| American
Whitewater
The
Pikes Peak Whitewater Club supports the mission and
work of American Whitewater. Through participation as an Affiliate
Club, one of many benefits to club members is a discount when they
join American Whitewater, but benefits to the club are not the primary
reason for our affiliation. For
information on how PPWC members can join American Whitewater at
the affiliate club discount rate, please contact Greg
Horton.
American
Whitewater's mission is "to conserve and restore  America's whitewater resources and
to enhance opportunities to enjoy them safely." The work of American
Whitewater is largely supported by individual memberships and the
efforts of local volunteers. As an affiliate Paddling Club, we support
American Whitewater by illustrating on our website how American
Whitewater's mission benefits every member of the paddling community.
More importantly, if you agree the work of American Whitewater is
important, please support their efforts by joining as an individual
member at http://www.americanwhitewater.org/membership/.
Increasing the number of paddlers that support American
Whitewater is the best way to ensure American Whitewater can continue
its important mission, and benefit the entire river community. Please
take the time to learn more about American Whitewater today at http://www.americanwhitewater.org/
and consider adding your membership to help support their efforts.
American
Whitewater's work breaks down into three focuses River Stewardship,
Safety, and Outreach.
River
Stewardship
American Whitewater
works to protect and restore rivers, maintains and provides real-time
flow information for a national inventory of whitewater rivers,
monitors potential threats to whitewater river resources, publishes
information on river conservation, works with government agencies
to protect the ability of the public to have a voice in the management
of federal and state rivers and environs, and provides technical
advice to local groups regarding river management and river conservation.
American
Whitewater is working full-time to assure permanent river access
to whitewater rivers. This includes expanding access to both public
and private lands, and to purchasing critical access corridors.
To learn more about our river stewardship program go to the stewardship
page.
Safety
 American
Whitewater promotes paddling safety, publishes reports on whitewater
accidents, and maintains both a uniform International ranking system
for whitewater rivers (the International Scale of Whitewater Difficulty)
and the internationally recognized American Whitewater Safety Code.
For important safety updates and additional safety resources check
out our safety page.
Outreach
 American
Whitewater reaches, serves and engages members, volunteers, sponsors
and organizational partners in a variety of ways. The bi-monthly
journal has been its primary, iconic communication tool and member
benefit since the organizations inception. The journal has recently
been augmented as an organizational siren by the website, now enjoying
70,000 page views daily.
American
Whitewater events are coordinated, organized as grass roots platforms
on which to raise awareness, volunteerism and funds for river conservation
and access. Since 1986, American Whitewater has been the principal
sponsor of the annual Gauley River Festival in Summersville, West
Virginia, the largest gathering of whitewater boaters in the nation,
other than at international racing events. American Whitewater also
hosts the Potomac Whitewater Festival (MD), the Deerfield River
Festival (MA), and the Ohiopyle Falls Race (PA). Our events page
has all your up to date information on your local river festivals
at the events page.
Founded
in 1954, American Whitewater is a national 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 resources
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.
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