Facts, Links & Regulations

Oregon and White Water Rafting Facts
Regulations
LINKS

Oregon and Whitewater Rafting Facts

• Whitewater rafting is the most popular water sport in Oregon. In 2001, the last year records are available, fully 8.8% of Oregon's population—or 235,249 people—participated in rafting the state's swift flowing rivers.*
  
  
• Whitewater rafting is more popular in Oregon than canoeing, climbing, back packing, bird watching, kayaking, cross country skiing and snow skiing; but it is behind (in order of popularity) road biking, mountain biking, car camping, hiking, trail running, and fly fishing. *
  
  
• Oregon ranks 11th in the nation in the number of whitewater rafting enthusiasts who live in the state. *
  
  
• Nationally, 9.6 million persons took 29 million whitewater rafting trips in the U.S. in 2004, up from 21 million trips in 2003. *
  
  
• Fatality and injury rates for whitewater rafting are difficult to determine because of the way government records are kept. Also, outfitters or guides are not required to report injuries or deaths to any one agency.
  
  
• According to American Whitewater, an association that collects fatality reports from members, from January through June, 2005, there were 13 whitewater rafting deaths in the U.S. Ð more than double the usual number. Three of the deaths involved commercial outfitters. The rise in deaths was attributed to very high water in the Rocky Mountain States and in California. Altogether, 23 people lost their lives in whitewater sports: kayaking (3), canoeing (7) and rafting (13).***
  
  
• One study concluded that whitewater rafting deaths are roughly on par with other "adventure" sports like kayaking, trekking, skydiving, scuba diving, and alpine skiing. **
  
  
• Nationally, 77 % of rafters are male and 87% are white. By age, rafters are 16-24 (50%); 25-34 (4%); 35-44 (16%) and age 45 and up (20%).*

* Data from the Outdoor Industry Association, www.outdoorindustry.org
** From "Injuries Associated with Whitewater Rafting and Kayaking," David C. Fiore, MD, University of Nevada School Medicine; published in Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, Vol. 14, pp 255-260 (2003)
***http://www.boatertalk.com/forum/AW/830372

Whitewater Safety Regulations by State/National

Maryland: http://www.dsd.state.md.us/comar/08/08.15.04.05.htm

New York State: http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/regs/part197.html#197.1

Pennsylvania: http://www.fish.state.pa.us/

Washington State:
http://www.boatwashington.org/
washington_boating_rules_regulations.htm
#Chapter%20352-60%20WAC

British Columbia:
Federal Bureau of Land Management (FBLM)

Links

American Whitewater Safety Code:
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/archive/safety/safety.html

NFPA Standards: http://www.nfpa.org

CFS Press: Flood and Swiftwater Resources: http://www.cfspress.com/resources.htm
An excellent source for links about water rescue and more.

Rescue 3 International: http://www.rescue3.com/
Combining their experience and expertise, this group is perhaps the world's leading swiftwater rescue training company.

Attorney Don Corson, of Eugene, Oregon, who represented Chapin Clark's family in the wrongful death case, wanted to take the case beyond the courtroom. He not only wrote the initial Oregon state legislation and worked with the federal Bureau of Land management on whitewater safety standards for the Rogue River, but he continues to work as a member of the Board of the Chapin Clark Whitewater Safety Foundation. www.doncorsonlaw.com

Don Corson writes to Ms.Abbie Jossie, BLM Grants Pass Field Manager (read PDF)

Ms.Abbie Jossie, BLM Grants Pass Field Manager RESPONSE (read PDF)