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On Monday, August 2nd Friendsville Town Council discussed problems with whitewater paddlers taking out above the Maple Street Bridge. This is not, as has been rumored, simply a neighbor dispute! There were complaints from both sides of the river. Too many paddlers are parking and getting out on Water Street (on river left) and Morris Avenue (on river right). These are quiet residential areas where several paddlers now own homes. They are not suitable public takeouts, especially since there’s an

This August 7th the annual Friendsville Days Parade will block the usual Maple Avenue access until 1:00 pm. The town park will also be closed to paddlers. Boaters wishing to drop a shuttle car in town have two choices. First, from the Friendsville Exit, go south on Route 42 towards Sang Run. Turn left on 1st Avenue and enter the town south of Maple Street. Park on First Street or major side streets like Chestnut Street or Oak Street. After running the

American Whitewater would like to recognize Risa Shimoda as our August Volunteer of the Month.   Risa is, amongst many other things, the chief coordinator behind Potomac Fest in VA/MD. Potomac Fest is the third largest whitewater event that AW attends (behind our own Deerfield Fest and Gauley Fest) which raised nearly $10,000 for AW in 2009. This fest has multiple competition and community events, not to mention a great festival itself, over the course of an entire long weekend. Being the lead coordinator

Currents is a river stewardship focused WebTV program (online video documentary) which uses white water kayaking as a means to educate a broader audience about the risks threatening the world’s rivers and to help highlight the intrinsic value of preserving rivers in their natural state.   While international rivers are out of the scope of the stewardship workplan of American Whitewater, many of our members may be interested in river issues from other countries. Rivers in South Korea face many

If you’ve been thinking about submitting an entry to AW’s 2010 Story and Photo Contest, it’s time to get busy. We’ve just passed the two-weeks-to-deadline mark, so now’s the time to write that story or comb through that photo archive. All details and submission guidelines are available here. Please use our new online submission form to enter. Deadline is Wednesday, August 11, 2010. And may the best writer/photographer win!

Pursuant to the authority vested in the Office of the Governor of the State of Colorado, I, Bill Ritter, Jr., Governor of the State of Colorado, hereby issue this Executive Order creating the Governor’s River Access Dispute Resolution Task Force (“Task Force”).     I.               Background and Need   Colorado’s rivers are essential to all Coloradans, not only for the vital drinking and agricultural water they carry, but also to our overall economy and quality of life.  Anglers, rafters and

American Whitewater is to identify the range of preferred boating flows for the main stem and tributaries of the Dolores River below and above McPhee Reservoir in southwestern, Colorado. We have developed this survey so individuals can report their runs and help American Whitewater represent recreational interests in deciding what the future of the Dolores River will look like. Our goal is to utilize information from the survey to help quantify flow preferences for whitewater boating, which will identify the

In 1965, Congress created the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).  The idea behind LWCF is simple – some of the wealth from offshore drilling should be reinvested in conservation and recreation.  Although the plan was for Congress to reinvest up to $900 million in LWCF every year (of the billions of dollars collected from energy companies drilling in the Gulf of Mexico), this almost never happens.  In light of the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, Congress is

American Whitewater recently had the opportunity to meet with the National Park Service to discuss the Wild and Scenic River plans for the Merced and Tuolumne Rivers in Yosemite National Park.  During this three-day meeting, California Stewardship Director, Dave Steindorf, and Regional Coordinator, Paul Martzen, were able to float the Merced River through Yosemite Valley along with Park Service Staff.  This descent was the first legal descent of the river in recent history. As most paddlers know there is no

Wild Olympics Campaign Launches New Website Broad Coalition Seeks Additional Community Input on Watershed Protection Quilcene, WA – The Wild Olympics Campaign today launched a new website (www.wildolympics.org) to provide information and solicit additional community feedback on their draft proposal to protect key forest and river watersheds on the Olympic Peninsula.  The Campaign has been meeting with local stakeholders for the past year to build support and get feedback on their draft proposal for new wilderness, Wild and Scenic River

Each year, AW takes a look back at the previous year and distills the organization’s projects, supporters and financial information – plus much more – into one document, our Annual Report. The 2009 American Whitewater Annual Report is now available for your perusal and enjoyment.   We hope you’ll take the time to read over this document and see how carefully we spend our supporter’s dollars and just how much work we’re doing on the behalf of all river enthusiasts throughout

The July/August issue of the AW Journal features International Paddling and includes:  River of Dreams: Kali-Sarda, India Memories of Bhutan Jalcomulco with Girls at Play Corsica: Paddler’s Paradise   . . .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 International Paddling issue now! Not a current member?

In response to the ongoing threats to BC’s rivers from run of river hydro development, Leland and Andria Davis are putting on a festival and race to raise awareness and to raise money to help save rivers. Proceeds will go to American Whitewater and the BC Creek Protection Society. From the organizers:     “We have chosen Callaghan Creek as the focus for this event due to its accessibility, high quality, proximity to Whistler, and the fact that it is

Active AW projects in the southeast have been highlighted in a new video release by Mike McKay of Five2Nine Productions. Check out footage of Dillsboro Dam removal and interviews with key AW volunteers in the newest issue of Currents.   Currents is a river stewardship focused WebTV program (online video documentary) which uses white water kayaking as a means to educate a broader audience about the risks threatening the world’s rivers and to help highlight the intrinsic value of preserving

After consulting with American Whitewater, Chelan PUD has made the decision to cancel the planned whitewater boating opportunities on the Chelan Gorge this weekend (July 10 and 11). Providing this opportunity requires a balancing act between lake level, spill and whitewater boating and unfortunately, at this time the PUD is not able to accommodate all three. The reasons for canceling this weekend’s release are as follows: * The elevation of Lake Chelan is currently 1098.4 feet, approximately 5 inches above

The Obama Administration and the federal land management agencies are asking for your help as part of the new "America’s Great Outdoors" Initiative.  The basic goals of the AGO initiative is to help reconnect the American public with the outdoors, and effectively protect natural resources.  The President kicked off the initative with a summit in Washington, DC, which was attended by AW Executive Director, Mark Singleton.  Now, the Administration is hosting a series of listening sessions around the country.  American

If you live in the Northeast, chances are you’ve been to Deerfield Fest lots of times without even realizing how much work goes into putting it on. Every year we’re short on volunteers, we need your help to put on this critical AW fundraiser! Volunteers are asked for just two hours of their time, still allowing plenty of time for that river run or late night fun.   If you are interested in volunteering for the Deerfield River Festival, head

The Northeast’s most popular whitewater festival, Deerfield Fest, is happening this July 31st in the town of Charlemont, MA. It’s American Whitewater’s biggest event and fundraiser in the Northeast. Boater’s from all over the Northeast and beyond flock to Deerfield Fest to see the latest gear from vendors, paddle the Deerfield River and see friends old and new. Make sure your company doesn’t miss out on this major outreach opportunity! If you’re a vendor interested in being a part of Deerfield Fest head over to