Articles

See Your Name in Print! Reading the American Whitewater Journal is good … getting published in it is great! Be the envy of your boating friends by getting a story published in American Whitewater. Deadline for stories on the topics listed below is June 25. At this time, we're looking for stories on any and all of the following (though we're willing to consider any worthy story):   Best Runs for Intermediates There are a ton of great rivers out

  American Whitewater is seeking nominations of interested and qualified candidates to serve as a Director. We are seeking Directors to begin a three-year term starting January 1, 2013.   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

Only twice each year, American Whitewater appeals for financial support for our river stewardship work. To this end, we've put together the 2012 American Whitewater Summer Appeal (pdf). It details just how our supporter's money is spent and features a national listing of some of our major projects we're currently involved with. We sincerely hope you'll take the time to peruse this document and consider donating or joining/renewing with American Whitewater. Please, download and read the 2012 American Whitewater Summer

Wilderness areas, wildlife refuges, wild and scenic rivers, and other treasured public lands have become the focus of a small number of elected officials whose intention is to roll back protections, limit access to outdoor enthusiasts, and to promote extractive activities over the existing recreation-based economy that supports $730 billion in economic benefits and more than 6.5 million jobs nationwide.  These efforts, illustrated by legislative proposals below paint a rather grim and shortsighted picture of the future of public lands. 

American Whitewater is pleased to announce Steve Powers as our June Volunteer of the Month! Kevin Colburn, American Whitewater National Stewardship Director, had this to say about Steve "Steve has been helping AW staff and our pro-bono legal team investigate the history of key riparian land parcels in Virginia.  His research is adding new insights in our quest for a clear understanding of the public's right to paddle through specific areas of Virginia, where archaic and complicated stream access laws

  Leave a lasting legacy to the special places that made a difference in your life.  Become a member of the American Whitewater Enduring Rivers Circle, created exclusively to honor and recognize people who have helped to continue our river stewardship efforts through a gift to American Whitewater in their estate plans. As an Enduring Rivers Circle member, you will receive special recognition to serve as a reminder of your ongoing commitment to river stewardship. You will join a circle

Do you own or run a website? We hope you'll consider running some of the American Whitewater Ads that we've put together. We hope these ads will encourage people to become AW Members. Membership is of critical importance to funding AW's work and here's an easy way for people to help us increase it. We've got ads in different standard sizes with varied content. We're sure there's something that would appeal to any audience in there. If you own a website,

  The Conservation Alliance has funded American Whitewater river stewardship projects going back to 1993. American Whitewater and KEEN are profiled as an example of an outstanding partnership that is delivering concrete results for river stewardship.   The following is also posted on the Conservation Alliance Blog.   Outstanding Partnership Stories: American Whitewater And KEEN, Inc. Join Forces To Make A Difference In Our Landscape   American Whitewater, Conservation Alliance grantee and nation-wide advocate for the preservation and protection of

    The Upper Youghiogheny River has some of the East's finest expert-level summer whitewater. Memorial Day Weekend is the first of many busy release weekends which create crowded conditions on and off the river. For the past four decades the paddling community has done a good job managing themselves. Here are some things you can do to help your trip run more smoothly. Collisions between boats are very rare on the Upper Yough. Here are a few things to

The threats facing California's Wild and Scenic Merced River continue, and we need your help to protect it and the integrity of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The House will vote very soon on HR 2578, which proposes to de-designate a portion of the Wild and Scenic Merced River, drowning it. The bill would roll back the boundary of the Wild and Scenic section, allowing Merced Irrigation District to raise New Exchequer Dam and Lake McClure. This section of

The Town of Friendsville wishes to update paddlers on progress made on the new boater parking area. Thanks to State of Maryland and Garrett County regulations we are bogged down with permit applications for floodplain construction, State Roads access, and Storm water management. We are pushing the process as fast as it can go since we want boaters to use the area as much as the boaters want to use it. We have spent $800 so far on turf seeding

  PacifiCorp has opened the new take-out facility at Northwestern Park. Construction was completed late last month and for the first time since Condit Dam was breached in October 2011, a public access is once again available downstream of Husum Falls. Outfitters are now able to continue trips down to Northwestern Park and beginner paddlers once again have access to a regionally-important instructional reach. The trip on this lower reach is a fascinating journey that takes you down through the

Economic Study Reveals Colorado River As Top Employer, Major Economic Driver Across West Colorado River Ranks #155, 19th Largest Employer on Fortune 500. Following extensive research into the economic impact of recreational activities along the Colorado River and its tributaries across six western states, Protect the Flows in partnership with Southwick Associates, Inc. today released a study, “Colorado River, Inc.: The $26 Billion Recreation Resource Employing a Quarter Million Americans,” revealing the Colorado River to be the 19th largest employer

Vendor registration for the largest whitewater festival in the world, Gauley Fest, is now open! Registration is now done completely online. Make sure to register before prices automatically increase 15% on Sept. 1st. 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!

This is the 40th anniversary of Wildwater West Virginia, the definitive whitewater guide to the rivers of the Mountain State. In 1972, when the book was first published, kayaks were homebuilt fiberglass boats 13’ long. There were no drysuits, pile garments, or hard-sole booties. Neoprene sprayskirts were a recent innovation and many paddlers of that era remember using highway road maps to find new rivers. Bob Burrell and Paul Davidson, both professors at West Virginia University, explored many rivers in

This month, American Whitewater recognizes Scott Downs as our May Volunteer of the Month. Scott is a well respected part of the Pensylvania paddling scene, a safety boater on the Upper Yough, and a 28 year veteran raft guide. Scott has also paddled extensively in the west, and is deeply concerned with the announcement from BLM earlier this year, that nearly 200 gas wells are being permitted within Utah's Green River and Desolation Canyon Wildernes Study Area. Scott turned his