American Whitewater presented a river conservation and access proposal to a group of dam relicensing stakeholders on Thursday, March 31st.  Our proposal is based countless exploratory hikes and paddles by Volunteer Regional Coordinator Andrew Lazenby, as well as various studies including the 2004 Whitewater Controlled Flow Study.  Andrew and Kevin Colburn presented the proposal and answered many questions and comments from the group.    

The following are the basic elements of our proposal:

Our proposal can be viewed at:

http://www.americanwhitewater.org/resources/repository/American%20Whitewater%20Great%20Falls%20Trial%20Balloon.doc

The next step will be for an ad hoc committee to improve upon the proposal and to offer alternatives for analysis - which will then be negotiated with larger groups of regional stakeholders.  Maurice Blackburn and his wife from the Carolina Canoe Club reviewed the proposal and are having a hydologic model determine the cost and feasibility of the plan.  American Whitwater is hopeful that many of the ideas in our proposal will ultimately come to fruition, and that many more will be improved by other stakeholders. 

The goal for this project is to reach a settlement sometime this fall.