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copyright 1995-2005
update: November 14, 2005
PO Box 160024
Sacramento, CA 95816
Toll Free: 1.888.723.8938
Adminstrative: 916.451.3241
email: <wet@raftwet.com> 
with W.E.T. River Trips and friends . . .
Here are suggestions on places to surf for conservation & environmental organizations.
Visit these organizations that help save the rivers:
Friends of the River
American Whitewater
California PCL
Rafting in California
National Wildlife Federation
America Outdoors
PARC
American River Conservancy
SMUD Relicensing Upper South Fork American River
Susan Hopkins of Friends of the River presented 18,000 letters from SMUD ratepayers to the SMUD Board on Thursday, November 3, 2005. Two dozen community members, including the owner of W.E.T. River Trips, spoke in behalf of the restoration of the Upper American River watershed. We recognize the importance of this watershed. Here is a verbotem quote from FOR regarding the relicensing: "“With the federal renewal of SMUD’s license, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to apply modern environmental protection and restoration standards to help restore the South Fork American River for fish, wildlife and recreation,” said Friends of the River Senior Policy Advocate Ron Stork.
This is an important distinction, since the "old" license never considered the fish environment when the summer flows were nil. Populations of rainbow trout, brown trout, kokanee salmon and mackinaw are a draw for recreational fisherman, but during the summer, the fish life is in jeopardy due to the very low flows. Since the majority of the users from a recent poll show that fishing, hiking and biking are the major uses, we hope that people will understand that it is not just about rafting and kayaking (though, that would be a definite plus for paddlers), but an environmental reason that we should consider. Please read about the licensing efforts on FOR's website.
Gourmet Coffee Fundraiser for American Whitewater! Little River Roasting Company out in South Carolina is donating $1 for every pound of American Whitewater blend coffee that they sell. Buy their coffee and help the national river conservation organization American Whitewater. This organization helps keep rivers accessible to the public. In California, AW helped to get regulated flows on the Feather River! All you coffee junkies: buy this coffee before your next rafting trip! 
2005 UPDATE on American River Trail Campaign & Cronin Ranch
Purchase Complete - Trails Park Opens May 18th!
Purchase of the Cronin Ranch was completed in August 2004 through over $400,000 in donations from individuals and community groups as well as contributions from agency partners (including El Dorado County who contributed $280,000) and foundations such as the Resources Legacy Fund Foundation, who provided the final $347,000 to pay off the loan. ARC is pleased to confirm that 100% of your 2004 donation was used towards the purchase price of the Cronin Ranch with no deductions made for fundraising or administrative expenses. ARC expects to transfer the last four parcels of the 1,414 acre Cronin Ranch to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on May 17, 2005. In the meantime, they are working with the BLM and private contractors to make the improvements necessary to open the Cronin Ranch Regional Trails Park on Wednesday, May 18, 2005.
The Conservancy is continuing to pursue funding to complete this trail system. Until the park is officially opened by the BLM in May, the Cronin Ranch continues to be private property. However, the Conservancy will host organized monthly hikes at the Cronin Ranch.
They anticipate at least three phases of trail development: Phase 1 will be the opening of the Cronin Ranch Trails Park on May 18th and the immediate availability of nine miles of trail, all on the Cronin Ranch. The Conservancy is coordinating the initial signage, gates, trail maps and other trail improvements that will allow public use to occur as soon as possible. The BLM currently has no funding for these improvements. Phase 2 will add another two miles of trail between the Cronin Ranch upstream to the Greenwood Creek unit that was transferred to the BLM in 1997 and 1998. A California Department of Forestry (CDF) crew is brushing the trail route now and a small trail bulldozer operated by a BLM crew will rough in the trail between mid-April and mid May. The Conservancy is now accepting volunteer applications to work on “finishing the trail” between mid-May and the end of June. Please call Debbie Tachibana at the Conservancy office (530) 621-1224 if you are interested in volunteering for this trail work. We are hopeful this segment of the trail will be opened to the public at the end of June. Please note, that the Conservancy expects this section of the trail will be accessible from the Cronin Ranch only until additional parking is constructed off Highway 49 (and across from the Venezio Winery) sometime in 2006. Phase 3 will connect the Cronin Ranch to the Salmon Falls area at Folsom Lake. The Conservancy is negotiating the purchase of several small trailside parcels that will make the trail much easier to traverse with significantly fewer switchbacks. We are hopeful this section of trail will be constructed by, and open to the public in the fall of 2006.
