Posted: 10/02/2013

by Megan Hooker

The impacts of the government shutdown are being felt far and wide, and river runners are no exception. Congress failed to come to an agreement on funding the government, and as a result access to rivers on federal lands is being denied across the country. From rivers in the National Park System to those managed by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, the public is being turned away from their rivers.

People from all over the world have waited for years to get a permit to run the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, planned for months, paid permit and travel fees and taken weeks off from work only to be turned away from Lee's Ferry. It's a similar scene on the Green River in Dinosaur National Monument, and on many others throughout the the country.

From private boaters to commercial rafting companies, the government shutdown is making a mess of river access. We encourage you to contact your Congressional representatives and tell them how the shutdown is affecting you.

You can find your Representatives here, and Senators here. If the office of your representative is "closed" or otherwise understaffed we have found Twitter to be an effective means of getting attention.