Articles

Last week water was allowed to flow through a newly restored Clark Fork River channel flowing through the old Milltown Dam reservoir site, near Missoula, Montana.  Over the past few years the river was diverted into a man-made bypass channel to allow the removal of the dam and vast quantities of contaminated sediment.  The sediment removal uncovered the original floodplain, through which a new channel was created. Now, the Clark Fork River once again meanders across its floodplain at the

The US Forest Service has announced yet another 45 day comment period regarding paddling on the Upper Chattooga River, a form of outdoor recreation which they have banned on that section of river for 34 years.  Their announcement states that all comments since 2005 will be considered, and are only seeking any new comments, information, or ideas.   In late 2009 the USFS reached a new decision to ban paddling following at least 6 years of analysis.  They almost immediately

American Whitewater and many conservation-oriented paddlers worked to designate several new Wild and Scenic Rivers in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in 2009. The Park Service must now define the values that they intend to protect and enhance in perpetuity, and must develop a river management plan for these rivers.  Part of that plan must be a Visitor Capacity Analysis that defines the numbers and types of appropriate uses on each river reach.  The Park Service is seeking your

This week American Whitewater, New England Flow and the Vermont Paddlers Club are filing a detailed written request for studies relating to a proposed hydropower project on the popular West River.  The proposed project would install hydroelectric turbines and new fish passage facilities at the Army Corps of Engineers’ Ball Mountain Dam.  The requested studies would provide critical insight into the effects of the proposed project on recreation, hydrology, and Atlantic salmon. The proposed project would operate the dam in

The final countdown for the Elwha River restoration project has begun, and the largest dam removal in U.S. history is set to begin in September 2011. Built in the early 1900s, prior to the establishment of Olympic National Park, the 108-foot high Elwha Dam and 210-foot high Glines Canyon Dam have blocked the Elwha River’s once-legendary salmon runs for nearly a century. Removing the dams will free the Elwha River and allow all five kinds of Pacific salmon, plus steelhead, sea-run

In late November the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and Lone Star Industries, Inc., known as Buzzi Unicem USA, announced an agreement that will allow a treasured whitewater reach of the Vermilion River to be re-opened for public recreation. The river was closed by the company presumably in response to a lawsuit filed against the company after a drowning occured in the reach.   The agreement will permit the IDNR to install safety measures and additional warning signs on

On December 2, 2010 United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs issued a decision regarding the management of the Wild and Scenic upper Chattooga River, located in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. The decision follows a hearing held in October.  The decision denied the US Forest Service’s motion to dismiss a case against them that was filed late last year by conservation-oriented paddlers.  The decision also denied a preliminary injunction request that would have granted paddlers the ability to

Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks are hosting two "scoping" meetings this week in order to help them craft a good management plan for newly designated Wild and Scenic Rivers in the parks.  These meetings will help them define the "outstanding remarkable values" of the rivers, and then create a plan for protecting and enhancing those values.  The plan will also dictate the types and amounts of recreational use allowed on the rivers.  Paddlers are encouraged to attend these meetings

American Whitewater has put together a short flow study on the Wild and Scenic St. Joe River.  The goal is to characterize the optimal and acceptable flow ranges for boating and fishing on various reaches of the St. Joe.  This information will aid in long term protection of flows in the river.  If you have experience paddling or fishing on the St. Joe, please take a few minutes to fill out this survey.  Also, please share this survey widely among

Every 15 years or so each National Forest is required to update their management plan.  Part of this effort is to consider which rivers and streams on the Forest are "eligible" for Wild and Scenic designation.   Over the past few weeks American Whitewater has worked with regional paddlers to review the Forest’s draft analysis.  Today we filed comments offering additional support for several rivers that the Forest found eligible, and recommending that several additional streams be found eligible.  Eligible rivers

Earlier this fall Idaho Power Company and Milner Dam, Inc., the licensees who operate the Milner Hydro Project, submitted a proposal to amend the requirements of their license to include April as a month when whitewater recreation can be provided on the Milner Mile. Local paddlers and AW were consulted in the development of this proposal. While the total number of available releases on this challenging class V run will remain capped at 4, they can now be provided over

We have witnessed some positive developments regarding the plan to remove Condit Dam and restore the White Salmon River over the last few weeks, and there are several details that we thought would be of interest to the whitewater boating community. After years of delay many may have wondered if this project would really ever move forward but while some key steps remain, major regulatory and political hurdles have been cleared that should result in some significant movement on this

The Shoshone National Forest is in the process of revising their Forest Plan.  The Forest covers much of the rugged Wind River Range and portions of the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone watershed.  As part of that process USFS staff are selecting which rivers they deem to be eligible for Wild and Scenic River designation.  A finding that a river is eligible offers some interim protection from new dams and other potential impacts. To be eligible for designation a river