American whitewater will modernize the national whitewater inventory to improve safety for paddlers nationwide

American Whitewater received a $100,000 Cooperative Agreement award from the U.S. Coast Guard's National Nonprofit Organization Recreational Boating Safety Grant Program (CFDA 97.135) for the period October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The organization will modernize the National Whitewater Inventory by updating river data for at least 1,200 high-use rivers and expanding hazard alerts and safety resources available to paddlers nationwide. Key deliverables include adding color-coded flow recommendations to American Whitewater's mobile application and launching an outreach campaign designed to encourage crowdsourced safety contributions from users.

These improvements will enhance real-time safety tools and information available to over one million annual users of American Whitewater's digital platforms. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in North Carolina, American Whitewater has received prior Coast Guard funding for recreational boating safety initiatives and delivers paddler safety services at the national level, aligning with the program's focus on supporting nonprofit organizations that provide evidence-based recreational boating safety interventions.

The initiative will update river data for at least 1,200 high-use rivers, expand hazard alerts, and add color-coded flow recommendations to its mobile APP. An outreach campaign will encourage crowdsourced safety contributions, providing real-time tools to over one million users annually.