BALKANRIVERSTOUR4 – ROMANIA,SLOVENIA,ANDBULGARIA
Kayakinga riverwon’tsaveit fromhydropowerdams.Butcombiningkayakingwithdirectaction,mediacoverage,
andlocalriverdefenderscan.BalkanRiversTour-nowinitsfourthyear-hasproventheirformofriverconservation
is comprehensive,effectiveanddamnfun!Theyhavetakenona newformulafor2019,organizingthreeseparate,
one-weekmini-toursinRomania,Slovenia,andBulgaria.BalkanRiversTour’spurposeis toexposethreatenedrivers
anddirectlyhelpthepassionatelocalsfightingforthem.Week1 inRomania(April15-20)broughttogethera team
of 23 kayakersfrom 11 countriesto kayak5 incrediblerivers;BâscaMica,BâscaMare,BâscaRozilei,Buzau,andJiu).
Theyalsoorganizedandattendedmeetingswithmayors,workedwithschoolchildren,introducedkayakingtolocals,
arrangeda rivercleanup,andgotlocalriverdefenderandkayakerCatalinCampeanuonnationaltelevisionto sharethe
plightof theBâscaMare.Theyfinishedtheweekbysubmittinganopenletterto theEUcommission,thePresidentand
PrimeMinistersof Romania,andtheRamsarConventionSecretariat,thatoutlinedthelawsbeingbrokenbytheillegal
hydropowerbeingbuiltontheBâscaMare,theendangeredspeciesaffected,andhighlightingsustainabletourismas
a solutiontohydropowerinRomania.Week2 (July7-13)sawa collaborationwithBRD’sRiverIntellectualsinitiative
andtheirStudentsforRiversCamp,wherekayakersgotthechancejoininonlecturesbyleadingriverconservation
experts.KayakersrantheentirewildsectionoftheSoca-fromLepenato Tolmin.Onthefinalday, 150 peoplefrom 23
countiescametogetherfortheFreeSocaFlotilla.Usingpaddles,whistles,signsandloudvoices,theypaidtributeto
thelocalsfromTolminwhodefendedtheSocaRiverfromhydropower(HPP)damsinthe70swhilesendinga loud
messagetotheSloveniaHPPcompanySENGthattheywon'tallowdamstobebuiltontheSoca’stributary,theUcja
River.ThefinalweekofBRT4finalwilltakeplaceinBulgariafromSeptember24-29,wheretheformulaofexposing,
exploring,andhelpinglocals will continue.Jointhem,andputyourpaddleandvoicetouse,defendingthelastwild
riversoftheBalkans.Report: Carmen Kuntz | Photography:KatjaJemec,KatjaPokorn,MitjaLegatUPDATE:KAITUNARIVERPARITUKINO (GNARLY GORGE)
CLOSURE,OKEREFALLS,NZ
Plentyofbehindthescenesworkhasbeengoingontofacilitatesafe,legal,andsustainableaccessforkayakersin
thelowerKaitunagorges.WhitewaterNZandcommunityrepresentativesrecentlymetwiththeLakeRotoitiscenic
reservesboardtoproposeanaccesstrackthroughthescenicreservelandonriverleft,fromthebottomofPari
Whakahihi(AwesomeGorge)totheendofPariTukino.Theyalsoraisedthepossibilityofa trackfromtheendofPari
Whakahihibackto TroutPoolFalls.TheboardunderstoodtherequesttoportagePariTukinoonriverleftforsafetyand
legalreasons.It is anoptionthatwillmakethestatusquosaferandbetterbyeliminatingtheneedtousetheprivate
landonriverright.Theboardwasadamantthattheydonotsupporta trackupstreamfromPariWhakahihi.Thisis
duetotheissuesandimpactsfromtourismandfreedomcampingattheTroutPoolendofthescenicreserve.The
culturalsignificanceoftheareawasraisedagaintoremindthattherearegoodreasonspeopledon'twantpaddlers
there.Theboardunderstandsthatthereserveis publiclandandthattheycannotrestrictaccess.Howevertheycan
restrictimpacts,suchascuttingtreesdownfortracks.WWNZareproposinga verybasicmarkedroutewithminimal
impact,thatwillbemadeandmaintainedbypaddlers.WWNZhavetheboard’spermissiontoscopeouta trackfor
theirapproval.Thiswillbesubjecttoa DepartmentofConservationbotanistagreeingtotherouteandapprovingany
potentialdamagetoindigenousspecies.Theboardrecommendedinvolvinganecologisttocreateanassessment
ofenvironmentaleffects.Permissiontoscoutonriverlefttoinforma safeoperatingplanfortheextraction/removalof
navigationalhazardswasalsogranted.Fornow,thevoluntaryclosureis stillin placeuntilthenatureandrouteofthe
portagetrackis fullyagreedupon.Thisis a major step in the right direction. Thank You for your patience and support
whileworkingthroughthisprocess.
Report: WWNZ | Photography: Barny Young
DEEVALLEYRIVERCLEANUP,LLANGOLLEN,WALES
TheRiverDeemeandersitswayfromtherollingsidesofMountDduallt,throughtheWelsh– Englishborderbefore
finishingits110-kilometerjourneyontheWirralPeninsular.AstheDeetravelsthe3.8kilometersfromLlantysiliodownto
Llangollen,itswatersareoftenrifewithbrightly-coloredkayaks.This3.8-kilometerstretchis verylikelythemostpaddled
sectionof naturalwhitewaterin theUKdueto itsaccessibility,rangeof rapids,andmostimportantlyguaranteedlevels
365 daysa year!However,in March2019,paddlersturnedtotheDeeforanotherreason:TheDeeValleyRiverClean-
Up.TheClean-Upwasinspiredbytwothings.Firstly,theworldwidemissivetoreduceplasticwastepollutingourrivers
andoceans.Whenconsideringfactslike,"Everydayapproximately8,000,000piecesofplasticfindtheirwayintoour
rivers,"it becomesimpossiblenotto act.Theotherinspirationcamefromthegoalof improvingtheimageof paddlers
intheregion.Commercialandrecreationalaccesstotheriveryear-roundis a newandexcitingthingthathasbeen
bornoutof theDeeValleyPartnership.Unfortunately,localsoftenviewpaddlersas"users"of thestunningvalley,arriving
inmasstopaddlebutnevergivingbacktothesurroundingtownofLlangollen.Soa smallgroupoflocalraftguides
setouttoprovethemwrong.Withthesupportofthelocalraftingoutfitter,WhitewaterActive,theystrippedthebanks
ofanythingnotin itsnaturalhabitat.Afterthefirstclean-up,wordgotaround,andthingsstartedtogrow.Thenumber
ofparticipantsdoubledforthesecondclean-up,increasingagainwhen 30 paddlersshowedupforthethird.TheDee
ValleyRiverCleanshowsnosignof slowingdown.Interestfrompaddlersis onlygrowing-anddespiteremovingthree
tonnesof wastealready,thereis noshortageof rubbishstillto go!Recognitionfrom companies like Pyranha and Palm
Equipmentwillhopefullyhelptheinitiativetobecomemoreeffective!
Togetinvolved,pleasefollowDeeValleyRiver Clean-Up on Facebook!
Report and photography: Aaron Kenyon