Give Early, Give Smart: Make the Most of 2025 Charitable Giving Rules
10/08/2025 - by Clinton Begley
The tax landscape is shifting in 2026, bringing new limits on charitable deductions that could reduce the tax benefit of giving for many Americans, but 2025 offers a valuable opportunity to lock in today’s more favorable rules. These changes will especially affect donors who use donor-advised funds (DAFs) or who plan multi-year support for causes they care about. By giving—or contributing to a DAF—before December 31, 2025, you can secure a full charitable deduction under current law, while still granting funds to organizations like American Whitewater over time. It’s one of the most flexible, tax-efficient ways to give, and one that’s changing soon. Every contribution made before the 2026 tax changes strengthens American Whitewater’s ability to protect, restore, and steward rivers across the country, and gives us the confidence to plan for the years ahead. By giving early—and strategically—you can make your dollars go further, support clean water and recreation, and ensure that your generosity continues to make waves well beyond this year. If you would like to talk more about making a significant gift or muli-year commitment through a donor advised fund contribution, or a gift of appreciated stock or other non-cash contribution, please reach out to Clinton Begley at clinton@americanwhiter.org to coordinate. You can find out more about how to give at https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Wiki/aw:giving/
Visit Rivers Responsibly During the Shut Down
10/08/2025 - by Evan Stafford
The US Federal government officially shut down October 1, 2025, and a resolution to reopen the government appears to be nowhere in sight. The shutdown threatens our country’s river based communities that rely on the clean water, healthy ecosystems, access, and infrastructure the Federal government provides for our public waters. From a recreation and tourism perspective, the shutdown’s disruptions will hurt small businesses, workers, and families across the country. In practical terms, river runners need to step-up our game and not add to potential issues on public lands, especially in light of the workforce reductions our public lands agencies have already faced this year. It’s a good time to be extra-cautious and really try to paddle up to the standards of our Paddle Wise program in terms of boating responsibly, utilizing leave no trace principles–even in the front-country, and not putting extra pressure on areas that will be hit hard by visitation without management. Find the details of Paddle Wise, our responsibility code for river runners, here.
Grasstops Collective Application is Now Open!
10/07/2025 - by Evan Stafford
Interested in becoming a more effective river stewardship and outdoor recreation advocate? American Whitewater and our partners at the Outdoor Alliance have been training community leaders for the past several years through the Grasstops Collective program, a leadership and advocacy development program that trains fledgling advocates to build relationships with policymakers and raise their voice for our stewardship priorities from an authentic, local perspective. Grasstops leaders are unique because of their meaningful place in their communities, whether they are in business, nonprofit, or local government. They are the unofficial mayors—the ones who know everyone at the put-in, trailhead, or crag. For more information, check out this program overview, and if you’d like to sign-up, please complete this application and optional recommendation by November 2, 2025.
National Low Head Dam Inventory is Live!
10/07/2025 - by Hattie Johnson
American Whitewater worked intently on two cycles of the biannual Water Resources Development Act to ensure a National Low Head Dam Inventory would be created and the inventory is now live! As many paddlers know, low head dams create incredibly dangerous hydraulics and extreme hazards for folks looking to enjoy rivers. Over the past 50 years, low-head dams have claimed more than 1,400 lives. American Whitewater’s database of whitewater accidents and fatalities, maintained since 1972, documents that 10% of fatalities nationwide are a result of individuals getting caught in a low-head dam hydraulic. We’ve had no central source of where thousands of these structures exist, until now because of the work of American Whitewater and our partners.
Use the Free Shuttle, Final 2025 Nantahala Cascades Releases, Sept. 27-28 (NC)
09/25/2025 - by Kevin Colburn
The last scheduled 2025 releases for the Upper Nantahala and Cascades are this Saturday and Sunday, September 27th and 28th. We are asking boaters running laps on the Cascades to make an extra effort to stay out of the way of traffic on the road by taking the free shuttle, walking well off the road, and generally avoiding conflicts.
All Klamath River Accesses Now Open Along Undammed Reaches (OR/CA)
08/01/2025 - by Thomas O'Keefe & Scott Harding
With four dams removed, five new access sites completed, and all existing access points open, the 45 miles of newly restored river between Keno and the former Iron Gate Dam offer exciting new opportunities for boating—and are now more accessible than ever.
But before heading to the river, it’s important to know the specific use guidelines at each access site. Read on and check out our new map to learn more about each access and how to be a respectful visitor to this remarkable, newly undammed stretch of the Klamath.
Senator Murray & Representative Randall Reintroduce Wild Olympics Bill (WA)
05/13/2025 - by Thomas O'Keefe
Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and U.S. Representative Emily Randall (D-WA-06) reintroduced the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, legislation that would permanently protect more than 126,500 acres of Olympic National Forest as wilderness and 19 rivers and their major tributaries—a total of 464 river miles—as Wild and Scenic Rivers. Designed through extensive community input to conserve ancient forests and pristine rivers, protect clean water and salmon habitat, and enhance outdoor recreation, the legislation would set aside the first new wilderness on Olympic National Forest in over four decades and the first-ever protected wild and scenic rivers on the Olympic Peninsula. With a strong foundation of overwhelming local support, the bill has made steady progress each successive Congress—passing the House with bipartisan support twice before and passing out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last Congress for the first time in the bill’s history.
