Articles

American Whitewater is incredibly excited to announce the arrival of a new Class V ($20,000) partner: Bliss-Stick US! This year, Bliss-Stick US (a division of WakaWai Distribution) came to us with a novel idea: “Instead of spending money on marketing, we’re just going to spend it on saving rivers”. Share an eddy with the folks behind company and their team, and you’ll see what makes them so special. Bliss-Stick US is made up of true boaters, but, they’re true environmentalists

Spring is definitely in the air and we want to give folks an update on the changes to expect this year for the Bear River Black Canyon whitewater releases, located in Southeastern Idaho. When do whitewater flows occur in Black Canyon of the Bear?  No change here…the window for potential whitewater flows in Black Canyon is still weekends April 1 thru July 15th (excluding Memorial Day weekend and “Idaho free fishing day”) when the river flow exceeds 700 cfs. There are expected

The March/April issue of the AW Journal features Whitewater Kids and includes: River as a Metaphor The Exploration Project The Paddle Snake Going with the Flow . . .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 your website user account. Current members – Read the Whitewater Kids issue now! Not a current member? Renew or Join today!

Legislation has been proposed to change the boundary of the Merced Wild and Scenic River in order to accommodate raising the New Exchequer dam and the level of Lake McClure in California. The Wild and Scenic Merced River, located in the central Sierra Nevadas, is feeling the pressure to increase the water supply for irrigation for the San Joaquin Valley.  The Merced Irrigation District seeks to increase the carrying capacity of Lake McClure behind New Exchequer Dam, which will push

American Whitewater and Clif Bar are pleased to announce the 9th annual Clif Bar Flowing Rivers Campaign, pledging $2,500 to American Whitewater Affiliate Clubs for river stewardship work. Funding for this program is provided by Clif Bar. AW Affiliate Clubs have the opportunity to apply for one of two $1,250 grants. Grants will be distributed to clubs for projects that promote river stewardship, conservation, access, and/or safety on our nation’s rivers. Current American Whitewater Affiliate Clubs should download the Flowing

The federal agencies have recently updated their maps of all the nation’s Wild and Scenic Rivers and in an effort to make this information more accessible to our members and the general public, AW volunteer Alex Zendel has produced a Google Earth layer of Wild and Scenic Rivers based on GIS data available from the federal river management agencies. The map includes the newly designated rivers that were protected with the Omnibus Public Lands Act of 2009 and can be

PacifiCorp has released the schedule for summer whitewater boating opportunities on the North Fork Rogue. This is the last year of a 3 year trial to evaluate instream flow needs for recreation and demand for these releases. All releases will be from 10am to 4pmJuly 30, Saturday, 150 cfs July 31, Sunday, 500 cfs August 20, Saturday, Full NF inflow (approx 400)August Sunday 21, Full NF inflow (approx 400)September 4, Sunday, 350 cfsSeptember 5, Monday (Labor Day), 250 cfsSeptember 10,

On Thursday, February 24, 2011, American Whitewater’s California Stewardship Director Dave Steindorf presented at the Northwest Hydroelectric Association’s annual conference in Portland, Oregon.  The theme of the conference was “Hydropower: Generating a Clean Future.”   Dave was a member of a panel that discussed the lessons learned from addressing conflicting expectations while negotiating and implementing 30 to 50 year FERC licenses ("Long Licenses, Short Memories").  He and other panelists from NOAA Fisheries, the Forest Service and a local county PUD outlined

American Whitewater recently joined a strong coalition of voices calling for adequate ongoing funding for stream gages throughout the country.  Deep cuts are proposed to many vital public programs as Congress works to pass a fiscal year 2012 budget, including continuing to underfund the already ailing USGS National Streamflow Information Program and Cooperative Water Program. These programs fund a nationwide network of stream gages that provide reliable data about our nation’s streamflows, groundwater, tidal surges, precipitation and water quality.  This

The Prineville Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has responsibility for managing the 147-mile John Day Wild and Scenic River from Service Creek to Tumwater Falls in north-central Oregon. The river was designated in 1988, under the Omnibus Oregon Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The BLM manages the river in partnership with the John Day Interagency Planning Team comprised of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation, local counties, and the State of Oregon. In 2001 the BLM completed the

ATTORNEY GENERAL SCHNEIDERMAN SUES TO PROTECT PUBLIC’S RIGHT TO TRAVEL ON ADIRONDACK WATERWAY   State Seeks to Stop Property Owners from Using Intimidation Tactics Preventing People from Navigating Waterway   Property Owners Used Steel Cables Across the Stream & Set Up Cameras to Intimidate Paddlers   ALBANY – Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced that the state has filed papers in Hamilton County Supreme Court to join in a lawsuit in order to defend the public’s right to travel on

American Whitewater received notice from GA Power that spring Tallulah releases are not likely to occur in the first two weekends of April. Here is part of the GA Power email:   "The estimate to complete the repairs is approximately 9 weeks out from now, which is roughly late April. Due to this timeframe, we discussed our options to address the whitewater events that are scheduled to occur on the first two weekends of April. In lieu of cancellation, the

As with many states across the West, Washington is facing a challenging budget situation. Despite representing only 1% of the total budget, natural resource agencies are bracing for potentially significant cuts. This could impact both recreational access to rivers and state programs that protect water quality. American Whitewater has spent time at the state legislature speaking up on the value of important programs for rivers. Recreational Access In Washington State three agencies manage access to rivers: Washington Department of Fish

Earlier today Congressman Kurt Schrader and Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley re-introduced legislation to protect the Molalla as a Wild and Scenic River. The river is an outstanding recreational resource for the whitewater paddling community known locally as the the Three Bears Run for a series of rapids that include Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear. The Molalla River Alliance, that includes a diverse set of community stakeholders, has actively pursued a "wild and scenic" designation to preserve the

Cullowhee, NC – American Whitewater, the nation's leading voice for headwater rivers, applauded a report issued by the Obama Administration earlier today that lists river recreation as among the top ten priorities of a new federal action plan for reconnecting people with nature through human-powered outdoor recreation. The report summarizes the results of listening sessions held around the country last summer and fall as the Obama administration sought public input on its action plan for America's Great Outdoors initiative. The

CONSERVATIONISTS APPLAUD BIPARTISAN REINTRODUCTION OF WILDERNESS AND RIVERS LEGISLATION IN ALPINE LAKES Proponents to build on significant legislative progress during last Congressional session ALPINE LAKES PROTECTION SOCIETY * AMERICAN RIVERS * AMERICAN WHITEWATER * MIDDLE FORK COALITION * NORTH CASCADES CONSERVATION COUNCIL * THE MOUNTAINEERS * THE WILDERNESS SOCIETY * WASHINGTON CHAPTER SIERRA CLUB * WASHINGTONTRAILS ASSOCIATION * WASHINGTON WILDERNESS COALITION Seattle– Today Senator Murray and Congressman Reichert re-introduced joint legislation (“Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers Protection Act", HR 608) that will