Articles

  All of us at American Whitewater are very sad by this news. Alan Panebaker, AW's Northeast Stewardship Director, drowned yesterday while paddling the Upper Pemigewassett in NH. The details of the accident are still very sketchy, what we know so far is best summarized in this NHPR news story that can be viewed here.   Alan was smart, strong and capable. He represented the future of river stewardship in the northeast and we are all stunned by this tragic

  The Upper Nantahala River and Cascades (bypass reach) releases mandated from FERC Relicensing of the Nantahala River will begin September 29-30, 2012.  These releases will be for 7 hours each day with the water at the Cascades by 10AM.   On Sept.29, Duke Energy will release approximately 300 cubic feet per second (cfs) of water into the river, resulting in Class V water conditions in the Cascades area and a Class III-IV rocky/technical section between the end of the

As many folks know, Gauley Fest is American Whitewater’s biggest fundraising event. As such, we’re very proud to announce another successful Gauley Fest for the record books. First, a huge thanks goes out to Subaru for being Gauley Fest’s title sponsor. Subaru has a long history in the whitewater community as a favored shuttle rig. We’re glad they’ve chosen to support American Whitewater’s river stewardship goals through their partnership with Gauley Fest. Thanks Subaru! We’d also like to thank the

The 21st annual Feather River Festival (CA) will be held during the scheduled releases September 21-23, 2012. The fund-raiser event for American Whitewater is hosted by local paddling club, the 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 is available. The Feather Fest will once again include a film festival on Friday night.

The 2012 American River Festival will be held September 7-9 at various locations on the South Fork American River.  Proceeds benefit American Whitewater and several other river conservation and nonprofit groups. Friday night there is a Free Kickoff Dinner, Raffle & Festival T-Shirt Sale at the River Store.  Saturday there is a gear swap, whitewater rodeo and downriver race. A big dinner and party is Saturday night.  Slalom races are on Sunday.   For more information see: American River Festival Website

  We Love Clean Rivers, in partnership with Clackamas River Basin Council, hosts the 10th Annual Down the River Clean Up on the Clackamas!   SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH AT 9AM  @ BARTON COUNTY PARK   This is a on-river, volunteer clean up made possible by a rich network of recreationalists and a strong NW community that joins together on drift boats, kayaks, rafts, tubes and even with SCUBA gear, to scour the banks and river bottom for garbage.   Attracting

Earlier this summer, American Whitewater sent comments to Caltrans about the Access Feasibility Studies the agency is required to complete when building a new state highway bridge over a river. These requirements have been in place for over 40 years, however only one Feasibility Study has been done in that time (it's still in progress), and it was for the Feather River at SR 99. AW is working with Caltrans to ensure that this particular Access Feasibilty Study is done

Advertising in the American Whitewater Journal is a great way to reach your customers in the paddling and outdoor community. What's more, your advertising dollars help support AW's river stewardship work! For complete details on advertising in the American Whitewater Journal, see our 2013 Media Kit. Thanks!

The Anderson Valley Land Trust in cooperation with the National Park Service Rivers Trails and Conservation Assistance Program is evaluating the Navarro River as a potential non-motorized boating water trail. This survey about boating on the Navarro will assist in that evaluation. The Navarro River is located in southern Mendocino County about 2 hours north of San Francisco. The primary focus of the study is between Hendy Woods State Park in the Anderson Valley downstream to Navarro Beach in the

The public review and comment period for the draft Chesapeake Bay Watershed Public Access Plan has been extended until September 14, 2012. The plan is a product of the Strategy for Protecting and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, developed in response to President Obamas Executive Order 13508, and which aims to increase public access to the Bay and tributaries by adding 300 new public access sites by 2025. The draft plan is available now for review and comment, and depicts

American Whitewater is working with local outfitters to ensure a utility does not shut off access to one of the Northeast's most popular beginner/intermediate rivers. This summer, Brookfield Renewable, which operates the Fife Brook dam on the Deerfield River in Massachusetts, informed local rafting companies it would be closing access to the put-in when the river exceeded 2,500 cubic feet per second for "safety" reasons. American Whitewater is working with Brookfield to find ways to alleviate concerns over public safety

As a friendly reminder to prospective Gauley Fest vendors, booth prices go up 15% on Sept. 1st, so register now! If you have any questions, please take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions. If you don't see your question answered there, feel free to contact us at bookkeeper@americanwhitewater.org or 828-586-1930. See you there!

Due to the ongoing Chips Fire in the Feather River Watershed, the August 25th and 26th whitewater release on the Feather River has been cancelled. In addition to the problems associated with heavy smoke in the area, PG&E has shut down most of the hydroelectric system on the North Fork Feather because of the fire. As a result, there is no way to get water into the Rock Creek reach where the releases were scheduled to occur. The August release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – GROUPS NOTIFY AGENCIES, PG&E OF INTENT TO SUE TO PROTECT ENDANGERED SHASTA CRAYFISH On Thursday, August 9th, American Whitewater and Friends of the River notified the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and PG&E of their intent to sue for violations of the Endangered Species Act at the Pit 1 and Hat Creek Hydroelectric Projects. The projects, located in Shasta County California, have numerous impacts on the endangered Shasta crayfish and have operated