MORE NEWS ON AMERICAN RIVER CONSERVANCY:
STREAM MONITORING TRAINING - BIOMONITORING
May & June 2005
"Local streams and creeks are alive with a myriad of creatures. Many insects such as dragonflies and stoneflies begin their lives in the water. In their larval stage (besides being fish food), the presence of these bugs can actually be an indicator of how healthy our creeks are. Called benthic macroinvertebrates, these aquatic insects display a wide range of responses to pollution, and they can be helpful in determining what type of pollution is impacting a stream. During this program, participants will be taken to a local creek and shown how the Conservancy and many other organizations are conducting water quality monitoring. If you are interested in participating in our stream monitoring program, this will give you a great overview and introduction. Please come prepared with comfortable walking shoes that you don't mind getting wet and muddy. Contact Elena to sign up or for more information at (530) 621-1224." News from ARConservancy Newsletter dated May 10, 2005
CONFLUENCE FESTIVAL: Sunday, June 12 - 10 am-4 pm
COLOMA-LOTUS' SECOND ANNUAL TRAILFEST: Monday, June 13 - 4 pm-10 pm
COME SEE US AT THE EL DORADO COUNTY FAIR: June 16-19
TRAIL BUILDING WORKSHOP:May 15, from 9:30 am to 3 pm at the Nature Center. For more information and to register, call Debbie at (530) 621-1224 or email dtach@arconservancy.org. This workshop will prepare you for helping with the South Fork American River Trail building project which is happening now.
ARCHIVES:
2004 News: South Fork American Conservation Info
River Partners Program Supports American River Trail
W.E.T. River Trips is a participant in the American River Conservancy's River Partners benefit program. The 2004 River Partners program will help support the Conservancy’s American River Trail Campaign. Launched in April, the campaign will raise the funds necessary to purchase the final link in an eight-mile trail corridor connecting the existing trail system at the Folsom State Recreation Area to Highway 49 near historic Coloma, California. The proposed multi-use trail will follow the river between Salmon Falls and Greenwood Creek at Highway 49. It will allow hikers, bicyclists, equestrians, fisherman, bird watchers and river enthusiasts to experience this exceptional river canyon."
Rivers of Life
Slide Show: China's Great Rivers Conservation Area with Expedition Member/Photographer Jed Weingarten
In the winter of 2002/03, a team of professional river guides joined representatives of The Nature Conservancy in Yunnan, China, to try to assess the potential for a lasting river industry on parallel sections of the Yangtze, Mekong and Salween rivers. The Nature Conservancy is working with local communities to develop a model for ecotourism - one consistent with efforts to protect one of the richest temperate ecosystems on earth, while creating a sustainable cash economy for one of the poorest provinces in fast-developing China. They hope to do so through a network of traditional lodgings, environmentally friendly
schools, alternative energy programs and interpretive guiding.
W.E.T. asks river related conservation organizations to let us know about ongoing or upcoming events. W.E.T. will pass the word around to the paddling public. Spread the word, people. Rivers need all your help and support!
W.E.T. encourages the paddling community to inform themselves about river conservancy issues. In California, this knowledge is essential in making informed political decisions in your community, your state and this country!
For more information on river conservation, please visit the links on the right. Once you've rafted a California river, you will understand how important river conservation is to the health, wealth and well-being of our beautiful state of California. We are proud to be a part of this fight and we will try to educate our clientele to the importance of river conservation. Help us to sustain this important resource. Contact these organizations or even the Environmental Protection Agency for information.
See you on the Rivers!
W.E.T. River Trips
Staff, raft guides, kayakers & friends
1.888.RAFTWET