Episodes

During the birth of the whitewater boating industry, the Stanislaus River in California quickly rose to popularity. In 1966 a new dam on the Stanislaus would flood this beloved stretch of river. For over a decade, river lovers and guides led campaigns, engaged in nonviolent direct action, and used rafting to let the river speak directly to the hearts of voters and representatives.

The South Platte River runs right through downtown Denver and as you might imagine, this river catches a lot of trash. There are hordes of people who clean this river several times a year and have been doing so for 17 years. Today this clean up is led by Protect Our Rivers, and the South Platte is lined up for a $350 million dollar upgrade. This is a story of urban river people and the river they love. SPONSORS Denver Area Nissan Dealers Wholesum Promo Code: riverradius GUESTS Protect Our Ri...

Have been using a groover this summer? Have you cleaned one....or need to clean one? This episode is a Re-issue of our "History of the Groover" episode from 2021. For many overnight river trips, the groover has become as common a tool as the PFD. Where did this groover come from, and why is a portable river toilet called a groover. This episode finds the people who were there 50 years ago when the need for the groover emerged, and when the groover itself was created. EPISODE SPONSORS Selw...

While many river runners see Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam as the leading threat to the Colorado River overall and to the Grand Canyon, there is a voice that wants to keep Lake Powell in place and full of water. To understand this viewpoint and reasoning, this episode explores this topic with the BlueRibbon Coalition and Powellheadz. This episode is the companion to our recent publication of “Glen Canyon is Again Being Submerged Under Lake Powell.” EPISODE SPONSORS Denver Area Nissan Dealers ...

Is there a relationship between forest fire scars, floods and debris flows? This episode will explore landscapes denuded by fire and these massive storms creating floods in the fire scar zone. Is this a normal pattern? A new pattern? Coincidence? And how does understanding this correlation further our relationship with these changing landscapes? This episode explores these questions and more through the tools of western science, personal narrative, and traditional ecological knowledge. SPONSO...

Glen Canyon was home to the flowing Colorado River until 1963 when Glen Canyon Dam closed its gates creating Lake Powell. Over the past few years, water in Powell has dropped to levels not seen since the 1960s. The River Radius went onto Lake Powell and up into the canyons to see what has returned in these canyons as they restore to their pre Powell eco-systems and to ask the questions of what is next for Powell and Glen Canyon. Guests are the Glen Canyon Institute and Eric Balken. SPONSORS De...

An exploration of unions in river guiding. Why aren’t they common? Why do some guides want them? A guide forms a union. One outfitter assesses the viability of unions on multi-day rivers. A guide turned outfitter on the Ocoee River provides healthcare to her guides. A boater turned insurance agent teaches provides healthcare insurance to river guides. EPISODE SPONSORS: Nissan Denver Area @nissanusa Dolores Area Businesses High Desert Life Outdoors @highdesert.life Dolores Outfitters @dolores...

As spring melt begins to fill rivers in the Western United States, the anticipation is high for big water runoff this season because of the long snowy winter. The River Forecast Centers of the National Weather Service provide forecasting for river flows across the country. This episode talks with the 3 of the Western Forecast Centers to learn about the snowpack and the coming river flows for spring of 2023. EPISODE CONTENT LINKS 13 River Forecast Centers Colorado River Basin Forecast Center Ca...

Every year since 1984, American Rivers has released a report called America's Most Endangered Rivers. To be highlighted by this report, rivers must have significance to human and natural communities, face consequential threat, and have an upcoming major decision that the public can help influence. This episode is an interview with Sinjin Eberle and Amy Souers Kober on what makes this report an effective river conservation tool, the most endangered rivers of 2023, and tangible actions that we as ...

American Rivers celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year. Founded in 1973, American Rivers is a national level river conservation organization. To understand how they see the future of rivers, we interviewed their Executive Director to hear his story and what American Rivers is focusing on in the next few decades. ADVERTISING SPONSORS NISSAN DENVER AREA DEALERS DOWN RIVER EQUIPMENT RAFTOPIA AT DOWNRIVER EQUIPMENT GUESTS TOM KIERNAN AMERICAN RIVERS AMERICAN RIVERS MEMBERSHIP AND ENGAGEMENT I...

River corridors are the conduits of water and beauty. And so many of us treasure our time there. How do we best leave it untrammeled? Two experts on River Leave No Trace (LNT) join me to talk through the LNT philosophy. ADVERTISING SPONSORS American Whitewater Instagram Down River Equipment Instagram Raftopia at Down River Equipment GUESTS Colter Pence Wilderness, Wild & Scenic Rivers, and Trails Program Manager Flathead National Forest Hungry Horse - Glacier View Ranger District MacKenzie Hol...

Is it true that lightning can’t strike in the Grand Canyon? How far can lightning travel through water? If it does strike, where is the safest place to be? This episode explores lightning from scientific and risk management perspectives. Grounding theory through personal narratives and best practices, this episode is a tool for any river runner’s stormy trips. ADVERTISING SPONSORS American Whitewater Down River Equipment Raftopia at Down River Equipment GUESTS LAURA HARRIS JOHN BELZ, UNIVERSI...

