It was a happy Cinco de Mayo at the Nantahala Wave! Saturday morning at the river began with rain, but the clouds soon parted and made way for sunshine and a beautiful afternoon for some playboating. The first Nantahala Hometown Throwdown of 2012 could not have been a better day filled with nice weather, big air moves, and lots of friendly competition and good sportsmanship!

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Near the beginning of the 280 mile journey through the Grand Canyon

“Piece of cake,” I think as I look out over Killer Fangs Falls, aptly named for two large rocks on the bottom right that stick up through the water…like fangs. The hard Vishnu Schist has been carved by the water for countless years, producing a rock that is fluted with sharp points and edges and that easily can flip or puncture a raft, either of which would mean hours of repair and possible injury.

The fangs seem to be easy to avoid, except for a pourover at the top of the rapid that splits the current and sends most of the water straight into the “Fangs.” As I continue to stare at the rapid and analyze the the water’s movement with my fellow boatmen, their trepidation gives me pause. The low water level has exposed the hidden fangs, so my previous runs and successes here mean nothing and I want to run it as quickly as possible.

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Today, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a new 30 year license for the Nantahala Hydroelectric Project in Western North Carolina.  The new license confirms many elements of a 2003 collaborative settlement agreement developed by Duke Energy, American Whitewater, state and federal resource agencies, and many other stakeholders.  Included in the new license are flow releases that treat over 250,000 people each year to whitewater paddling on the Nantahala River, and form the backbone of the local economy.

Speficically, the new license mandates include:

• A robust schedule of recreational releases on the Class II Lower Nantahala
• 8 new recreational releases on the Class III/IV Upper Nantahala and Class V Cascades of the Nantahala.
• New continuous base flows for Dicks Creek and Whiteoak Creek totalling 24 cfs
• New and enhanced public access to rivers and reservoirs
• Native fish restoration initiatives

American Whitewater, Carolina Canoe Club, and local river outfitters worked closely with Duke Energy and other partners for three years to negotiate the agreement that serves as the basis for this new federal license.  Since that time we actively and successfully advocated for the removal of Dillsboro Dam on the Tuckasegee River, which as a requirement of the related Tuckasegee dam relicensing had stalled the entire licensing process.  We will now be conducting a detailed review of the new Nantahala license, and working with our settlement partners on a path forward to implementation.

Many license provisions, including releases on the Cascades and Upper Nantahala, may take a year or possibly more to implement.  We will keep the paddling community posted as these releases are scheduled, and as potential volunteer opportunities arise.

Support American Whitewater!

2012 is poised to be a great year around the Nantahala River! The Western North Carolina HTTD series will include four events during the summer and one event in the Fall at the Nantahala River. Mark your calendars for these dates:

Saturday, May 5
Sunday, June 17
Sunday, July 22
Sunday, August 19
Saturday, September 29 (NOC GAF weekend)

The three Sunday events will occur the day after the NOC Canoe Club Challenge, so plan a full weekend of competition including slalom, freestyle, and even downriver racing (on the August date only). The Nanty events will be held at the Nantahala Wave and the smaller “Bridge Wave.”

On Saturday, September 29 (NOC GAF weekend), a special HTTD event will be held–more details about this championship event will be released soon.

In addition to the HTTD events, there will be plenty of other events to get involved in: the NOC Freestyle Shootout, the ERA/Wavesport Nantahala Open, wildwater and slalom events, and the NOC’s 40th anniversary. Check the Events section for information on upcoming events in the Nantahala & Asheville areas. http://regions.worldkayak.com/nantahala/category/regional-events/

It’s a great year to get involved so be sure to contact Amanda if you would like to volunteer for one of the Nantahala Hometown Throwdown events or if you have events to add to the calendar.

Event Series Organizer Contact Info:
Amanda Gettler “River Chick”
arivergirl(at)gmail.com

Jackson boater Kat Levitt wrote a really great article about what happens when the creek you are on flashes and you run out of daylight. She shares what she experienced recently when her husband and two other boaters did not return from a trip on the North Chick near Chattanooga. It’s an experience we can all learn from and she has shared some really great insights that we all need to think about.

Take the time to read this one!
When the Water Rises and You Run Out of Daylight…

There’s a massive log jam on the French Broad. It’s expected to break, sending a wall of water down the river. If you are heading to the FB today, rethink your plans!

ABC 13 News Video: Massive log jam on the French Broad River

Amanda Gettler joins the World Kayak Team as the new Ambassador for the Nantahala region in Western North Carolina.

Read more about Amanda: http://regions.worldkayak.com/nantahala/the-nantahala-ambassador/

For event coverage from Shannon Christy click the link below.

Jerry’s Baddle

Due to a recent fatality on the Cheoah River in North Carolina, much debate has been sparked on wood removal from rivers.

The Boatertalk message board has been flooded with threads lately over a controversial issue of wood removal from this recently restored river. The Cheoah River has only had recreational releases for a couple of years now, inviting advanced and expert boaters to experience a river that is unique in nature for the East coast.

The Cheoah has an average gradient of 83 fpm and maxing out at 142 fpm in its steepest section. The upper sections are characterized by live trees and shrubbery choking many channels. Though strategic channel cleanup has been carried out in the past, many believe it’s time to remove all of the live wood.

This of course was provoked by an unfortunate incident that occurred this past April. A young woman on a private trip, fell from her shredder in Takeout Rapid and her shorts became entrapped on wood that was located inconveniently in one of the holes.

Unfortunately, one of the inherent risks in our sport are accidents of this nature. There were no ways in telling that the wood was there and it demonstrates the danger that is present on the Cheoah from strainers and entanglement from live trees and shrubs. This should be taken into consideration when people choose to make the descent of this class IV+ river.

Many people are now in favor of removing as much as the live wood from the river as possible. Some consider it to be un-natural growth from the dewatering of the streambed for over 70 years. Others argue that the growth is a natural reaction and that the removal of live trees may upset the now established habitat. Regardless of the debate over the removal of trees, it is now obvious that the Cheoah has become a commercial/recreational river, and that an increase of incidents could occur.

For more information on the live-growth removal check out our events section or contact carla@amwhitewater.org.