The Top Ten River Stewardship Issues of 2012
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Conservation • Access • Events • Adventure • Safety BY BOATERS FOR BOATERS Jan/Feb 2012 THE TOP TEN RIVER STEWARDSHIP ISSUES OF 2012 Plus... Keeping Salmon in the Middle Fork Salmon Father+Son+Tandem Canoe=Fun? Returning to Whitewater as a Parent A VOLUNTEER PUBLICATION PROMOTING RIVER CONSERVATION, ACCESS AND SAFETY American Whitewater Journal Jan/Feb 2012 – Volume 52 – Issue 1 COLUMNS 5 The Journey Ahead by Mark Singleton 43 News & Notes by Susan L. Taft and Bethany Overfield 51 Letter to the Editor by Chuck Koteen STEWARDSHIP 6 2012 Stewardship Top Ten by The Stewardship Team 14 Renovated Diversion Dam a Big Hit on Montana’s Big Hole River by John Amtmann 16 Keeping the Salmon in the Middle Fork Salmon by Kevin Colburn FEATURE ArtICLES Best Beginner Runs 21 Washougal River (WA) by Dick Sisson 23 The Lower Hood River by Zachary Collier Canoeing 25 Tandem Time by Matt Looze Humor 27 When The Rain Falls, the Mid-Atlantic Brings the Goods! by the Dogg Rivers of Nepal 32 Nepal’s Wild West by Stephen Cunliffe Mental Game 36 Can You Teach the Mental Aspects of Whitewater Kayaking? by Steve Dougherty 39 The Source of Light by Emily Nicole Zebel 41 Learning How to Paddle by Melissa Bertenthal Omar Jepperson and Laurel Hansen absorb the splendor of the Green River (UT). This multi-day wilderness trip—along with other recreational opportunities, endangered fish species, and downstream water users—is threatened by developer plans to remove massive quantities of water Publication Title: American Whitewater from the Green, making it one of Issue Date: Jan/Feb 2012 American Whitewater’s Top Ten River Statement of Frequency: Published Bimonthly Authorized Organization’s Name and Address: Stewardship Issues of 2012 (see pg. 6). American Whitewater P.O. Box 1540 Photo by Thomas O’Keefe Cullowhee, NC 28723 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 bimonthly AW Jour nal, a monthly e-news, americanwhitewater.org, paddling events, educational RIVER ACCESS: To assure public access to whitewater Our mission: “To conserve and restore America’s events, and through direct communication with rivers pursuant to the guidelines published in its whitewater resources and to enhance opportunities 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 Eric Nies Megan Hooker Editor Ambrose Tuscano [email protected] Stewardship Assistant Chris Bell P.O. Box 913, Soda Springs, California 95728 New Paltz, NY Portland, OR e-mail: [email protected] [email protected] megan@americanwhitewater. Asheville, NC Norwood Scott Graphic Design/Production/Photo Editor Megan Seifert org [email protected] Rich Bowers Assistant Editors Erica J. Seifert, Barry Tuscano San Francisco, CA Jay Loschert [email protected] Contributing Writers Dolores River Stewardship Bellingham, WA Charlie Walbridge, Honorary Mark Singleton, Stewardship Team, John Amtmann, Kevin Assistant Colburn, Dick Sisson, Zachary Collier, Matt Looze, the Dogg, [email protected] Dave Cernicek Dolores, CO Stephen Cunliffe, Steve Dougherty, Emily Nicole Zebel, Melissa Bruceton Mills, WV Bertenthal, Susan L. Taft, Bethany Overfield, Chuck Koteen [email protected] [email protected] Jackson, WY BOARD OFFICERS Photo Contributors Carla Miner Thomas O’Keefe, Paul Martzen, Kristen Podolak, Kevin Colburn, Adam Cramer President: Norwood Scott Membership Manager Dave Steindorf, Nathan Fey, John Amtmann, Dick Sisson, Maggie [email protected] Busto, Donna Looze, Matt Sloan, Bryon Dorr, Melissa Masters, Vice President: Chris Bell West Valley City, UT Logan Masters, Shawn Yingling, Stephen Cunliffe, Steve Brooks, Bethesda, MD [email protected] Stacey Urich Gricks, Emily Zebel, Paige McThena, Melissa Secretary: Jennie Goldberg Bertenthal, Dan Demaree, Kevin O’Brien, Chuck Koteen Leland Davis Jeff Paine Treasurer: Don Kinser Events / Advertising Coordinator Jeff Paine leland@ Outreach Director phone 828-398-0321 brushmountainpublishing.com At Large: Kent Ford and Asheville, NC e-mail: [email protected] Swannanoa, NC Evie Locke [email protected] Safety Editor Charlie Walbridge Kent Ford Thomas O’Keefe Route 1, Box 329F, Bruceton Mills, WV 26525 AW STAFF e-mail: [email protected] kent2003@performancevideo. Pacific NW Stewardship Director com Laura Blalock Seattle, WA Stewardship Reports Editor Finance Manager Kevin Colburn, [email protected] Durango, CO [email protected] Cullowhee, NC Missing Copies and Address Changes Jennie Goldberg [email protected] Mark Singleton Carla Miner, [email protected] [email protected] Executive Director American Whitewater is printed by Boyd Brothers Printing, Panama City, Florida. Seattle, WA Kevin Colburn Cullowhee, NC All rights reserved. National Stewardship Director [email protected] Chris Hest Missoula, MT [email protected] [email protected] Dave Steindorf San Francisco, CA California Stewardship Director Nathan Fey Don Kinser Chico, CA Colorado Stewardship Director [email protected] EDITORIAL DISCLAIMER [email protected] Longmont, CO The opinions expressed in the features and Marietta, GA nathan@americanwhitewater. editorials of American Whitewater are those of org the individual authors. They do not necessarily Evie Locke [email protected] represent those of the Directors of American Whitewater or the editors of this publication. Charlemont, MA On occasion, American Whitewater publishes TOLL FREE NUMBER official organizational policy statements drafted 1-866-262-8429 and approved by the Board of Directors. These policy statements will be clearly identified. 4 americanwhitewater.org THE JourNEY AHEAD ow, where did last year go? a broad geographic cross section of the we are witnessing one of the largest river It’s hard to believe that we country and identify some of the pressures restoration and habitat recovery efforts are already into the New Year, that face our nation’s whitewater rivers. on record (plus additional river miles for Wa time for resolutions about opportunities paddling). Having the ability to maintain in our lives. While I’m usually not a big The rivers that make up the stewardship our project involvement over that length fan of resolutions, I do have one for the top ten list are geographically diverse of time is key to our success. upcoming year that relates to rivers: I want representing various regions of the to get out and paddle more! country and offer a wide range of A deep connection to rivers from the paddling opportunities from Class II/III boating community:No group of individuals Paddling more means having access to multi-day floats to steep Class IV+ runs. has as deep a connection to the headwater good rivers. As a destination for recreation, Yet all river stewardship projects share reaches of rivers as whitewater paddlers. rivers need to have three things; 1) flows, common elements. As a community, whitewater boaters know 2) access, and 3) reasonable management. headwater river miles through their passion Not surprisingly, these elements are key to Constant pressure evenly applied over for exploration and boating. Paddlers are American Whitewater’s river stewardship time: Many of our project’s successes are often the first group to recognize issues efforts. In a natural environment, the