Box 8541
Asheville, NC 28814
NATIONAL
American Whitewater Affiliation
1424 Fenwick Lane
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Composed of boating clubs and individuals interested in whitewater paddling, the AWA promotes conservation, cruising, and wild water and slalom competition on national and international levels. American Whitewater, the journal of the affiliation, is published six times yearly.
American Canoe Association
7432 Alban Station Boulevard, Suite B-226
Springfield, VA 22150-2311
Comprised of individual members and clubs organized into regional divisions, the ACA conducts canoe and kayak cruises, promotes canoe sailing, encourages and sanctions competition, and has conservation as one of its prime areas of interest. Paddler, the official magazine, is published six times a year.
CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS
We are losing our free-flowing rivers and streams one by one in the frantic push for development. Whether that development is by damming, channelization, or dredging, many miles of wild, wonderful water will soon be lost forever. One of our most precious resources is going down the drain slowly but surely. We all must stand up and be heard if we are to stem the tide and save some of these waters for our future generations to know and enjoy.
There are many national and local organizations that have as one of their primary objectives the preservation of free-flowing waters. We list only a few of these in hope that the reader might see fit to join in and support the cause.
American Rivers
1025 Vermont Avenue NW, Suite 720
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 347-7550
Founded in 1973, American Rivers publishes a quarterly newsletter that contains articles about recent action in Congress dealing with wild and scenic rivers and with water resource projects. Also covered are the progress of wild and scenic river studies being performed by federal agencies and state scenic river programs.
In addition to reporting on current events, the newsletter gives suggestions on how individuals can help protect rivers.
Conservation Council of North Carolina
P.O. Box 12671
Raleigh, NC 27605
(919) 839-0006
The Conservation Council of North Carolina is a statewide organization that coordinates activities of the many conservation groups within North Carolina. A monthly newsletter is published commenting on the various environmental concerns in the state. Among the many special committees of CCNC is the River Preservation Committee.
Sierra Club
85 Second Street, 2nd floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 977-5500
The Joseph LeConte Chapter of the Sierra Club is composed of members in North Carolina and currently has active groups within the chapter in most of the more populous areas of the state. Many of the groups have canoeing activities throughout the year.
North Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers
A Natural and Scenic Rivers System was created by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1971 to preserve and protect certain free-flowing rivers in their natural state. A 13-mile segment of the Linville River and some 26.5 miles of the New and the South Fork of the New became the first rivers to be included in the system in 1976. Currently, the state is treading lightly around the troubled waters of establishing scenic rivers. Opposition, primarily from landowners, has arisen in every case that has come up for study in the recent past. However, progress is being made toward studying the Dan River for inclusion in either the state or federal system.
Information regarding trips on these streams can be quite useful. Such information as date of trip, put-in and takeout locations, length of trip (time and distance), number of participants, and other details can prove important. Jot them down on a card and send them to the authors. Such reports will be tabulated and forwarded to the North Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Community Development. This type of data can be most helpful in making decisions that affect these streams.
State Water Trails
In 1973 a state trails committee was established by the General Assembly to represent the citizens’ trail interests. Included in the area are trails for hikers, off-road vehicles, horseback riders, bicyclists, and canoeists. Out of this committee and from interest by the North Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Community Development has grown the North Carolina Trails Committee. This organization is composed of individuals and groups interested in the promotion of trails and trail-related activities. In 1978 some 62 miles of the Lumber River received recognition as the state’s first water trail. Also, a stretch of the French Broad received such recognition later that year. In addition to these, approximately 1,400 miles of other streams and lakes are deemed to have potential for establishment as State Water Trails.
If interested in working toward a better system of trails in North Carolina, contact:
North Carolina Trails Committee
12700 Bayleaf Church Road
Raleigh, NC 27614
(919) 846-9995
Paddler Information
The most widely publicized paddler self-evaluation was created by the Keelhaulers Canoe Club of Ohio. Their system brings the problem of matching paddlers with rivers into perspective but seems to overemphasize non-paddling skills. A canoe clinic student who is athletically inclined but almost totally without paddling skill once achieved a rating of 15 points using the Keel-Haulers system. His rating, based almost exclusively on general fitness and strength, incorrectly implied that he was capable of handling many Class II and Class III rivers. A second problem evident in the system is the lack of depth in skill category descriptions. Finally, confusion exists in several rating areas as to whether the evaluation applies to open canoes, decked canoes, or both.
