinator to help push these projects forward. The sections which will potentially be impacted by these proposals would

Gauley Fest is just around the corner. . .have you reserved your Vendor space? Gauley Fest's Marketplace gets bigger and better every year. Take advantage of the 15% discount on Vendor booths through August 31st. Reserve your booth today and lock in your discounted price!  Started in 1983 to celebrate the derailment of a hydro-electric project that would have disrupted the flows on the Gauley River, Gauley Fest has grown to become the largest river festival in the world. It's a showcase for American

As summer winds down and as botable flows fade along with it, you may find yourself looking for one last hurrah. One more chance to gather with the tribe, paddle an exciting stretch of whitewater and dance into the wee hours of the night with the reckless abandon only a gypsy boater can. Look no further! American Whitewater provides the flows and the party, with the three best paddling festivals of the summer right around the corner.  Gore Festival (CO)

Dolores, Colorado – Last week, representatives from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Dolores Water Conservancy District, and the local boating community hosted a public meeting to discuss this year’s boating releases into the lower Dolores River.  This is the first year since 2011 that water managers released boating flows from McPhee Dam. For some, the recreational releases were something to celebrate.  For others, they were confounding and underscored the frustration boaters have felt since the Project came online 30 years

The El Dorado County Transportation Division has issued a feasibility study proposing to remove access at the river once construction for a new Mosquito Road Bridge is started on the South Fork American River. American Whitewater pushed for this study as required under the California Highway Code. Unfortunately, this study outlined a litany of reasons why they believe access at this location is not feasible, rather than studying how river access could be maintained or improved, as the law requires.