Public access to Yellowstone rivers proposed

Yellowstone's rivers offer unique boating experiences

December 3, 1998
Web posted at: 11:30 AM EST

By Environmental News Network staff

(ENN) -- American Whitewater, a non-profit organization representing whitewater paddlers, submitted a proposal to the U.S. National Park Service Nov. 15, recommending that Yellowstone open four select river segments for non-commercial whitewater recreation on a seasonal basis. The recommendation includes the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone, as well as portions of the Gardner, Lamar, and Lewis Rivers.

American Whitewater Access Director Jason Robertson noted that Yellowstone has more than "400 miles of incredible rivers which are entirely off-limits to the boating public; this is not consistent with National Park Service policies, which are designed to promote human-powered recreation such as kayaking and canoeing." Yellowstone's rivers offer unique boating experiences in terms of whitewater, skills development, wilderness challenges, and scenery that are not available anywhere else, according to American Whitewater.

Opening the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone for whitewater recreation is American Whitewater's highest priority. Ron Lodders, a boater and contributor to the Western Rivers guidebook, said that the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone, "may be the premier multi-day whitewater run in any National Park in the United States."

Rich Bowers, executive director, emphasized that "the original ban on river recreation was inherently flawed because it was implemented to address, overfishing, rather than river voyaging and recreation. There are better tools for managing anglers without banning boater access to Yellowstone's rivers."

American Whitewater is convinced that the park can manage whitewater boating while also protecting the wildlife during particularly sensitive reproductive periods.

The selection of these river segments is based on:

• their unique value as whitewater resources to boaters of varying skill levels and interests,
• the Park's need to balance use and resource protection,
• the fact that whitewater recreation has no unique impacts relative to other human-powered recreation,
• and the ability of Park personnel to manage the resource on a limited basis, with the ability to open or close additional rivers in the future.

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