The River Radius Podcast

25 years ago the Edwards Dam was removed from the Kennebec River in Maine allowing alewives and sturgeon to return to their spawning grounds in force, revitalizing the ecosystem and delighting the paddlers and local communities with the sturgeons’ explosive breaching displays. In the summer of 2024, 2 separate source to sea trips ran the lengths of the Sandy and Kennebec in Maine. Contributing host Clark Tate was part of the Sandy trip and tells the on river story of both source to sea trips.

CONTRIBUTING HOST
Clark Tate
@lclarktate

RIVERS FOR CHANGE 
@riversforchange
www.riversforchange.org
2024 Sandy to Kennebec Confluence

GUESTS

Stuart Hickey, raft guide 
@freeheelinghickey

Jessica Sterling, kayak instructor and web designer 
@jester1ing

Chris Morgan 
@ccmorgan8

Jennifer Noll 
Maine Department of Marine Resources

Saige Purser 
@saigelinsay
River Radius Podcast - Native Teen Guide In Training Program

Joe Klementovich, Photographer
@klementovich   klementovichphoto.com
River Radius Podcast - Source to Sea on the Saco River

Matt Palmariello 
@mattpalmariello    
www.mainepaddling.com

Amy Borch, Tattoo artist  
@amy.wildhand
@melontrout.tattoo

Eli Studer, Tattoo artist 
@elistudertatto
www.elistudertatto.com

SPONSORS

Denver Area Nissan Dealers
@nissanusa

Over It Raft Covers
@overitraftcovers
promo code, free shipping: riverradius

SANDY RIVER INFORMATION

Sandy River Northern Forest Canoe Trail Map

Environmental Geology Along the Sandy River, Farmington Maine, Field Trip from University of Maine at Farmington. Dr. Tom Eastler, Mr. Andy Buckland, Mr. Joel Sproul

Indigenous Land and Water Acknowledgement by the University of Maine at Farmington

The Rangeley Area: A Geologic Tour by Emma Stattelman and Katarina Dickson

SEA-RUN FISH INFORMATION

Finding the Next Sebasticook - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Map of Atlantic SalmonHabitat - Maine Department of Marine Resources

Kennebec River Management Plan Diadromous Resources Amendment - Maine Department of Marine Resources

Historical Fish Trap Counts - Maine Department of Marine Resources

KENNEBEC DAM RELICENSING INFORMATION

Draft Environmental Impact Statement

The written comments are posted on the FERC elibrary website under docket P-2322.

World weighs in on fate of 4 Maine dams blocking passage of endangered salmon - Bangor Daily News by Lori Valigra

Conservation groups cheer decision preserving state authority in Kennebec River dam relicensing - Maine Public by Robbie Feinberg

DEP says Sandy River dredging violated Maine laws - Maine Public by Murray Carpenter

4 dams, the future of Kennebec fish runs and salmon’s survival at stake in federal licensing battle - Press Herald, Colin Woodard

State agencies are reporting more salmon returning to the Kennebec and Penobscot Rivers this Year (2023) - Maine Public by Robbie Feinberg

We Can Turn a River in Maine into a Paradise for Salmon - The New York Times by John Waldman

THE RIVER RADIUS

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In the summer of 2024, the Chilcotin River in British Columbia had a landslide that completely blocked the river creating a natural dam.  For the next 6 days the river water backed up behind this dam until the waters finally worked over the top the of the landslide, creating a breach that would exceed the previous historical flows by 5 fold. 3 people share their experience and knowledge of the landslide in this episode.

EPISODE GUESTS

TŜILHQOT’IN National Government
Jenny Philbrick, Executive Director
State of Local Emergency Declared for Tŝilhqot’in Territory due to Tŝilhqox (Chilcotin River) Landslide
Tŝilhqot’in National Government initiating Emergency Salmon Task Force

ROAM  Rivers, Oceans and Mountains
Brian McCutcheon

British Colombia Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship
Natasha Cowie, Hydrologist, River Forecast Centre

TIME LAPSE IMAGES OF LANDSLIDE AND BREACH & other info on landslide
Scroll down to "Timelapse..."
 

YOU TUBE VIDEOS

Short: "...helicopter view of landslide..."

Short: "...building washed away..."

Landslide breach video

"Water begins moving past landslide damming Chilcotin River"
 

River Radius Instagram and Facebook has videos also.  
Links below.  

