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Press Releases - The Traveler's Journal

Informative Press Releases for Travel

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The following information is provided by the travel supplier or its public relations representative. The Traveler's Journal can accept no responsibility for the accuracy or validity of any material in this section.

New Rafting Dam Releases Draw Thousands to Lehigh River

02-21-2008

WHITE HAVEN, Pennsylvania—The rapids are raging, signifying a new day for whitewater rafting enthusiasts on dozens of paddling rivers around the country, thanks to the introduction of scheduled whitewater dam releases. Yet nowhere has the impact of new dam releases been more dramatic than at the Lehigh River Gorge in northeastern Pennsylvania.

Only a two-hour drive and one-tank trip from 25 million potential vacationers living in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware and Pennsylvania, the Lehigh offers all the feel of a pristine, western-style wilderness river as it rushes through an isolated mountain gorge in the Poconos, know as Lehigh Gorge State Park.

"This is a really big deal," says Whitewater Challengers president and co-founder Ken Powley. "For nearly three decades, our guests had to choose between great whitewater coupled with colder weather (spring and fall trips) or smaller rapids coupled with warmer summertime weather. That's a tough choice. But now, with the new whitewater releases, we've got great water and great weather at the same time. There aren't many mountain whitewater streams that can boast this perfect combination."

The new summertime whitewater release program at the Lehigh River is the outcome of a several-year process that included negotiations between the US Army Corps of Engineers, the PA Bureau of State Parks and the PA Fish & Boat Commission. The result is a flow management plan that includes whitewater releases for rafting, kayaking and canoeing, along with water quality releases to enhance downstream fishing opportunities.

The result? "The Lehigh has become an incredibly popular destination for family vacations, and a great alternative to that summertime trip to the beach,” says Powley. “In the 1970's and 80's, whitewater rafting was usually thought of as an 'extreme sport' best suited for the wilder crowd. Today, it's mainly families, youth groups, and typical nine-to-fivers who frequent the river."

Today’s crowd is in part due to the guided aspect of Whitewater Challengers rafting adventures. It's also the result of an impeccable safety record spanning more than 30 years, and more than 12 million miles of guided whitewater trips. (In fact, if you lined up, end-to-end, all the river miles traveled by Challengers' guests since 1974, it would stretch from the earth to the moon... and back again... more than 19 times!) Safety practices for rafting trips on the Lehigh are mandated by the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks. But as Powley is fond of pointing out, "Challengers river guides are trained well beyond the state's mandated standards." The outfitter adds, "Statistically, a guided rafting trip down the Lehigh River is safer than driving from your home to the Rafting Center. If you're okay with driving on the highway, then you should be fine with a fun-filled whitewater trip on the Lehigh!"

"This is a close-to-home day-trip or vacation getaway that features fresh air, clear sparkling mountain water, friendly guides, and the thrill of discovering something that the whole family can team-up to do together," says Powley. "It's not the bugs, the sand and the salt you get at the beach," he adds. "But for that, we have no regrets!"

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