American Whitewater

A nonprofit organization

$6,381 raised by 39 donors

32% complete

$20,000 Goal

American Whitewater's Colorado Access Program works to improve public access to rivers and works directly with landowners, law makers, and paddlers to minimize access conflicts across the state. Our primary goals of this program are to find long-term solutions for legal river access in Colorado and to protect and improve public access areas for boating. Colorado is the only state in the west that has yet to determine the extent of the public's rights to float and recreate on streams running through private property. Numerous landowner-paddler conflicts arise when navigation is blocked by fences, downed trees, or metal obstructions in the river. Although the Colorado Constitution says that the rivers of the state belong to the people, a 1979 Colorado Supreme Court case and subsequent Attorney General opinion presents numerous unresolved issues. Paddlers and anglers are consistently harassed or threatened by landowners or law enforcement in areas of Colorado, and American Whitewater works diligently to find solutions to these conflicts. We have worked with the state of Colorado to clarify the trespass statutes, recreational use statutes, and limits of liability for private landowners across the state.

Mission

American Whitewater's mission is to conserve and restore America's whitewater resources and to enhance opportunities to enjoy them safely.

Background Statement

Founded in 1954, American Whitewater is a national non-profit organization with a mission "to conserve and restore America's whitewater resources and to enhance 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 local paddling club affiliates across America. The organization is the primary advocate for the 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 the goals within its mission.

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

American Whitewater

other names

AW, American Whitewater Affiliation

Year Established

1954

Category

Environment, Recreation & Sports

Organization Size

Large Organization

Address

395 S 2nd Street
Carbondale, CO 81623

Headquarters

P.O. Box 63
springfield, OR 97477

Service areas

CO, US

Phone

1-877-748-3777

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