EPISODE SPONSORS

THE RIVER RADIUS

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Why have cases of reported bat encounters at the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon drastically increased in the last several years? What are the chances of contracting rabies from a bat encounter? How is the safety of helicopter crews wrapped up in the physical location of a bat encounter? What does the vaccination process look like? In this episode, we utilize the personal story of a river runner's bat bite in the Grand Canyon, the expert perspectives of 2 ecologists, a CDC rabies expert, and the woman who oversees Search and Rescue in the Grand Canyon to provide insight into that real bat encounter that played out in the fall of 2023.

GUESTS

Beppe Amodio 
Brandon Holton 
Anya Metcalfe 
Dr. Ryan Wallace 
Lisa Hendy

RESOURCES

Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2022 
Bat Citizen Science in the Grand Canyon
Radiolab episode on Rabies
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Patient Assistance Program
Grifols Patient Assistance Program
RX Assist

SPONSORS

River Management Society
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Facebook
2025 Symposium

Denver Area Nissan Dealers
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THE RIVER RADIUS

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Working as a commercial river guide is one of the best jobs, day after day on rivers, helping people enjoy rivers, seeing beauty, having fun, chasing adrenaline. Creating incredible friendships, some of which might last a lifetime. And there can be a dark layer. Sexual Harassment continues to percolate, as it does in many places, in the layers of river guide culture.  This episode goes there and learns about sexual harassment in the river guiding culture. We talk with Dr Maria Blevins, long time river guide, who has conducted research on this topic. We hear from guide warehouse and staff manager, Bryant Baker, about how he is working to eliminate sexual harassment from the company he manages. And we talk with Respect Outside and Jim Miller to gain clarity about sexual harassment definitions, when sexual harassment is assault, how and why it percolates in river guiding, and resources available for guide companies to shake free of sexual harassment. 

SPONSORS

Denver Area Nissan Dealers
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Over It Raft Covers
@overitraftcovers
promo code, free shipping: riverradius

GUESTS

Dr Maria Blevins
University of Utah
Paddling Magazine article by Dr Blevins

Bryant Baker

Jim MIller
Respect Outside
Sexual Harassment Trainings


RESOURCES

A-DASH website
Instagram
Facebook
You Tube

Strand Squared Solutions

Engage Coaching & Consulting

EEOC 
US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Harassment

GRAND CANYON RIVER DISTRACT 

Men's Journal: Rough Water: A River Guide Tells Her Side of the Story

High Country News: Grand Canyon park's 15 year failure on sexual harassment
High Country News: Grand Canyon abolishes river district in response to sexual harassment allegations

Outside Magazine: Hostile Environment
Outside Magazine: The Woman Ending Sexual Harassment at the Grand Canyon

Huffpost: Out Here, No One Can Hear You Scream

US Dept of Interior: Investigative Report of Misconduct at the Grand Canyon River District

SEXUAL HARASSMENT & ASSUALT IN ROCK CLIMBING

New York Times: Rock Climber Gets Life in Prison for Sexual Assault
Climber Convicted on all Three Counts of Sexual Assualt

Safe Outside / American Alpine Club

THE RIVER RADIUS

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SPONSORS

American Whitewater
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American Rivers
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NRS
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High Desert Life Outdoors
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Free Flow Institute
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KSJD Community Radio
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GUEST

Kevin Fedarko
A WALK IN THE PARK
Order the book
Audio Book
THE EMERALD MILE

Pete McBride
While Pete is not a formal guest of these episodes, he is part of the  journey.  Here is his work from the same journey.
Book:  THE COLORADO RIVER: Chasing Water
Film:  INTO THE CANYON. TWO FRIENDS. 750 MILES

THE RIVER RADIUS

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SPONSORS

American Whitewater
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American Rivers
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NRS
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High Desert Life Outdoors
instagram
facebook

Free Flow Institute
instagram
facebook

KSJD Community Radio
instagram
facebook

GUEST

Kevin Fedarko
A WALK IN THE PARK
Order the book
Audio Book
THE EMERALD MILE

Pete McBride
While Pete is not a formal guest of these episodes, he is part of the  journey.  Here is his work from the same journey.
Book:  THE COLORADO RIVER: Chasing Water
Film:  INTO THE CANYON. TWO FRIENDS. 750 MILES

THE RIVER RADIUS

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As snow is melting and running down rivers across the US, this episode talks with hydrologists at 5 regions of the National River Forecast Center to gain perspectives on how much snow and rain fell over the winter and how it will melt and what the rivers will look like this spring and summer.  We focus on the Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, California, some of Nevada, and the Colorado River Basin. 

