Articles

American Whitewater recently filed formal objections to proposed Forest Plans for the Idaho Panhandle National Forest, and the Kootenai National Forest in Montana.  The objections assert that the Forest Service ignored their own policies and the facts before them when they determined many spectacular whitewater rivers are not eligible for Wild and Scenic designation.  The Forest Service has until late February to respond to our objections.   Eligibility for Wild and Scenic designation requires that rivers be protected from dams

Come see American Whitewater and the year's best photos and videos at the National Paddling Film Festival (NPFF)! This year's NPFF will be held on February 21-22 in Frankfort, KY at the Buffalo Trace Distillery. You can buy a ticket to the magic via this easy online order form. Tickets are $20 online or $25 at the door. Ticket sales are processed by American Whitewater. You can be confident in the security of your information and that your dollars are

American Whitewater has played a leading role in negotiating dam releases across the southeast.  While the vast majority of opportunities we've helped restore are suitable for beginner and intermediate paddlers on rivers like the Tuckasegee, Nantahala, and Catawba, we've also worked on advanced Class IV and V opportunities.  We have built up this 9-month series of advanced releases starting with Tallulah in 1997, the Cheoah in 2005, the Upper and Cascades of the Nantahala in 2012, and the West Fork

As an organization, American Whitewater is fortunate to have a committed group of volunteer Board of Directors that provides the organization with high-level oversight and strategic direction. To sustain this healthy and vibrant Board, an effective election process is in place to insure an appropriate transition of Directors over time. This transition process balances the need for fresh ideas with appropriate leadership continuity. Our recent elections concluded on December 15, 2013. Over 500 current members cast their votes for new

American Whtiewater is proud to announce our January 2014 Volunteer of the Month: Ian Buckley! In the cold waters of his birth home, the United Kingdom, Ian Buckley was taught to kayak in the 1970’s by his father, an instructor in early Outward Bounds programs. Although he progressed to the kayak slalom team during his high school years, whitewater kayaking took a back seat to other interests like climbing, alpinism and skiing. Finally during a trip to New Zealand in

The January/February issue of the AW Journal features American Whitewater’s “Top Ten River Stewardship Issues of 2014”. This issue includes. . . Going Big in Vermont Ask What You Can Do To Your Country Passing it On, With a Twist Finding Adventure on South Boulder Creek The Memoirs of Hendri Coetzee much more… Want to read the AW Journal online: You need a current membership and you must be registered with the AW website and have your membership associated with

Throughout 2014 American Whitewater will be celebrating its 60th year of existence in the AW Journal. In each issue we will reprint old stories from previous issues, highlight some critical period in the organization's past, and generally stand back and try to appreciate everything that AW has offered whitewater paddlers over the past six decades. Of course, AW means a little something different to each person who has been involved in the organization over the years. While we will be

The Stanislaus National Forest in California issued a closure order and map for the areas impacted by the Rim Fire and has already opened some areas within the perimeter of the closure. The closure was put in place to protect cultural and and natural resources in the Stanislaus National Forest following the devastating Rim Fire. There has been some confusion regarding the closure and what it means for the 2014 Tuolumne River paddling season. American Whitewater has received assurances from

Mark your calendars for Thursday, January 9th for Wild Rivers Night in Portland, OR. American Whitewater joins Northwest Rafting Company and our river conservation partners to bring you a fun evening of films, photos and presentations celebrating the wild rivers of Oregon! Renowned author and photographer Tim Palmer will be the emcee for the event, and there will also be plenty of time to socialize with your river friends and an have an opportunity to score some river related goods

In the last few years, American Whitewater has brought our expertise to bear on the US Bureau of Reclamation’s Colorado River Basin Supply and Demand Study (CRBSS).  The Study was to determine if the Colorado River can sustain healthy flows and a robust recreation economy into the future. Working with conservation groups and the CRBSS Project Team, American Whitewater launched a targeted assessment of flows needed to provide whitewater recreation, and to demonstrate that a quantitative metric can be developed

The 2014 American Whitewater calendar is now available for puchase! Each year, we collect the best photos from our gracious  fans and pick out our favorites for our annual calendar. We then sell this calendar and use the funds to support our river stewardship work. It's an awesome fundraiser and a product that we know you'll love. Please consider picking up one today. Thanks!

