The Top Ten River Stewardship Issues of 2017 Packrafting Cataract Canyon
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Conservation • Access • Events • Adventure • Safety BY BOATERS FOR BOATERS Winter 2017 THE TOP TEN RIVER STEWARDSHIP ISSUES OF 2017 PACKRAFTING CATARACT CANYON and Green Race Safety Where will a take you next? WHITEWATER | TOURING | FISHING · JACKSONKAYAK.COM A VOLUNTEER PUBLICATION PROMOTING RIVER CONSERVATION, ACCESS AND SAFETY American Whitewater Journal Winter 2017 – Volume 57 – Issue 1 COLUMNS 5 The Journey Ahead by Mark Singleton 43 News & Notes: AW Rouge River Trip 50 Book Review: Comrades on the Colca by Pati Rutka 51 Whitewater Poetry by Pati Rutka STEWARDSHIP 8 2017 Stewardship Top Ten by Stewardship Staff 20 2016 Issues Update by Stewardship Staff FEATURE ARTICLES RIVER VOICES 24 Talking Johns Creek by Thorpe Moeckel 40 Briars, Bare Feet, and Fish by Jerry Spence FAMIly PADDLING 26 Family Fun on the Lower Salmon by Ashley Lodato WILDERNESS PADDLING 30 Packrafting Cataract Canyon by Jesse Selwyn SAFETY 36 Safety at the Green Race by Richard Lytle INTRO TO WHITEWATER 44 Lily Dipping by Pati Rutka Publication Title: American Whitewater The North Fork Blackfoot is a Missoula-area Class IV Issue Date: Winter 2017 Statement of Frequency: Published Bimonthly creeking staple and part of over 700 river miles in Montana Authorized Organization’s Name and Address: American Whitewater AW is working to designate Wild and Scenic. P.O. Box 1540 Cullowhee, NC 28723 Photo by Kevin Colburn PURPOSE RIVER STEWARDSHIP: processes, grassroots advocacy, coalition building, whitewater rivers, as well as river recreation, empowerment of volunteers, public outreach and conservation, access, and safety. This is accomplished AN INTEGRATED APPROACH education, and, when necessary, legal action. through our bi-monthly AW Journal, a monthly e-news, americanwhitewater.org, paddling events, RIVER ACCESS: To assure public access to whitewater Our mission: “To conserve and restore America’s educational events, and through direct communication rivers pursuant to the guidelines published in its whitewater resources and to enhance opportunities with the press. to enjoy them safely,” is actively pursued through official Access Policy, AW arranges for river access our conservation, access, safety and education efforts through private lands by negotiation or purchase, Together, AW staff, members, volunteers, and affiliate under the umbrella of River Stewardship. The only seeks to protect the right of public passage on all rivers clubs can achieve our goals of conserving, protecting national organization representing the interest of and streams navigable by kayak or canoe, encourages and restoring America’s whitewater resources all whitewater paddlers, American Whitewater is the equitable and responsible management of whitewater and enhancing opportunities to safely enjoy these national voice for thousands of individual whitewater rivers on public lands, and works with government wonderful rivers. agencies and other river users to achieve these goals. enthusiasts, as well as over 100 local paddling AW was incorporated under Missouri nonprofit club affiliates. SAFETY: AW promotes paddling safely, publishes corporation laws in 1961 and maintains its principal AW’s River Stewardship program adheres to the four reports on whitewater accidents, maintains a uniform mailing address at PO Box 1540, Cullowhee, NC 28723; tenets of our mission statement: national ranking system for whitewater rivers (the phone 1-866-BOAT-4-AW (1-866-262-8429). AW is International Scale of Whitewater Difficulty) and tax exempt under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal CONSERVATION: AW’s professional staff works publishes and disseminates the internationally- Revenue Service. closely with volunteers and partner organizations recognized American Whitewater Safety Code. to protect the ecological and scenic values of all whitewater rivers. These goals are accomplished EDUCATION: AW shares information with the through direct participation in public decision-making general public and the paddling community regarding American Whitewater Journal Staff Board of Directors & Staff BOARD OF Directors Charlie Walbridge, Honorary Kestrel Kunz Editor Ambrose Tuscano [email protected] Colorado Assistant, Brent Austin P.O. Box 913, Soda Springs, California 95728 Bruceton Mills, WV Buena Vista, CO e-mail: [email protected] Lexington, KY [email protected] Graphic Design/Production/Photo Editor Megan Seifert [email protected] Courtney Wilton Carla Miner Erin Savage [email protected] Assistant Editors Patricia Rutka, Erica J. Seifert, Barry Tuscano Membership Director Asheville, NC Portland, OR Contributing