SPONSORS

ROCKY TALKIE
5 Watt Radio, Waterproof
Discount Code 10% off:  RIVERRADIUS10
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PADDLE WAYS
Download the Paddle Ways app on your phone, then go to the Paddle Ways website with discount link here and subscribe there to gain the discount
Use Discount Code 25% off: RADIUS
Paddle Ways Instagram
 

NRS
Instagram


GUESTS

National River Forecast Center

Northeast River Forecast Center, NERFC
Ron Horwood

Southeast River Forecast Center, SERFC
Todd Hamill

California Nevada River Forecast Center, CNRFC
Brett Whitin

Northwest River Forecast Center, NWRFC
Amy Burke

Colorado Basin River Forecast Center, CBRFC
Ashley Nielson

PREVIOUS EPISODE
2023 Western Snowpack & River Flow

THUMBNAIL PIC
Taylor from Walker Knives

THE RIVER RADIUS

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Dams have been blocking rivers for decades. Is there a growing crack in the dam? This episode explores dam removal as an increasing trend.  We talk with guests at the Chattooga River and Tugalo Dam, the Snake River and the Lower Snake River Dams, and the Klamath River and the active removal project there.  And we look at the trends globally for dam construction and removal.  

SPONSORS
Paddle Ways
Download the Paddle Ways app on your phone, then go to the Paddle Ways website with discount link here and subscribe there to gain the discount
Use Discount Code 25% off: RADIUS
Paddle Ways Instagram

NRS
Instagram

Denver Area Nissan Dealers
Instagram

GUESTS
Chattooga Conservancy
Nicole Hayler
Chattooga River

Grand Salmon Project
Libby Tobey
Snake River

Klamath River Renewal Corporation
Ren Brownell
Klamath River

International Rivers
Josh Klemm

PREVIOUS EPISODES ON SAME TOPICS

Klamath 1: The Origins of Paddle Tribal Waters
Klamath 2: The Next Generation of Paddle Tribal Waters

Salmon 1: Mountain Origins
Salmon 2: Big Dam Problems & Solutions
Salmon 3: Fighting Salmon Extinction Real Time

THUMBNAIL PIC
Copco 2 Dam deconstruction on Klamath River, June 2023
Credit: Shane Anderson, Swiftwater Films
 

THE RIVER RADIUS

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Each year American Rivers publishes a list of 10 rivers that hold great opportunity for river quality improvements. This year, in addition to covering the full list with Amy Kober of American Rivers, we talk with local experts to include the ocean surfers at the Tijuana River estuary in California, the river lovers at the Duck River in Tennessee, and the high desert river people overseeing the entire state of New Mexico. We hear about the unique rivers and the work happening to care for these places.

SPONSORS

ROCKY TALKIE
5 Watt Radio, Waterproof
Discount Code 10% off:  RIVERRADIUS10
Instagram
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Youtube

AED ONE STOP SHOP discount landing page
 

GUESTS

American Rivers
2024 Most Endangered Rivers Report
Instagram
Facebook

Tijuana River
Un Mar de Colores
Instagram
Facebook
Ramon Chairez (no socials)

Rivers of New Mexico
Amigos Bravos
Instagram
Facebook
Rachel Conn
@rlconn

Duck River
Harpeth Conservancy
Instagram
Facebook
Grace Stranch
@birdhandgrace

PREVIOUS RIVER RADIUS EPISODES ON AMERICAN RIVERS 10 MOST ENDANGERED LIST

10 Rivers for 2023

10 Rivers for 2022
 

THE RIVER RADIUS

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SPONSORS

Down River Equipment
Instagram
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AED One Stop Shop discount landing page
 

GUESTS

John Amodio
Facebook
Linkedin: John Amodio
 

Kevin Fedarko
Instagram
Facebook
 

Vicki Ozaki 

Leonel Arguello

Dave Van De Mark

CONTRIBUTING HOST
Samara Rosen

RESOURCES

Navigating Ecological Transformation: Resist–Accept–Direct as a Path to a New Resource Management Paradigm

Sierra Club Oral History Project: John Amodio

More Than Luck - Vicki Oazaki, Kin to the Earth

Redwood National Park Expansion, Woodstock, Earth Day, and the Kent State Massacre 

Coming Full Circle: How Parks Are Using Conventional Tools in New Ways to Restore Imperiled Forests

WILDERNESS & WILDLIFE: Leonel Arguello

The Emerald Mile

Martin Litton

Local Photography Legend Who Helped Establish Redwood National and State Parks Sets Out to Complete His Life’s Work

Activist and photographer Dave Van de Mark treks to the upper reaches of Redwood Creek to document how its conservation has impacted its ecological condition

THE RIVER RADIUS

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