Stand Up for River Access in Colorado!

American Whitewater needs your help to secure the right to float in Colorado. Many people are not aware that there is no secured legal right to float, fish, boat, portage, or swim Colorado’s rivers and creeks that run through private property. American Whitewater has helped reduce conflict and secure landowner agreements where possible, for example access to the Cheeseman Gorge or supporting access easements on the Upper Colorado. Despite these site specific solutions, every year we get calls from boaters that they have been confronted by landowners or the local police, threatened with firearms, entrapped in barbed wire, or otherwise threatened. We want to know if this has happened to you and any incidents involving conflicts on the river will be critical to the success of our campaign. With a rapidly growing population in the state and new ownership of river front property, the status quo is not sustainable and it is time to secure permanent, legal public access to Colorado’s rivers for all. 

American Whitewater and our partners have come together to form the Colorado Stream Access Coalition with the goal of securing and clarifying the public’s ability to recreate on rivers  that establishes, for the first time, a statewide right to float. This is an ambitious goal and there’s no way we can do it without you. 

Here are three critically important actions you can take RIGHT NOW! 

1. Sign our petition to secure legal public access to Colorado’s rivers 

2. Fill out this form to report any landowner conflicts you have had on any of Colorado’s rivers and creeks 

3. Donate to American Whitewater’s Colorado Access Program: Your contribution will help cover the necessary direct and indirect costs associated with moving forward this important program.  *IMPORTANT* put “Colorado Access Program” in the additional comments section of the donation form to ensure your gift is earmarked for this effort. 

Whether you can contribute significantly to our campaign, donate $5, or simply sign the petition, we need all the support we can get this year. Our access work relies on memberships and individual donations. Without your support, access to Colorado’s rivers will remain unclear and can be easily threatened for you and your family.

Please reach out to us if you have any questions or want to get more directly involved! 

Sincerely, 

Kestrel Kunz & Hattie Johnson

Southern Rockies Program 

American Whitewater