Running waterfalls in rafts is not overly common, but some rafters do it. Tony Glassman and his river crew built a film about running waterfalls that eventually lead to people following their lead, but not following their path of gaining experience and skills. Tony explains the layers of training and safety and experience and communication that he and his river crew have worked through to become competent waterfall running rafters. ADVERTISING SPONSORS Down River Equipment Company Instagram Ame...

River Guides have a great life working on rivers, guiding people down fun and beautiful rivers. But what makes that life hard? How do River Guides deal with stress? Responder Alliance is building tools for River Guides and OARS, an outfitter, is putting the tools to work with their River Guides. GUESTS Brooke Edwards Responder Alliance Instagram Courses Promo Code for courses: riverradius OARS Instagram Bruce Lavoie ENDLESS SUMMER EPISODES ADVERTISING SPONSOR Jack's Plastic Welding Instagra...

Hayley Stuart learned to kayak while attending an international traveling high school. Today she works with indigenous river communities in South America to prevent dams from changing their rivers into reservoirs. She is teaching these river communities to kayak, building films about this work, attends the United Nations COP meetings as a linguistics translator working to UnDam the UN, and recently earned a Masters from Oxford University in water science, policy and management. ADVERTS Jack's P...

American Whitewater is one of the oldest whitewater clubs in the United States, has become the club of clubs and is a modern leader in access to whitewater rivers and river conservation. Recently the leadership at American Whitewater shifted as Mark Singleton stepped down after 18 years, and Clinton Begley became the Executive Director. We talk with both Mark and Clinton to learn about AW, their history and their future. ADVERTISING SPONSOR Jack's Plastic Welding Website and link to "Discounted...

In September of 2020 at Kanawha Falls in West Virginia, a river rescue at midnight occurred and was given an award and labeled the “Midnight Miracle.” A group of 13 kayakers and rafters responded late that night to a facebook post about a lone kayak floating at the falls. At the 2 year anniversary of the rescue, we went with the rescued kayaker when he ran the falls again for the first time since his rescue. He and the rescue crew tell the story. ADVERTISING SPONSORS Jack's Plastic Welding...

Source to Sea expeditions come with a myriad of missions. This episode explores how to leverage source to sea river expeditions for conservation. Source to Sea expert Danielle Katz breaks down the types of impacts that source to sea expeditions can have, how long expeditions take to plan, and what this kind of undertaking demands from a team. ADVERTISING SPONSORS Jacks Plastic Welding discounted boats Nissan and the Denver Area Nissan Dealers GUEST Rivers For Change Danielle Katz Grand Salmo...

For the past 27 years in November, class 5 kayakers have assembled at the Green River in North Carolina for the Green Race. And a couple thousand hardy spectators hike the miles down to cheer on these rowdy kayakers. In these two episodes we tell the story of the race and we meet two of the women racing. One has won the race 12 times. The other is a first time racer, and an Olympic kayaker. Come mad bomb the Green River with us. ADVERTISING SPONSORS Native Teen Guide in Training Program CFI w...

For the past 27 years in November, class 5 kayakers have assembled at the Green River in North Carolina for the Green Race. And a couple thousand hardy spectators hike the miles down to cheer on these rowdy kayakers. In these two episodes we tell the story of the race and we meet two of the women racing. One has won the race 12 times. The other is a first time racer, and an Olympic kayaker. Come mad bomb the Green River with us. ADVERTISING SPONSORS Native Teen Guide in Training Program CFI w...

This is the 3rd and final episode of this cluster about river guides and their health. After an intense journey through guiding and the endless summers, addiction, recovery, and rebuild, we have a conversation with Jon about his modern life. This episode is the story of Dogsmile Adventures, Jon Totten's sailing program with a healing intention, and several other organizations working to support the river guiding community.

This is the 2nd episode in the cluster of 3 episodes about the health of River Guides. After 5 years of guiding rivers in Idaho and sailing charters in the Caribbean, the sun set on the Endless Summer for our guest and he found himself in the cellar of his life. And a friend grabbed onto him. He went to rehab. He returned to his natal roots. Jon helps us understand what life was like for him.

Working as a River Guide is one of the greatest jobs. A job that is almost a vacation. This is the 1st episode in a cluster of 3 episodes about how the guide life can be the best life, and how it can fall into heavy use and abuse of alcohol and drugs, and no longer be a dream job. This is one guide's story of losing the dream and climbing out of the cellar to begin again with a new dream.

In the late 1980s, a group of river boaters from the United States reached out to river boaters in the Soviet Union, modern day Russia. And they began an international river running friendship called Project RAFT; Russians & Americans For Teamwork. Big volume rivers of Siberia and the Altai Mountains. Friendships that are still intact today. SPONSOR Protect Our Rivers website Instagram Facebook PROJECT RAFT Facebook Project RAFT 1988 Mutual of Omaha: 'Rafting Into Siberia' on youtube Soviet Un...