A scheduled release on the Rock Creek section of the NF Feather is taking place on the weekend of July 23 & 24, 2011. Flows on Saturday are expected to be 1100 cfs between 10 AM and 4 PM. Flows on Sunday are expected to be in the range of 800 to 1100 cfs, between 10 AM and 4 PM.
The 31st Annual Upper Yough Race, sponsored by Wilderness Voyageurs, will be held on Saturday July 23rd. This is the oldest extreme whitewater race in the country! Race profits are donated to American Whitewater, so come on out and paddle hard!. A long race release from 11 am to 5 pm allows plenty of time to run the river before the race or stop part way down and watch. The race fee is $30; it includes a t-shirt and beer at the post-race
Earlier today the US Forest Service released a Draft Environmental Assessment that proposes to continue denying the American public the simple right to float in canoes and kayaks down the Wild and Scenic Upper Chattooga River for most or all of the year depending on the section of river. The decision comes as the latest setback to citizens who connect with nature most strongly through paddling wild rivers like the Upper Chattooga. For more than a decade, paddlers have challenged
Last week American Whitewater joined with American Rivers, North Cascades Conservation Council, and Alpine Lakes Protection Society in intervening to oppose the issuance of a preliminary permit for the Black Canyon Hydroelectric Project. Known to paddler’s as Ernie’s Gorge, the river section proposed for development has been found eligible and recommended for designation as a Wild and Scenic River by the United States Forest Service, and is identified as a protected area from hydropower development by the Northwest Power and
The US Forest Service is replacing the Indian Creek Bridge, which will result in a closure of the road to the normal Selway River put-in (the Paradise Boat Launch) from August 8-19th. The work may require additional time if problems occur. The construction dates were selected to avoid the floating permit season and the first week of un-permitted floating, and later season fisheries constraints. Paddlers wanting to run the Selway during the road closure period may put in upstream of
American Whitewater was recently contacted by a Montana paddler and environmental contractor who is pursuing the possibility of collecting water quality samples, photo-documentation, and other environmental data along a section of the Yellowstone River that was recently impacted by a oil pipeline breach. He is seeking experienced whitewater kayakers and canoeists that would be willing to paddle one or more sections of the Yellowstone River and document the environmental effects of the oil spill, in the immediate future (eg next
Colorado’s backcountry is a human-powered recreation paradise. For paddlers we enjoy great rivers like the Animas or dropping Adrenaline Falls on Lime Creek. For those who enjoy other pursuits it may be mountain biking the Monarch Crest trail, backcountry skiing at Berthoud Pass, bouldering at Independence pass, or simply hiking up Mount Elbert–Colorado’s backcountry has it all. Right now, through the Colorado Roadless Rule, the U.S. Forest Service is trying to come up with a plan to take care of
The Secretary of the Interior recently announced a 6-month extension to his Department’s moratorium on new uranium mining claims on over 1 million acres along the rim of the Grand Canyon. This extension will protect the area while the Department of the Interior reviews the 300,000 comments received on their proposal to extend the protections for the next 20 years. At the same time, the Secretary announced that his Department’s preferred alternative is the full protection of 1 million acres,
The "Needles" section of the Potomac and the Shenandoah "Staircase" are two of the most popular Class II-III summer runs runs for Mid-States paddlers. This narrow valley also contains several major railroad and highway crossings along with the historic town of Harper's Ferry. Beginning in the summer of 2010 paddlers began to see many of the best put-ins and take-outs around Harpers Ferry bought up, or blocked or severely restricted by The National Park Service and local law enforcement. That
After meeting with American Whitewater earlier this week, the Plumas National Forest in California has agreed to provide additional alternative access to the Middle Fork Feather during the road and bridge closure at Milsap Bar. The Forest Service originally planned to close Milsap Bar Road between June 20th and July 29th, 2011 to accommodate repairs to the Milsap Bar Bridge, road and campground. This road provides the primary access to the Middle Fork Feather, and the initial alternatives for access
The 2011 Chelan Gorge Recreational Releases present whitewater boating opportunities that will be available for two weekends in July (9th and 10th; 23rd and 24th) and two weekends in September (10th and 11th; 24th and 25th). American Whitewater has invested more than a decade of effort into bringing this opportunity to the paddling community of the Pacific Northwest, and we are excited to kick off the third year of weekend releases. During the relicensing process several parties including the utility
The July/August issue of the AW Journal features Whitewater Women and the American Whitewater 2010 Annual Report. And, beginning with this issue our index provides direct links to each article. this issue includes. . . River Lessons Kayaking, a Way of Life From Scaredy Cat to River Rat . . .plus 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
American Whitewater is very excited to announce the recipient of our July 2011 Volunteer of the Month award: the entire Potomac Fest volunteer team! Potomac Fest is the largest privately run fundraiser for AW in the whole US! Each year, we’re impressed with the dedication and hard work of the PoFest team. They have three days of events with six different competitions. Plus, there were three community focused events this year too including a community paddle, a special Family Day
