Clif Bar and American Whitewater are happy to announce that the Fairbanks Paddlers, the Kansas Whitewater Association and the Three Rivers Paddling Clubs as the recipients of grants for the 2006 Flowing Rivers Campaign. The Flowing Rivers Campaign is a joint initiative between American Whitewater and Clif Bar. The campaign puts money in the hands of people who are protecting the rivers that are running through their backyards.  Here are the great projects that were funded this year:

Alaska Wild and Scenic River Education Workshop:  Fairbanks Paddlers
This project, which I am calling the Alaska Wild and Scenic River Education Workshop, is designed to build an active and well educated constituency for several of Alaska’s Wild and Scenic designated rivers. The immediate focus for the first workshop, in summer of 2007, is the headwaters lake system of the Delta River, known collectively as the Tangle Lakes. The region is an area of alpine tundra and boreal forest which is at present a fairly pristine and very beautiful place, teeming with fish and wildlife. It is a popular recreational area, traversed by a secondary highway, and is used seasonally, by dog mushers, skiers, and snowmobilers in winter, and paddlers, fishers, hikers, berry pickers, and hunters and off-road vehicle riders in summer. It is also one of the richest regions in Alaska for archaeological remains.

Our motivation for staging this series of workshops comes from a high level of interest in the development of a platinum mine by a company which has staked huge blocks of mineral claims throughout the region, and is in the process of exploration for minerals at present. If the exploration process, which has been ongoing for the past 4-5 years, justifies the investment, a fairly sizeable mine will proceed through a permitting process, to development. The mineral claim blocks surround the lakes and a sizeable section of the Wild and Scenic portion of the Delta River.

The Waka Project: The Kansas Whitewater Association

The funding from American Whitewater and Clif Bar will be used for improvements to river access, including a paved trail that is walking and wheelchair accessible. The major part of this phase has been completed, and the path is currently in use by the community, including a local paraplegic boater.
“How to Run a Waterfall” Clinic- Three Rivers Paddling Club
This project has come out of our efforts to increase paddling access to Ohiopyle Falls. The plan is to run three clinics on “How to Run a Waterfall” on July 8, August 5 and August 26, 2006. Three Rivers Paddling Club will be one of the sponsors and will
provide most of the administrative and volunteer work.

This is another small step toward our ultimate goal of opening up the Falls to responsible public use. Participation in the above events is a way of showing Park Management that falls running is not a stunt, but rather, is a challenging component of whitewater sport as a whole

This project meets three of the four missions of American Whitewater:
• River Access – As stated above our primary goal is to open up Ohiopyle Falls to unlimited access. Presently the only time we can run the falls is through these “Special Activities Agreements.” These clinics will help us reach our ultimate goal.
• Education – We believe this may be the first clinic specifically geared to running waterfalls. It is important that we bring together some of the best paddlers around to teach these clinics so paddlers can have a strong educational bases on how to run waterfalls. AW is helping us write a set of guidelines on how to run a waterfall so we get it right.
• Safety – Part of the clinic will be how to run a waterfall safely and all aspects of safety considerations. All participants will be asked to assist in safety procedures.