American Whitewater has spent well over a decade working with the dam owner, state and federal agencies, and other stakeholders to secure  boatable pulse flows on the Bear River's Black Canyon.  The first release occured on April 20th, 2008, an extremely cold and windy day.  Roughly 50 people braved the weather and were treated to some super fun Class IV whitewater.  AW staff and volunteers were there to paddle the river, shoot some video, and spend the evening with consultants monitoring for potential impacts of the releases.  No fish were stranded during the first release, and thus no impacts were noted. 

You can watch a short video of the first release here:

There will be two more scheduled releases this year, June 1st and July 13th.  In addition, every weekend from now until July 15th is a potential release based on inflows.  Check the article linked to the right for details on whether or not the Bear will run based on the inflow trigger.  We hope paddlers will take advantage of these opportunities, and enjoy the video.

Ecological monitoring will determine the success or failure of these releases, and AW will remain actively involved in this process for years to come.  Your support of AW through joining as an AW member will help us stay involved.