Articles

The International Paddling issue is upon us. The theme is pretty self-explanatory–any topics that include rivers outside of the United States qualify. Truly exotic locations are less important than good photos and tales. So brush off those Canada photos and take a stab at narrative. Deadline’s April 26th–less than a week away! Please use our new online Journal Submission Page. Contact the editor (editor@americanwhitewater.org) with any questions or concerns. Happy Travels!

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As paddlers, we have the opportunity to help in creating a long-term vision and plan for the wilderness and backcountry of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Curecanti National Recreation Area in Colorado. The landscapes under consideration include the Inner Canyon of the Gunnison River which contains some of the best backcountry whitewater in the West. There are many opportunities to explore, as well as issues to examine. What is a wilderness and backcountry experience at the units?

Beginning in 2010, KCCNY’s traditional Annual Esopus Slalom is being enlarged and enhanced by the addition of a diverse array of other activities for whitewater paddlers, creating the Esopus Whitewater FunFest! This expanded event is designed to engage whitewater paddlers with a wide variety of interests and abilities. Following are some of the highlights of this exciting new event:   44th Annual KCCNY Esopus Slalom2nd Annual KCCNY Downriver Sprint RaceNew “Head-to-Head” Boater Cross CompetitionRiver-Running Clinics (on Esopus Creek)Paddling Fun &

Hanover, NH, March 4, 2010 ­ Ledyard Canoe Club of Dartmouth College is hosting its second annual river festival the weekend of April 16th-18th. The festival will take place in New Hampshire’s Upper Valley with competitions on the Wells River as well as the Connecticut and Mascoma rivers. In addition to the 7th annual Wells River Rumble race, competitions will include a kayak rodeo, a triathlon, and the longest consecutively held whitewater slalom race in the country.  There will be festival party

Keeping Wild Rivers Wild: Opportunities for Conservation through Wild and Scenic River Designation in Washington State Despite the tremendous abundance of free-flowing rivers in Washington State, segments of only six rivers are protected under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act: the White Salmon, Klickitat, and Skagit and its major tributaries, the Cascade, Sauk, and Suiattle rivers. In contrast, our sister state of Oregon has protected reaches of sixty of the state’s rivers as Wild and Scenic. With legislation currently in

Eastern Washington University’s Epic Adventures, Post Falls Parks and Recreation, NWA, and the local Clubs/Shops of Spokane are enthused to announce the Fourth Annual Spokane River Kickoff. This event received so much positive feed back in previous years, that a group of kayakers from the community just had to get together to make things happen again this year. We are looking forward to this year’s event, as the event and participation continue to grow. The Spokane River Kickoff will take

Over the last three events nearly 600 rafters, kayakers, cyclists and pedestrians have successfully removed over 6 TONS of garbage from Denver’s South Platte River and bike path. The event garnered local and regional media coverage as the lead story on several news channels, as well as appearing in the local papers. When: 4/25/10 Registration starts at 9 am Clean Up: 11 am – 3 pm After Party: 3 pm – 5 pm Raffle & Product Giveaways start at 4

Administration officials announced that they will host a White House Conference on America’s Great Outdoors on Friday, April 16, and American Whitewater has received an invitation to attend. Conference organizers are still shaping the agenda, a press release issued late last month says “The discussion will center on the conservation opportunities in communities, the challenges facing them, and the innovative solutions they are crafting from the bottom up.” The conference seeks to "start a new dialogue about conservation in America

American Whitewater would like to recognize Brian Jacobson as our April Volunteer of the Month.   Brian Jacobson has been an integral part of the AW volunteer team working towards resolving the mismanagement of the Upper Chattooga River in the Southeast. Brian is an environmental engineer by profession and has brought an important technical skill-set to the team, assisting with complex data analysis and presentation as well as a rich understanding of the NEPA administrative process. Brian is also extremely

This April, come check out the annual French Broad River Fest April 30th – May 2nd in Hot Springs, NC. All the proceeds from ticket sales for the event get donated to American Whitewater and the local Hot Springs Learning Center! In 2009 French Broad River Fest donated over $5,000 to American Whitewater alone! What’s more, you can do your part to help cleanup the nearby French Broad River by participating in a river cleanup the Friday of the festival

Each year, past American Whitewater Volunteer of the Month Bob Focht rounds up volunteers to assist at the whitewater releases on the Tallulah River (GA). This year, he needs your help. Please considering signing up to help out! Spring releases are on the following dates: April 3-4 and 10-11. Approximately thirty volunteers are needed each weekend. Volunteers can also sign up online at http://sites.google.com/site/fallstallulah. You can also contact Bob Focht directly at 404-323-8181 or bobfocht@yahoo.com. If possible, please volunteer April

American Whitewater is excited to announce the return of our Story and Photo Contest for 2010.   The premise is simple, submit your best story and/or photos to American Whitewater. We’ll print the top choices in the final Journal edition of 2010 (the November-December) version. The deadline for submissions to be considered is August 11, 2010.   To submit something, just head on over to our online Submissions Page and fill in the appropriate info and check the "Story and

American Whitewater is again partnering with Riverlink and the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) for a river cleanup on the French Broad River. Each May lovers of rivers and music gather on the banks of the French Broad River to enjoy the French Broad River Festival. The festival gives back to the community by raising funds for the river stewardship work of American Whitewater and various local charities. This year, on Friday April 30th, 2010 (the first day of the festival)

Back in 2001, American Whitewater was part of a diverse group of local, regional, and national interests that began meeting with Duke Energy to collaborate on a new plan for operating their dams in the Tuckasegee and Nantahala watersheds. The outcome of those negotiations was a comprehensive settlement agreement that Duke submitted as their application for new operating licenses. The agreement called for the removal of Dillsboro Dam and subsequent watershed enhancements like enhanced flow releases, new public river access