Colorado River, Utah - As part of our Colorado River Basin Project, American Whitewater is launching several surveys of the effects of streamflows on recreation quality. If you have paddled the Ruby-Horsethief, Westwater, or Cataract Canyons of the Colorado, and can help us define the full range of streamflows that provide boating opportunities, we need your input!

Across the seven-state Colorado River basin, American Whitewater is working to develop a comprehensive understanding of how changes in streamflow affect paddling opportunities.  The amount of water in the Colorado River and its tributaries changes from year-to-year, driven by snowpack runoff and dams both small and large that divert water out of these river systems. As more water is diverted in the basin to farms and cities, the amount of water left in our rivers will change.  We are asking: How do these changes impact paddling, and the economies that depend on recreation? Are we ok with these changes?

Our Colorado River Basin Study Project depends on the knowledge and input of our members and local paddlers, to help us protect rivers and streams across the Southwest US. With your honest participation in these surveys, AW can continue to develop new policies that protect streamflows and support a variety of paddling experiences. 

Currently, American Whitewater's Colorado River Stewardship team is working with multiple agencies and interest groups from California, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming to solve the water shortage crisis facing these states.  Your participation in these surveys provides out staff with the information necesary to succeed in this tremendous effort.

If you have experienced these segments of the Colorado River, between Grand Junction and Moab, please Take this Survey and help us protect the river ecosystem and the variety of recreational opportunities they provide.