Articles

A couple of weeks ago AW staff and several like-minded river folks attended the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) meeting in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. We joined together to let the board know that the upcoming state water plan must ensure that healthy rivers (and the communities that depend on them) are treated fairly in the plan. Sounds pretty non-controversial, right? Wrong.    Our comments about the importance of healthy rivers for recreational enjoyment and river-dependant economies in Colorado, triggered a

The first three weekends in November mark classic boating in the southeast with releases on the Tallulah River. On Saturday 500 cfs is released and on Sunday 700 cfs. Boaters are allowed on the water once the level stabilizes, which is about 9:30 am; the water is turned off at 4 pm. All boaters must start down the stairs by 2:45 pm (first timers should try put on the river before 1.30pm) to beat the flow down to the lake. You

Stream access in Virginia is one of American Whitewater’s Top 10 River Stewardship Issues this year, as it has been in many years past.   The public right to enjoy rivers in the commonwealth is less than clear, leading to confusion and differences of opinion.  Paddling is a right in nearly every other state, and supports countless businesses and livelihoods.  Virginian’s deserve the same clarity on their rights to float rivers and streams.     Lawmakers have sought to support Virginians

The Friendsville, Maryland paddler parking lot is being finished. This lovely town of 500 people is doing what it can to accomodate the hundreds of paddlers who arrive here for summer releases on the Upper Youghiogheny River. The project owes much to the vision and leadership of long-time resident Jess Whittemore and the support of Mayor Spencer R. Schlosnagle and Town Council. American Whitewater helped paddlers raise $25,000 towards the lot and this "seed money" has helped attract over $200,000

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) is proposing to build another large dam on California's San Joaquin River just upstream of Friant Dam and Millertown Reservoir. If built, the Temperance Flat Dam would have significant impacts to the San Joaquin River Gorge, including drowning several Class III-V whitewater runs, such as Patterson Bend. The BOR took a major step forward in bringing the dam into reality when it released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the project last month. American

On September 19th, Northwest Power Services filed a preliminary permit application to construct a hydropower project on the Talkeetna River. The Talkeetna is known to many as Alaska's best backcountry whitewater trip. Background   The proposed Talkeetna River Dam Hydroelectric Project would consist of a massive dam, 2300 feet long and 370 feet high and located in a scenic canyon just downstream of the confluence of Disappointment Creek approximately 22 miles upstream of the town of Talkeetna (at approximately 62.4438,

American Whitewater is proud to announce our October 2014 Volunteers of the Month: Neal Dana, Jim Patterson, Paul Araujo, and Jerry Stehman! Ask anyone who was there, Gauley Fest was huge this year! But, we almost had to do the event without power in the field due to issues with electric infrastructure at the festival site. October's Volunteers of the Month are the team of electricians that saved the event; Neal Dana, Jim Patterson, Paul Aruajo, and Jerry Stehman's efforts ensured

If you've enjoyed getting out on the water with more concern for your shuttle than whether the river you're paddling is polluted, you likely have the Clean Water Act to thank. Unfortunately, the lines of what's protected and what isn't under the Clean Water Act have been blurred for over eight years. In that time, there's been a great deal of uncertainty about whether over 60% of streams and millions of acres of wetlands across the country are protected by

On September 29th, the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) denied Red Flat Mining Corporation's application for a water right for exploratory mining activities in the headwaters of the North Fork Smith River (a.k.a the "Cleopatra" project). The international mining company seeks to develop a nickel strip mine near Baldface Creek in Southern Oregon, which is a tributary to the Wild and Scenic North Fork Smith River in Northern California. The area is in the South Kalmiopsis Roadless Area, one of

California's Inyo, Sequoia and Sierra National Forests are home to many rivers cherished by the whitewater community, including the Kern, Kings, and Merced Rivers and Dinkey Creek. Today, American Whitewater asked the Forest Service to recognize the importance of these and other rivers for whitewater recreation activities, and to update and expand protections for classic California rivers. American Whitewater's comments come as the three forests sought scoping comments as they begin the NEPA process for updating their forest management plans

American Whitewater was recently notified that our appeals of the new Forest Plans for the Kootenai and Panhandle National Forests were successful.  These forests, in northern Montana and Idaho respectively, contain incredible whitewater streams where paddlers might see grizzly bears, 10-foot white sturgeons, or even a caribou. The result of our successful appeals will almost certainly be the protection additional rivers and streams from hydropower dams and other threats.   Forest Plans must contain an up-to-date and well-documented inventory of

At the last meeting of the Colorado Water Conservation Board two weeks ago, outdoor business leaders, advocates like Annie Henderson of the Upper Colorado River Private Boaters Association, realtors and concerned citizens gathered to urge the Board to make sure that river-based recreation receives equal consideration in the upcoming Colorado Water Plan. The CWCB meeting took place in the City of Glenwood Springs along the Colorado River (home of the famous Glenwood Whitewater Park), a community that relies heavily on

The Clean Water Protection Rule (also known as the Waters of the U.S. rule) is under attack in the U.S. House of Representatives. Please contact your representatives and make your voice heard! Over the last eight years, there’s been increased controversy and confusion about whether certain wetlands and headwater streams are protected under the Clean Water Act. This has left the fate of millions of miles of headwater streams and millions of acres of wetlands uncertain. This summer and fall,

Bill Bickham, a whitewater canoe champion who made the first descent of the Youghiogheny River in May of 1959, returned to Friendsville this past Saturday for a valedictory trip with Precision Rafting Expeditions. Once considered an extreme expedition, the "Upper Yough" between Sang Run and Friendsville now plays host to hundreds of skilled kayakers every summer weekend and supports an vibrant commercial rafting tripnbusiness. Fred Fox, a Friendsville native who recently opened Ken's Irish Pub, organized a party to celebrate

American Whitewater congratulates the Garrett College Adventuresport Institute for managing another successful season of Savage River whitewater releases. The river, which hosted the 1989 World Slalom and Whitewater Championships, offers five miles of very continuous Class III-IV whitewater that's a joy to paddle. Program Director Mike Mike Logsden and other Garrett College personnel  worked with the Upper Potomac River Commission, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NewPage, G&S Coal, Savage River State Forest and Garrett College to make it possible for

Please join us at the first annual Seattle Wild Rivers Night. Wednesday, October 1st   Filson / 1741 First Avenue South / Seattle, Washington 6:30PM Social Hour / 7:30PM Programming Begins   Admission is free! But please sign up so we have enough food and drink: http://bit.ly/wildriversnight   Seattle Wild Rivers Night will be a fun evening of socializing with your river friends while enjoying films, photography, and presentations celebrating the wild rivers of Washington State.    Featuring Emcee, Dr. David

After an initial round of meetings, earlier in the summer, the Oregon State Marine Board has announced that they will be doing another round of meetings and continue to seek feedback on the needs of the non-motorized boating community. We encourage those who paddle in Oregon to provide feedback. Non-motorized boaters are invited to join the Oregon State Marine Board agency staff and Non-Motorized Advisory Committee members for an evening of dialog about boating needs in your area that better