Our Story

Who We Are:

The Grand Valley Paddling Club is a volunteer run 501 (c) (3) non-profit dedicated to caring for our local rivers and lakes and the people that visit them. Run by our Board of Directors the paddle club works to maintain relationships with other non-profit organizations and land managers to advocate for boaters rights. One of our big public events is our bi annual  river cleanup where over a 100 volunteers show up to remove trash from the 34 miles of river that runs through Palisade, Grand Junction, and Fruita.

Roots:

The Colorado River Cleanup (CRC) grew out of humble beginnings long before the Grand Valley Paddling Club even existed. Before the GVPC got involved in 2017 the Western Association To Enjoy RIvers (W.A.T.E.R.) ran the cleanup. 

W.A.T.E.R. began as a cooperative venture between Beaver Creek Sports (now closed) on North Avenue in Grand Junction and local kayakers who wanted to advance paddlesports through education of enthusiasts and dialogue with government agencies who manage local rivers.

Over the years the club kept members informed of river permit regulations and use statistics with an annual meeting attended by representatives of the BLM and NPS, however that information is now available online.

Some of W.A.T.E.R.’s  accomplishments include:

  • Construction of a changing facility at the Westwater ranger station.

  • Bringing to light illegal mining activities in Westwater Canyon, launching Friends of Westwater who lobbied successfully to close down the operation.

  • Exposing misuse of river permit fees in Dinosaur National Monument through FOIA.

  • Raised over $80,000 to design a whitewater park at Price-Stubb, leading to the formation of Grand Valley River Park, a 501(c)3 organization which was ultimately unsuccessful despite raising $1.3 million dollars in pledged funds.

  • Sponsored a youth “Blue Herons” kayak racing team.

  • Organized river safety workshops for family participation and produced a PSA video on the importance of life jackets (PFD – Personal Flotation Device).

And…  

Engaging in un-advertised river cleanups for many years before becoming an “official” event