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DENVER РColorado Governor John Hickenlooper was presented with Colorado's first Statewide Water Plan Thursday morning. He called the project a historic step for the state of Colorado. ҬӬMembers of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, Colorado's water community, and 150 attendees were on hand for the presentation of the Final plan, which was delivered ahead of its initial December deadline.ӬӬ In the spring of 2013, Hickenlooper directed the Colorado Water Conservation Board to work with local communities to develop the

DENVER, Colorado – As the leading conservation group representing whitewater paddlers in Colorado, American Whitewater is pleased that years of hard work on the State's’s first-ever water plan reflects Coloradans’ overwhelming support for conservation and river protection. It is critical that the Plan be implemented accordingly, so that rivers are protected, restored, and enjoyed!”¨ American Whitewater and our conservation partners including Audubon, American Rivers, Conservation Colorado, Environmental Defense Fund, San Juan Citizens Alliance and Western Resource Advocates, released a statement

California State Parks and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will need boater input for a joint General Plan/Resource Management Plan (RMP) for Auburn State Recreation Area (SRA).  The whitewater runs within the 33,000 acres of land along over forty miles of river canyon on the North & Middle Fork of the American River include: NF American Chamberlain Falls, NF American Shirtail, MF American Tunnel Run, MF American Greenwood Bridge to Mammoth Bar and NF & MF American Confluence to Folsom Lake Auburn SRA was originally

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 15th. Currently, American Whitewater has four returning Directors 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 current American

The Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests are updating their management plans which include the list of streams they protect as "eligible" for Wild and Scenic designation. To be eligible a stream reach must be undammed and have at least one rare, unique, or exemplary value that is regionally or nationally significant. No one knows WNC's streams like paddlers, and this marks an incredible opportunty for our community to protect our favorite runs from dams and other impacts. Their are almost

The '85 Flood slammed the Cheat River Rafting Business The 1985 flood had a big impact on the whitewater rafting business and affected everyone who paddled the river in canoes and kayaks. It struck near the end of the "Glory Days" of Cheat River Rafting, when outfitters were guiding roughly 40,000 people down the river each year. In1976 I joined the springtime frenzy as a part time guide, working in Philadelphia and driving out on weekends to help "the boys"

Colorado Gives Day is on December 8th but you can schedule your donation today!                                            Your gift matters! American Whitewater is working hard to protect and restore flows to Colorado’s rivers. With your support, we’ll defend the public’s ability to fish and float Colorado’s rivers and keep working hard to ensure that the Colorado Water Plan will protect the state's

Are you looking for that special Holiday gift for the paddler or river enthusiast on your list? How about an AW membership and an AW Klean Kanteen! American Whitewater is pleased to announce our 2015 Holiday Membership Offer – a one year AW membership paired up with our AW Klean Kanteen pint cup. . .and all for just $40! Giving a great gift and supporting your favorite non-profit at the same time. . .great river karma! We’ve made ordering the

The 2016 American Whitewater calendar is now available for purchase. Each year, we collect the best photos from our gracious paddling community and pick out our favorites for the annual AW calendar. The proceeds from calendar sales support our river stewardship work. It's an awesome fundraiser and a product that we know you'll love. Consider picking one up today. . .they also make great gifts. Don't miss out, place your order now!

Over the next several months, American Whitewater will continue to work to protect and restore the rivers that you love across the country, and ensure that everyone can enjoy them safely. As you'll see in our 2015 Winter Appeal, we've got our work cut out for us, from standing up for the right to float in Colorado and Virginia to securing protection for freely-flowing rivers across the country and working to restore flows to rivers impacted by hydropower. We can't do

This year, American Whitewater has supported a new Clean Water Rule by the EPA and Army Corps that restores protections to our nation’s headwater streams and wetlands. This week, the rule is under attack in Congress, along with the fate of millions of acres of wetlands and headwater streams. These headwater streams are directly connected to the rivers we paddle, and protecting them from pollution helps keep your paddling adventures safe and healthy.    The new Clean Water Rule restores

River festivals, such as those on the Gauley, Deerfield and Feather take a significant amount of time, effort and energy on the part of American Whitewater staff and volunteers. Without our volunteers, the simple fact is that these events cound not take place. While there's no doubt that every little bit helps when it comes to putting on events, some individuals go above and beyond and are indispensable in making events happen. At this year's Feather Fest, Dan and Ginni

American Whitewater has received a 6th 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America's largest and most utilized independent evaluator of charities.   November 1, 2015, Charity Navigator, America's largest and most-utilized independent evaluator of charities, announced that American Whitewater has earned its sixth 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

With heavy rains in the forecast, Snohomish PUD has announced an “unscheduled” whitewater recreational opportunity on the Upper Sultan River on Sunday, November 1st. Flows are anticipated to be between 600 cfs and 1,000 cfs below Culmback Dam and will begin at 10:00 a.m. In addition to providing a whitewater boating opportunity, these flows will benefit the overall health of the river.    This Class IV gorge is a great piece of whitewater in a spectacular setting. These flows follow scheduled

In June 2016, American Whitewater members will have an opportunity to join American Whitewater staff and board members for an exclusive trip on Oregon’s Rogue River. We invite you to come learn more about our river stewardship program while having a great time enjoying one of our nation’s first Wild and Scenic Rivers. The trip, which will take place June 14-17, will be fully outfitted by Northwest Rafting Company with professional guides, exceptional food, transportation to and from Galice, and

We were not surprised, but we were bummed out, to hear that a court put on hold the incredibly important clarification of the Clean Water Act known as the Waters of the United States rule. We've been supporting the new rule because its protections are critical for paddlers as well as for drinking water supplies around the country. Here are the gnarly details: The US Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit granted a temporary stay against the new rule from

The Grand Canyon is a national treasure, and not just for us paddlers. From rafting and kayaking to hiking and just plain enjoying, the Canyon is where it’s at. But there’s a threat to the Canyon and the Colorado River that’s been polluting water in the area for decades: uranium mining. Today, we finally have a chance to fully protect the canyon with a new bill authored by Rep Raul Grijalva of Arizona. The bill would stop, once and for

On October 8, 2015, a significantly amended Yellowstone and Grand Teton Paddling Act passed the House Natural Resources Committee. The amended bill, HR 974, would require the Parks to allow at least some amount of paddling on 50 specific rivers in the parks following a 3-year analysis and public process. Yellowstone National Park banned river paddling to prevent overfishing in 1950.  Grand Teton National Park has allowed river paddling only on the Snake River since the 1960’s. While the Park Service generally encourages healthy

This past summer Senator Ron Wyden held a series of listening sessions across the state of Oregon where he heard how Oregon’s travel and tourism economy has grown to the point that it’s become a huge economic engine. Travel and tourism contribute about $10.3 billion to the state’s economy and provide 100,000 direct jobs. In a state with more Wild and Scenic Rivers than any other state in the nation, we know that wild rivers are at the heart of