As the US Government shutdown drags into a second week many of our members have reached out to us
for assistance on river access issues. The closure of the boat launch at Lee's Ferry on the
Grand Canyon has been among the highest profile impacts of the government shutdown, but there
have been others that have directly touched the whitewater community. This past weekend the
Forest Service pulled the special use permit for annual Nooksack Slalom Races resulting in
cancellation of the event. Access has been closed to rivers that include the Rio Grande,
Delaware, Pit, Buffalo, Green (Dinosaur National Monument), and Colorado (Grand Canyon and
Cataract Canyon through Canyonlands). At the same time, access at other rivers has remained open.
River runners have been able to access the Gauley River, managed by the National Park Service,
and the Colorado River's Westwater Canyon, managed by Bureau of Land Management. Meanwhile,
construction of new access facilities at river access points has ground to a halt and federal
agencies are no longer participating in important river management dialogues we are engaged in
across the country. USGS has continued to report river flows but has suspended all work to
maintain calibration on gages.
What We Are Doing:
Many of our members have asked us what we are doing and what we can do to help raise the profile
of how the shutdown is affecting our community. We have reached out to several members of
Congress from both parties to explain the impacts of the shutdown and in most cases our comments
have been well received. Staff from American Whitewater were in Washington DC on October 1st when
the shutdown began and we are continuing efforts to constructively engage with members of
Congress and the Administration as they arise. In the case of the Grand Canyon, we did reach out
to the Arizona Governor, who announced a willingness to fund basic operations at Grand Canyon
National Park. Unfortunately the National Park Service has not been receptive to this offer and
like many of our members who sit at Lee's Ferry hoping for a solution, we share your
frustration and are continuing to explore opportunities to weigh in. While it may be little
consolation to those who have just been denied an opportunity to experience a once-in-a-lifetime
trip on the Grand Canyon, we are pleased to see that the National Park Service has indicated a
willingness to work with permit holders to reschedule a launch date.
What You Can Do:
The single most important thing you can do is reach out to members of Congress. We have found
members of Congress to be very receptive to feedback on the impacts of the shutdown. While loss
of access to a river may seem like a mundane issue in light of all the major impacts being felt
across the country, the impacts of cancelled trips are very real for local communities and
businesses that depend on outdoor recreation. Outfitters that rent gear, provide shuttles, or
help put your food together are out of a job. Local restaurants and gear shops in gateway
communities have lost business from visitors who have cancelled their trips. On the Grand Canyon
alone, commercial outfitters predict they will lose almost $1 million from cancelled trips.
Contractors who were lined up to work on access projects we are involved in are out of work and
projects will need to be rescheduled for next year.
Some Congressional offices have reduced staffing but we encourage folks to take a couple actions:
* File a comment with your Member of Congress through their official website (
House and
Senate). Original
comments that tell your personal story are always the most powerful. In our experience Members
are particularly interested in the impacts of the shutdown on small business owners. While those
of us at American Whitewater do have great relationships with several Members of Congress and
their staff, we can be most effective in our discussions when individual constituents have
weighed in to raise the profile of an issue. You may also wish to contact the
White House.
* Get your story out on social media. If you have a compelling story to tell on the impacts of
the shutdown and how they are being felt please share. We monitor social media for stories on how
the government shutdown is affecting our members and we share those stories with members of
Congress and their staff. If you have a Twitter account post a quick comment and tag your member
of Congress or post a comment on their Facebook page. We have been able to connect with
Congressional staff in some offices and the posts people make are being heard and do have an
impact.
* Get in touch with local news media or write an op-ed or LTE for your local paper. It's sad
but true: the impacts of the shutdown make great news copy. Check your local or regional paper
and see which reporters have been writing on the shutdown. If you have a story to tell send them
an email. While you may not read the opinion pages of your local paper, your member of Congress
does. Write an Op-Ed or shorter LTE. If it is published be sure to tag your member of Congress in
a social media post that links to it.