Washington, DC – Leaders from American Whitewater and the Colorado River Outfitters Association traveled to our Nations capital today to present an engraved kayak paddle to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to recognize his leadership in finding win-win solutions for the Colorado River. The paddle was presented by American Whitewater’s Nathan Fey and Mark Singleton, and David Costlow from the Colorado River Outfitters Association at a private ceremony in the Secretary’s office. The following message was engraved on the
Do you have mad art skills and some time on your hands? American Whitewater is producing a document titled Recreational Considerations for Stream Channel Design, and we need some help. The goal is to help restoration project designers create stream channels that are as natural, safe, and fun as possible. Currently when engineers, landscape architects, and restoration ecologists sit down to design a new stream channel or in-stream structures like log accumulations and rock weirs they may consider only physics
Another great Potomac Fest has come and gone. If you didn’t make it this year, make sure you put it on your calendar for next year! This event is put on by a group of excellent volunteers each year as a fundraiser for American Whitewater. We’re always impressed with the hard work, dedication, and positive attitudes that these folks display especially given the size and complexity of the event. Big thanks also go out to the events many sponsors for
American Whitewater’s Dave Steindorf is meeting with the Forest Service today to discuss access to California’s Middle Fork Feather River. On June 20th, 2011, the Plumas National Forest in California closed Milsap Bar Road to the Middle Fork Feather River for repairs and maintenance on the Milsap Bar Bridge. The road provides the main access point to the Middle Fork Feather River – it is the take-out for the Devil’s Canyon run and put-in for the Bald Rock Canyon run.
A few weeks ago at a Garrett County Chamber of Commerce Meeting Friendsville Mayor Spencer Schlosnagle and Town Councilman Jesse Whittemore defended the existing summer release schedule on the Upper Youghiogheny River. This past winter the Chamber supported owners of backwater lots on Deep Creek Lake in their efforts to raise the lake level, which would have canceled one-third of the summer releases. Friendsville businesses which are also members, including Wilderness Voyageurs owner Eric Martin, strongly objected to this favoritism.
EPA announces South Platte River as one of seven Urban Waters Federal Partnership locations (Denver, Colo. – June 24, 2011) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today, along with partners representing 11 federal agencies, announced the South Platte River as one of seven national Urban Waters Federal Partnership Pilot projects. This project will help protect one of Denver’s primary sources of drinking water, while supporting ongoing technical, education and research projects, and facilitating a growing population’s connection to its urban waterways.
Pamela S. Dillon recently retired as chief of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Watercraft, which administers Ohio’s boating safety, access, and law enforcement programs. Ms. Dillon, a skilled whitewater paddler, played a key role in bringing swiftwater rescue skills used by whitewater paddlers to firefighters, rescue squads, and other safety professionals nationwide. She was also a pioneer in raising public education and awareness for non-powered boaters in general and especially for river users in Ohio.
2011 California flow reports from utilities for streams without online gauge info. Newest reports will be added at the top of the page. Middle Fork American River Project gauges, June 14, 2011: The flows are as high as they have been all spring and should continue to go up with the warm weather expected for the next several days. The NWS reports that the warmest temps and highest flows of the snowmelt season are forecasted to occur between today and
The EPA and Army Corp of Engineers are proposing new guidelines that will ensure that the Clean Water Act covers whitewater rivers and their tributaries. The proposed guidelines are in response to Bush-era interpretations of lawsuits that leave many headwater streams unprotected or underprotected. Paddlers should take a minute or two and let the EPA and Corp of Engineers know that you support their proposed guidelines. Many of the rivers and streams we paddle are safe to paddle today because
The Merced Irrigation District ("MID") wants to drown the Wild and Scenic Merced River by raising the New Exchequer Dam and level of Lake McClure in California. HR 869 proposes to change the Wild and Scenic designation of the Merced River, threatening not only the Merced, but all Wild and Scenic Rivers throughout the country. The bill proposes to allow MID to raise the level of Lake McClure from 867 to 877 feet, and the boundary of the Wild and
Come see American Whitewater at this year’s Potomac Fest , June 25-26 in Great Falls, MD/VA! Just minutes from the Nation’s Capital, the 21st Annual Potomac Fest is two days of river events organized to delight paddlers and spectators alike. First times can try paddling at Riley’s Lock, and the party will feature a River Artists’ Alley, family games and local river organizations! Check out the full schedule for complete details. Registration Make sure you register before June 15th to
Earlier today PacifiCorp made a filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory (FERC) accepting the terms and conditions propsed to govern the surrender of PacifiCorp’s license for the Condit Hydroelectric Project including removal of the dam. In their letter to FERC, PacifiCorp states, "we will commence with the decommissioning of the Condit Project." While FERC formally ordered removal of the dam in December 2010, today’s announcement that PacifiCorp will accept the terms of that removal order and a subsequent order issued
