News Archive - Updated 7/19/2002
Various items of interest to paddlers . . .

Pre-July 2002 News

Sustainable Water Project Tour Stops in Albuquerque - Fresh from its kick-off event at the US Bureau of Reclamation Regional Offices in Salt Lake City and organizing meetings with river restoration advocates along the San Juan River, the Sustainable Water Project Tour will roll into Albuquerque on Wednesday, March 7 for a noon rally at City Hall. [story]

Farmington whitewater - In February of this year the Farmington River Reach Foundation and the City of Farmington broke ground on a 100-yard stretch of whitewater that has become Rocky Reach Rapid. The project was designed by Gary Lacy of Boulder Colorado and built by Aquatic and Wetland Company with help from the City's Park and Recreation Dept.
   The rapid was built with money that had originally been earmarked from a .25% Gross receipt tax voted by the citizens almost a decade earlier. Other money and equipment was donated by local business, totaling close to $40,000. An additional $10,000 was donated by the non-profit River Reach Foundation. The total cost was just under $100,000 and took approx. two weeks to complete.
   The Rapid is a series of three drops. Rocks were brought to the area from a local mine and granite and harder sandstone was brought down from Colorado. The rocks were grouted using concrete to ensure they would stay in place. At low water the first two drops create standing waves, hydraulics and eddiest. At higher water, a huge wave hole is created in the center of the river which provides an exciting ride for rafts and other river runners. As the river flow grows, a third, steeper drop is present on river left which can provide a sneak route, while still providing an exciting ride.
   Since the formation of the whitewater project, swimmers, tubers, boaters, fishermen, and people practicing swiftwater rescue skills have used the area. Vince Moffitt and Dan Catron of the River Reach Foundation have been providing pool time for roll sessions in a local pool on the first Tuesday of the month due to the increase intrest the project has sparked among local boaters. In addition, the city of Farmington has received increase traffic to the area by non-local boaters as well as cleaning several tons of Concrete and rebar out of the area.
   For more information on Rocky Reach Rapid, the River Reach Foundation or on how to become involved in future whitewater projects in Farmington, contact Vince Moffitt.

Dolores River Newsletter - Please join us in networking the boating community to help preserve the environmental qualities and recreational opportunities of the Dolores River! Our low frequency listserve newsletter will include water flow forecasts and updates on the two new dams proposed upstream of McPhee Reservoir. The proposed storage would reduce 'spill', the high season flows that replenish downstream waterways and are enjoyed by recreational paddlers. We will keep you posted on this and other threats to the river. Join by going to: http://riversports.com/dolores.html.
   Thanks!
   Kent Ford
   dolores@riversports.com

Private Boaters Take National park to Court - A lawsuit was filed in Federal Court last week based partly on Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Rob Arnberger's February 23 decision to halt any further work on the Colorado River Management Plan. The lawsuit alleges, among other things, that the National Park Service has failed and refused to take any action whatsoever to adjust or modify allocation between the American public and the Parks river concessionaires in a fair and equitable manner for the last 21 years. The suit claims that the regulations promulgated are arbitrary and capricious, and constitute an abuse of discretion. The suit also claims due process has been denied to American citizens seeking access to Grand Canyon without the aid of commercial river concessionaires. [story]

River Rafters Run Out Of Patience - by Bruce Miller (Daily Record Business Writer) Imagine waiting in a line for 20 years to see the Washington Monument, then watching others move to the front because they were with a tour group. This is the way one Maryland citizen feels who joined eight others from New Mexico and Colorado in filing a lawsuit over allocation of opportunities to "run" the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. Ken Kyler of Silver Spring has been on a waiting list since 1996 but doesn't expect to receive a permit until 2010 when he'll be 56 years old. [story]