Writers West Valley City, UT [email protected] Mark Singleton, Stewardship Staff, Thorpe Moeckel, Ashley [email protected] Lodato, Jesse Selwyn, Richard Lytle, Jerry Spence, Patti Rutka Ed Clark BOARD OFFICERS Bob Nasdor Photo Contributors Lincoln, VT Kevin Colburn, Thomas O’Keefe, Dennis Huntley, Kyle President: Courtney Wilton NE Stewardship Director [email protected] Koeberlein, Brett Mayer, Nathan Fey, Eric Adsit, Max Blackburn, Sudbury, MA Evan Stafford, Seth Lively, Emrie Canen, Paul Raymond, Ashley Vice President: Christopher Hest Lodato, Jon Albright, Jesse Selwyn, Chris Bell, Jerry Spence, Russ Chris Tulley [email protected] Folsom, CA Secretary: Susan Hollingsworth Kiefer, Helen Hess Thomas O’Keefe [email protected] Elliott Industry Partnerships and Adverstising: Mark Singleton Pacific NW Stewardship Director e-mail: [email protected] Kent Ford Treasurer: Chris Neuenschwander Seattle, WA Safety Editor Charlie Walbridge [email protected] At Large: Brian Jacobson & [email protected] Route 1, Box 329F, Bruceton Mills, WV 26525 Durango, CO e-mail: [email protected] Melissa Pennscott Theresa Simsiman Stewardship Reports Editor Christopher Hest California Stewardship Director Evan Stafford, [email protected] [email protected] AW STAFF Sacramento, CA San Francisco, CA [email protected] Missing Copies and Address Changes Laura Blalock Carla Miner, [email protected] Susan Hollingsworth Elliott Finance Manager Mark Singleton Corvallis, OR Cullowhee, NC Executive Director Founded in 1954, American Whitewater is a national non-profit organization (Non-profit # 23- [email protected] 7083760) with a mission “to conserve and restore America’s whitewater resources and to enhance [email protected] Cullowhee, NC opportunities to enjoy them safely.” American Whitewater is a membership organization representing a broad diversity of individual whitewater enthusiasts, river conservationists, and more than 100 [email protected] local paddling club affiliates across America. The organization is the primary advocate for the Brian Jacobson Kevin Colburn preservation and protection of whitewater rivers throughout the United States, and connects the interests of human-powered recreational river users with ecological and science-based data to achieve Long Creek, SC National Stewardship Director Evan Stafford the goals within its mission. All rights to information contained in this publication are reserved. [email protected] Asheville, NC Outreach Contractor [email protected] Fort Collins, CO [email protected] Megi Morishita Nathan Fey [email protected] Colorado Stewardship Director Dave Steindorf EDITORIAL DISCLAIMER Newport, Oregon Longmont, CO California Stewardship Assistant The opinions expressed in the features and [email protected] Chico, CA editorials of American Whitewater are those of Chris Neuenschwander [email protected] the individual authors. They do not necessarily Chris.Neuenschwander@jackson- Megan Hooker represent those of the Directors of American thornton.com Stewardship Assistant Whitewater or the editors of this publication. Pike Road, AL Bend, OR On occasion, American Whitewater publishes [email protected] official organizational policy statements drafted TOLL FREE NUMBER and approved by the Board of Directors. These Melissa Pennscott 1-866-262-8429 policy statements will be clearly identified. [email protected] Asheville, NC 4 americanwhitewater.org THE JourNEY AHEAD The election demonstrated that our the impact they have on local communities. country is politically divided. Honestly, It’s not enough anymore to simply say that is not unlike our American Whitewater that the outdoor industry generates $646 membership. Our supporters are divided billion in consumer spending and supports in their politics, with the number of our 6.1 million direct jobs (which it does, members who lean conservative being according to the industry trade group, equal to those who embrace a more Outdoor Industry Association). We need liberal perspective. American Whitewater more granular economic data to assist our membership includes segments that are storytelling. That information needs to be died-in-the-wool conservative and other hyperlocal, specific to rivers, watersheds, segments that are far-out-leaning liberals. and local communities. With better data But what we all have in common is that we can answer the “what’s in it for me?” elcome to the firstAmerican we all value rivers with equal intensity. I question raised by many rural residents Whitewater Journal of 2017. In see this often at local put-ins around the when they learn about river stewardship this issue we discuss the Top country where there is a pickup truck with projects in their backyard. A move in the WTen River Issues on our