The Bureau of Land Management manages more than 2.5 million acres in western Oregon. These lands provide forest products, fish and wildlife habitat, and countless recreation opportunities including whitewater recreation. Unlike national forests, BLM western Oregon public lands are generally not large contiguous blocks. A "checkerboard" of lands make up these federal lands. Currently the BLM is updating their management plan for these lands and the associated rivers and as part of this process they are evaluating rivers for their eligibility

This year, American Whitewater has teamed up with the Community First Foundation to help raise support for our Colorado River Program through ColoradoGives Day. Your participation in this great opportunity will help us reach our goal of at least 30 donations to our River Access and Conservation work across Colorado, and FirstBank of Colorado will increase the size of your donations! On Tuesday Deceber 10th, ColoradoGives Day will take place, and for 24-hours you can donate to American Whitewater's Colorado

Last week the River Paddling Protection Act, HR 3492, was discussed in a hearing in the House of Representative's Natural Resources Committee.  This bill aims to lift a 60-year-old federal-level ban on paddling rivers in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks in favor of typical and more flexible Superintendent-level management decisions.  The hearing addressed several unrelated bills, with the discussion of HR 3492 coming near the end.   Aaron Pruzan testified on behalf of conservation-oriented paddlers.  Aaron is a past

If you're a member of a local boating group and you're seeking funding for an innovative project that will promote safe and clean boating on local waterways, the BoatUS Foundation's Grassroots Grant Program might be able to help. The BoatUS Foundation is currently accepting applications for projects developed for boaters, by boaters that have an impact on the boating community and fit within the larger goal of reducing accidents and fatalities, increasing stewardship of the nation’s waterways, and keeping boating

The Northwest Power and Conservation Council's Protected Areas Program protects about 20% of rivers in the Pacific Northwest from future hydropower development. Hydropower developers are working to weaken the Protected Areas Program, and paddlers' voices can help maintain this important river protection program. Through their Fish and Wildlife Program, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council ("Council") works to protect, mitigate and enhance fish and wildlife of the Columbia River Basin that are affected by the impacts of the Columbia River

  Yesterday, Congresswoman Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) introduced the River Paddling Protection Act, H.R.3492 , in the US House of Representatives.  The bill would eliminate federal prohibitions on paddling small human-powered boats like canoes and kayaks on rivers within Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks.     The rivers in question were closed to paddling over 60 years ago to prevent overfishing.  The paddling ban is no longer needed to serve this purpose.  Park managers refused to analyze the potential for allowing paddling

California is currently accepting comments on whether or not it makes sense to import dirty hydropower from Canada to meet renewable energy standards. Comments are specifically being called for on the draft report entitled "Including British Columbia run-of-river facilities in the California Renewables Portfolio Standards," that included a March 2013 Consultant Report entitled "Analysis of regulatory requirements for including British Columbia run-of-river facilities in the California Renewables Portfolio Standards." The prospects of importing British Columbia's dirtiest hydropower to California are

Colorado – In Late September, Representatives Scott Tipton and Jared Polis introduced H.R. 3189 with the intent of resolving the conflicts between the US Forest Service and the Ski Industry over proposed water rights conditions being applied to ski area permits. A related bill has been intriduced into the Senate (S. 1630), by Sen. Barasso of Wyoming. The bills are written broadly and in our view have serious implications for water management across the country, and undermine all efforts to

American Whitewater is asking all paddlers and river lovers to take 5 minutes and read our 2013 Winter Appeal (pdf). In this appeal, you can learn more about the hard work we will be doing in the coming year on behalf of river lovers everywhere. We won’t sugar coat it, this Winter Appeal is our direct request to all whitewater enthusiasts to make a year end tax-deductible donation to American Whitewater. Your financial support helps fund our river stewardship program.