2025 Southeast Advanced Release Schedule
12/18/2024 - by Kevin Colburn
American Whitewater and our affiliate clubs have spent the past 25 years working to restore flows to incredible Southeastern rivers impacted by dams. A lot of our work has focused on releases and access on Class II and III rivers like the lower Nantahala, Tuckasegee, Hiwassee, and Catawba, but we also secured releases in some classic steeper reaches previously dewatered by hydroelectric diversions. Each year we meet with power companies and agencies to schedule future releases, review ongoing ecology studies, and discuss any issues with the release programs. We strive to create a schedule with minimal conflicts to maximize recreational value. Below are the 2023 dates for the Class IV/V Cheoah, Nantahala Cascades & Upper, West Fork Tuck, and Tallulah rivers. Also 2025 marks the third year of releases on the Great Falls of the Catawba! Thankfully, none of these rivers were significantly affected by Hurricane Helene.
Local Coalition Celebrates Commission Ruling to Protect Colorado's Waters
09/09/2022 - by Kestrel Kunz
A Big Win for Rivers in the Sierra & Sequoia National Forests (CA)!
07/25/2022 - by Theresa Lorejo-Simsiman
The Sierra and Sequoia National Forests have released final forest land management plans containing protections for 498 miles of rivers found eligible for inclusion into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Since 2013, American Whitewater has been engaged in this forest planning process with the goal of getting California's whitewater resources included in the eligibility inventory and recognized for their outstandingly remarkable values. As a tenet of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, managing agencies like the Forest Service (USFS) provide interim protections for eligible river's free flowing character and outstandingly remarkable values until they can be designated by Congress.
American Whitewater Prevails in Case to Protect the Tuolumne River
06/21/2022 - by Theresa Lorejo-Simsiman
In a case before the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, American Whitewater and our allies prevailed to uphold the Clean Water Act in protection of the Tuolumne River. This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act which requires that any utility applying for a hydropower license that may discharge pollutants into waters of the United States must receive state certification ensuring the project complies with all state standards for beneficial use, water quality, and anti-degradation of the waterway. The case brought forth by the Modesto and Turlock Irrigation Districts (the Districts) challenged a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) order upholding California’s clean water certification for the Don Pedro and La Grange Hydropower Projects located on the Tuolumne River.
It’s Finally Time to Protect Colorado’s West Slope Rivers!
08/16/2021 - by Kestrel Kunz
Today, the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forest Unit announced the much-anticipated release of the Draft Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The Draft Plan materials were released on Friday, August 13, initiating a 90-day review period. The GMUG National Forest is home to gems like Oh-Be-Joyful Creek, the Taylor River, Norwood Canyon on the San Miguel, and numerous others. Many of these rivers are free-flowing and offer outstanding values, including paddling, breathtaking scenery, fish habitat, and profound history and culture. This point in the plan revision process is the most important time for the river community to engage and speak up to protect our beloved West Slope rivers in Colorado!
Black Canyon Put-In Closed for 2021 Season (CO)
04/06/2021 - by Kestrel Kunz
The National Park Service and Bureau of Reclamation announced this week that the East Portal Road which serves as the put-in for the Black Canyon section of the Gunnison River will be closed for maintenance for the duration of the 2021 season. While the road closure is an unfortunate obstacle for many this season, the needed maintenance of the road will lead to fewer unexpected road closures due to rockfall and will improve access to the Black Canyon for the long term. American Whitewater will track the status of the road closure and we will share an update as soon as access to the Black Canyon is reopened.
Train Operations in Eagle and Arkansas Corridors to Require Full Review (CO)
03/25/2021 - by Kestrel Kunz
This morning, the federal Surface Transportation Board (STB) made a much-anticipated decision on the revival of the Tennessee Pass Rail Line - a 160-mile rail line that follows the Eagle and Arkansas Rivers between Sage and Parkdale, Colorado. The STB formally rejected Colorado, Midland and Pacific Railway’s (CMPR) request to be exempt from oversight and regulation of their proposed operation on the line, which would be leased under an agreement with Union Pacific. This decision comes nearly three months after CMPR filed a notice of exemption on December 31, 2020, as people were bringing in the new year.
Help Protect Colorado’s Western Slope Rivers this Valentine’s Day
02/09/2021 - by Kestrel Kunz
American Whitewater is asking the paddling community to step up this Valentine’s Day to help protect rivers like the Taylor, Oh-Be-Joyful, and San Miguel rivers in the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG) in Colorado. This Valentine’s Day and for the whole month of February we are collecting LOVE LETTERS from you to your favorite river in the Gunnison and Uncompahgre National Forests. We want to hear directly from you about why you love these rivers and why they are worth protecting. We have made this easy-to-use form to submit your letter to us!
Urgent: Help Protect Browns Canyon and the Arkansas and Eagle River Valleys
01/21/2021 - by Hattie Johnson
It’s hard to imagine what it would be like if up to 10 trains full of heavy crude oil and hazardous chemicals were rumbling by while paddling the Arkansas or Eagle Rivers. It would, without question, change the experience in negative ways, including opening up the opportunity for the major disturbances associated with any kind of derailment and spill of hazardous materials into the river. We need your help today to protect these incredible places. This past New Year’s Eve, Colorado Midland and Pacific Railway filed a notice of exemption for lease and operations of the Tennessee Pass line that runs through the Eagle and Arkansas Valleys to Parkdale. You have two options to make your voice heard. We have created a sign on letter to be submitted along with American Whitewater’s’s technical comments. However, if you’ve got the time to go the extra mile, we’ve included detailed directions below to submit your own filing directly to the Surface Transportation Board. Please follow these directions carefully and copy hattie@americanwhitewater.org if you decide to file your own comments. Comments are due by January 22 - please take action today!
Gauley Season 2020
08/21/2020 - by Mark Singleton
While Gauley Fest has moved to a virtual format for 2020 due to Covid-19 and social distancing concerns, releases on the Gauley River will still take place. American Whitewater received the following open letter to boaters from the rangers and staff of the Gauley River National Recreation Area. This information will keep you up to date on important management actions of the National Park Service on the Gauley River for the 2020 season.