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The 22nd annual Feather River Festival (CA) will be held during scheduled releases on the Feather River September 27-29, 2013. The fund-raiser event for American Whitewater will be hosted once again by local paddling club Chico Paddleheads. The benefit event will be held at "Indian Jim School" campground located two miles upstream from the small town of Tobin and one mile upstream from Tobin Vista. Free camping and ample parking will be available.   This year's Feather Fest will continue the tradition

With more than 2,500 miles of roads, the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest has an extensive road system that supports a variety of public needs, from recreation to resource extraction. Although the road network is extensive and provides access to far reaches of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, it is simply too big for the Forest Service to maintain under current budget resources. Roads are important for whitewater paddlers because they provide critical access to the rivers we all enjoy but

The Northwest Power and Conservation Council is currently amending its Fish and Wildlife Program. This program includes an important "Protected Areas" designation, which keeps about 20% of Northwestern Rivers flowing freely by protecting them from future hydropower development. Protected Areas in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana mitigate the impacts on fish and wildlife of the Columbia River hydropower system and provide refuge as our climate changes and in the face of toxic loads. Threat: Northwest hydropower developers and utilities currently

The Pit River experienced the first whitewater release this past weekend as part of the new license for PG&E’s Pit  3, 4, 5 hydroelectric project. This section of the Pit River, which is below the Pit 5 dam, is located about an hour East of  Redding in the small town of Big Bend in Northern California. “This is one of the best Class IV runs in California”, stated Jim Pepin, long time Redding resident and mainstay of the Northern California

The University of Connecticut announced selection of Connecticut Water Co. as the preferred option to provide additional water needed for the Storrs campus.  On August 7, 2013, the Board of Trustees voted formally to endorse this top option.  On importance to the paddling community and other groups, the diversion of water from the Farmington River had been one proposed options considered.  This option had been opposed by river watershed organizations at the local, regional, and national levels including American Whitewater.

Idaho Rivers United and the Nez Perce Tribe filed a joint lawsuit in federal court in Boise late this afternoon in order to stop the movement of megaloads along U.S. Highway 12 through tribal lands and the Clearwater-Lochsa Wild and Scenic River corridor.  The lawsuit charges that the U.S. Forest Service’s failure to stop a megaload from entering the river corridor was “arbitrary, capricious, (and) an abuse of discretion.” The Tribe and IRU are also seeking an injunction that would

Western North Carolina River Rescue Rodeo September 29th, 2013   There is still time to registor for 10 Teams of 5 members with either canoes or decked boats compete in river rescue events for over $1000 worth of prizes on the Tuckasegee River in Dillsboro, NC. Teams compete in all events for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place as well as overall prizes. The event will be based out of Dillsboro River Company at the put-in to the Tuckasegee Gorge –

Submit your best photos for American Whitewater's annual calendar. When The deadline is August 31st, 2013. How Via our online submission form. Images must be submitted as high-resolution files (suitable for printing up to 10") for inclusion in the calendar, without monetary compensation. Maximum 10 photo entries per person. Who Any and all photographers, from professionals to complete novices. Have you taken a photo before? Then you're ready. Why First, you'll get a free copy of the calendar if your

A team of experts assembled with U.S. Coast Guard  (USCG) grant funding seeks national content validation of a set of entry level, skill-based Human (manually propelled) boat operation standards. This is your opportunity to impact the development of recreational paddling and rowing (canoes, kayaks, rowboats, paddleboards, etc.) standards across the country by completing this on-line survey. WHAT: The National On-Water Standards Team, funded by USCG grants, is seeking input from recreational paddling and rowing educators across the nation on a

  The BLM has implemented a river closure for the Wild and Scenic Rogue River between Grave Creek and Mule Creek due to extreme fire conditions and public health and safety. In addition the Bear Camp shuttle road and Rogue River trail are closed.   The fire, known as the Windy Complex, began on July 26th and continues to have high growth potentially in extreme terrain. No timetable has been presented for opening the river.   Local businesses that serve

Legislative momentum continues to build for the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers Protection Act (S. 112, H. R. 361). Following passage of the bill by unanimous consent in the Senate, the House formally took up the legislation with a hearing before the House Natural Resources Committee. "The Middle Fork Snoqualmie is one of the nation's most spectacular whitewater rivers in close proximity to a major metropolitan area, and we are thrilled that support for

  On July 23, 2013, the Washington State Pollution Control Hearings Board issued an order directing the Department of Ecology to do an aesthetic flow study if Okanogan PUD decides to build its economically troubled Enloe Dam project. The Board ruled that the water quality permit (called a "401 Certification") does not protect the scenic and associated recreational values of the Similkameen Falls. A coalition of local, state and national river advocacy groups* challenged the permit for failure to comply

The La Grange Dam on California's Tuolumne River has provided hydropower since 1924, and has operated without a license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) the entire time. In late 2012, FERC ordered dam owners and operators Turlock and Modesto Irrigation Districts to get a license, which are required for non-federal hydropower projects located on navigable rivers. The Districts challenged FERC's order with a number of claims, including that the Tuolumne River was not navigable. On Friday, July 19,