Watauga River (NC) Reopened to Boating, at Least Temporarily

American Whitewater Granted Intervention in Contested Case; Watauga River (NC) Reopened to Boating, at least Temporarily.

On July 12, American Whitewater was granted status as an intervenor in a contested case pending in North Carolina challenging the rights of the public to recreate on short sections of the Boone Fork and Watauga Rivers upstream of their confluence. In addition, on August 1, the existing temporary restraining order was modified to include the following language: “This Order is not intended to, and does not, prohibit or limit navigation of the stream segments by individuals in kayaks or other recreational watercraft.”

While the modification of the existing temporary restraining order was an important step, as of the time of the posting of this article, the allegations by the Twin Rivers Property Owners’ Association, Inc. that the stream segments are non-navigable and therefore not open to public trust recreational use remain. Furthermore, an additional hearing is scheduled in September. American Whitewater will, therefore, continue to provide the tribunal with factual evidence that the rivers are regularly paddled, legally and physically navigable, and thus open to the public for paddling.

Our ability to respond to this threat and others like it is an example of your member contributions at work. Without your support we would not have been unable to mount such a strong and swift challenge in this case. But we must remain vigilant. Please consider renewing your membership, or making an additional donation today to ensure we can continue to stay engaged, and be prepared to respond when new threats arise. 

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