American Whitewater is working with local outfitters to ensure a utility does not shut off access to one of the Northeast's most popular beginner/intermediate rivers.

This summer, Brookfield Renewable, which operates the Fife Brook dam on the Deerfield River in Massachusetts, informed local rafting companies it would be closing access to the put-in when the river exceeded 2,500 cubic feet per second for "safety" reasons.

American Whitewater is working with Brookfield to find ways to alleviate concerns over public safety on the river that will not involve closing access points. 

Brookfield has agreed to provide access pursuant to the utility's license for the time being. Meanwhile, American Whitewater and other stakeholders will continue to work on finding creative ways to increase use of personal flotation devices (particularly for tubers) and encourage responsible use of the river.