Recreating on Water
Paddling calm mountain lakes or charging class-V rapids
As the climate gets warmer, snowpacks decrease, and our river and lake levels drop. Unchecked and unbalanced, energy development near waterways causes pollution that put our favorite places to escape and recreate at risk. Learn more about the threats to outdoor water sports.
Issue Page: Climate change & public lands
Mounting impacts of climate change are being felt across the country, and research shows that many of our public lands are being impacted more rapidly than the rest of the country.Fact Sheet: Climate change & river sports
Decreased snowpack is making river flows less predictable from year to year and shortening the length of the rafting season, which will in turn hurt Western communities that rely on outdoor recreation economies.Podcast: Heather Hansman’s 700-mile solo float on the Green River
Journalist and river guide Heather Hansman talks about her new book Downriver: Into the Future of Water in the West, which is equal parts adventure memoir and policy study. To write the book, Hansman solo rafted the entire length of the Green River through Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah.Western States Conservation Scorecard
Public lands are what make the American West the American West. The Scorecard evaluates state policies in eight Western states—Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming—considering each state’s commitment to protecting and enhancing public lands in three key areas: lands and access, outdoor recreation, and responsible energy development.Outdoor voters support solutions to keep public lands protected, funded and open. Find out more about the solutions needed to protect our outdoor lifestyles.