Articles

  Last week a federal judge ruled in favor of the US Forest Service in the case regarding the management of the Wild and Scenic upper Chattooga River. The decision upholds the current USFS policy of allowing paddling December through April, above 350cfs, on 15 miles of the 21-mile-long upper Chattooga.  While the legal decision is a disappointment, this new management plan is clearly a victory for the paddling community, and is the direct result of over 15 years of

May 4th (CheatFest Weekend) is the first scheduled Saturday release on Maryland’s Upper Yough! If water levels cooperate this will be a busy day on the river. For Friendsville, MD (population 491) the influx of hundreds of whitewater paddlers can cause problems. Minimize your impact on the town by driving safely, being discrete while changing clothes, and by being careful when carrying boats along busy Maple Avenue. Remember that there is no parking along Water Street or Morris Avenue (the

  American Whitewater invites regional river enthusiasts to join our Gunnison Basin Stewardship staff and other paddlers at 6pm on April 25 at the Grand Junction City Hall auditorium at 250 N. 5th Street (directions). As part of American Whitewater’s efforts to define and protect flows throughout the seven-state Colorado River basin, we’ll discuss our efforts in the Gunnison River basin, explain how you can help, and gather feedback from Grand Junction area paddlers on river-related issues. Without the direct participation and membership support from the local paddling

There's so much going on at CheatFest that it's hard to cover it all. Here's a sample: From noon till 11:00pm on Saturday, May 4, the festival grounds in Albright, West Virginia will once again transform into a haven for boaters, music lovers, and families. Bands from all over Appalachia entertain crowds with live music all day, while Fest goers browse the Art Market, learn about other non-profit organizations that share the FOC vision, bid on a great array of silent auction

Shelbi Arno and I ran the Clear Creek river from Whiskeytown Reservoir NEED camp bridge on Sunday, December 9, 2012.  This section is about 8 miles, and CA Creeks rates it as class IV with one class V- rapid at nominal flows (http://cacreeks.com/clear-wh.htm).  The weather was warm and clear; it had recently rained, and the flow was about 260 cfs, mostly from dam release; it picked up a little from side creeks during the run, but not much.   Shelbi

Yosemite National Park has extended the deadline for the public to submit comments on the Draft Merced Wild and Scenic River Management Plan from April 18th to Tuesday, April 30th. American Whitewater submitted comments on Tuesday, April 16th (see right). While we believe that some details in the Draft Plan relating to managing boaters within the Park can be improved, AW is supportive of the Draft Plan overall and believes that to date, the Park has conducted an unprecedented level of

  A healthy, vibrant, participatory and functional Board of Directors is critical to the long term stability and effective governance of American Whitewater. This requires Directors with a passion for our mission and a mix of appropriate skills to help guide AW and meet the challenges we face, both now and in the future.   While we will consider all qualified candidates, we are specifically searching for candidates that represent all parts of the country, have the ability to show

This May 3-5th, 2013, American Whitewater will be at the French Broad River Fest in Hot Springs, NC, where the French Broad River meets the Appalachian Trail. Proceeds for the event get donated to American Whitewater and other non-profits. In 2012 French Broad River Fest donated over $5,000 to American Whitewater alone! Tickets are $80 online (www.FrenchBroadRiverFestival.com). Last Year From the organizers: Last year we said 2011 was the best, but 2012 proved that it just keeps getting better.  At

American Whitewater is proud to annouce Phillip "Bubba" Sisk as our April Volunteer of the Month! Bubba is an integral part of the National Paddling Film Festival (which raises $5,000+ for American Whitewater each year!). NPFF's head honcho, Bethany Overfield, had this to say about Bubba: I want to nominate Phillip "Bubba" Sisk as the American Whitewater Volunteer of the Month for the countless hours of volunteer work he put into the National Paddling Film Festival this year. Bubba is

At around noon on March 11th Steve Senior, a 65 year-old open canoeist, was running Tennessee's Little River with a large group. He flipped in the first drop of "the Meanies" just above The Sinks and washed downstream over a 6' ledge. He was swimming on his back, feet first, lined up with the current when he washed into the backwash and did not reappear. The water "planted" him vertically in rocks below the drop, catching his foot. Several paddlers

  The accident occurred during a scheduled September water release on North Carolina’s fast-moving Class III+ Upper Nantahala River. A kayaker who pulled over above a downed tree didn’t realize that the current there was still powerful enough to cause trouble. Her boat was pushed into and under the log where both disappeared. Fortunately Rob Kelly, a quick-thinking whitewater guide, was driving the NOC Shuttle Bus and witnessed the entrapment. He pulled his bus over and started wading across the

On Saturday April 6th, 2013, California Canoe & Kayak and Jackson Kayak will host a day of whitewater fun in Coloma, CA to benefit American Whitewater. The day will be filled with whitewater clinics for everyone and a BBQ, raffle, music, and whitewater slideshows afterwords. Pro kayakers from Jackson Kayak will be there to teach whitewater clinics throughout the day. All clinics will be $69, except for a kids clinic at $39, and all proceeds from the clinics will go

We built a mobile friendly version of the American Whitewater river data and it's available to AW Members only. If you're a current member, login at http://m.americanwhitewater.org. If you're not a current member, join today! It’s a beta product (e.g. unfinished) so this means that it will have bugs and imperfections. Despite this beta status, we wanted to get it in the hands of our members so they can start using it. Why Members Only Our website sees over 700,000

In a bipartisan effort last month, the Senate introduced the Land and Water Conservation Authorization and Funding Act of 2013 (S.338). If passed, the bill will reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), continuing 50 years of funding projects that conserve and protect our natural resources, benefit local, state and national parks, and protect water quality and communities from natural hazards. The LWCF also preserves open spaces for wildlife habitat and secures recreation access. We have the LWCF to

Tallulah releases for spring 2013 are going to be held on April 6, 7 and 13, 14. Releases begin at 9:30 am and all boaters must start down the stairs by 3:00 pm to beat the flow down to the lake. Releases on Saturday are 500 cfs and Sunday releases are 700 cfs. You will need to sign a waiver at the top of the stairs to be permitted to paddle the river. Please continue to park across the road from

The March/April issue of the AW Journal features "Water Wars Heating Up In California Again". this issue also includes. . . Wisconsin's Penokee Hills West Magpie by Train EZ Rolling: Prewiring Your Kayak Roll for Success Heat Exhaustion on the Upper Taos Box Caveman Kayaking: the Verdon Gorge . . .plus much more! Want to read the AW Journal online: You need a current mebmership and you must have a website user account that has been linked to your membership

  Last month President Obama nominated Sally Jewell for the post of Secretary of the Interior, but she must first be confirmed by the Senate and her hearing is scheduled for March 7th. The Department of the Interior is central to much of the work that we do here at American Whitewater, and the Secretary has critical oversight over many of the projects we are engaged in across the country.   Among the programs housed within the Department of Interior