River Management Society

River Information

Look to RMS for information that serve your needs and interests as a river management professional, recreational enthusiast, river scientist or engineer, vendor of river services or equipment manufacturer!  

BLM River Database

This searchable database offers trip planning information boaters need for floatable/boatable sections of river for which the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has management responsibilities. The database represents a collaboration between the Bureau of Land Management and American Whitewater (AW) to create a user-friendly interface for the BLM river database.  Each BLM-managed river section is linked to AW's comprehensive web database of boatable river sections in the US.  Boaters and floaters: we encourage  you to also check with the respective BLM office when planning a trip.

Permits

If you are planning a trip, this is a handy list of one-pager permit information sheets that are easy-to-download and print and updated annually.  For river managers and planners, the links provide an opportunity to conduct a quick comparison of the various permits in use by various agencies, in various regions.

Wild and Scenic Rivers

250+ Wild and Scenic (WSR) Rivers represent but a fraction of river miles in the United States, protected from further development and deserving of this special status because of acknowledged "outstandingly remarkable values."  However, their truly amazing qualities, their designation and the process by which they are evaluated offer helpful management advice for stakeholders of urban, suburban and developed rivers across the country. 

Better Boater Bathrooms

River runners, outfitters and river managers have maintained a place at the forefront of establishing best practices for packing out human waste for decades. RMS offers excellent references for trip planners who want to be sure to pack the approved tools and equipment,and for river staff who might want to compare requirements among or between agencies, states or watersheds. Visit Better Boater Bathrooms.

Hydropower  License and Settlement Summaries - More to come in 2015!

Handy Hydropower Summaries is a project pilot RMS has begun, in collaboration with the Hydropower Reform Coalition (HRC).  This year we have completed a half dozen summaries which distill lengthy (150 - 200+ pages) to brief, comprehensive resources from which citizens can learn the key elements of a hydropower license it relates to public use and enjoyment of rivers whose flows and access is affected by hydropower dams. Read on to see the Handy Hydropower Summaries completed thus far....

RMS and HRC have received a modest grant to continue the work in 2014 from the Arches Foundation, so you'll see more posted this spring!

National Rivers Stewardship and Recreation Database

Do you think there should be a national resource for river information that can serve citizens and river professionals? We think so, and believe agency and public organizations agree.  To say this is a large project is an understatement, and we are excited about the prospects. RMS continues to seek input as we work toward such a resource, a national recreation and stewardship resource for rivers, integrating information that exists and linking to partner data and websites. The NPS National River Data Inventory and Database Plan prepared by the River Management Society and Downstream Strategies, and Notes from 2-14-2013 Database Vision Call describe a starting point.

In 2013 we conducted a study to hone the vision among interested river professionals using a multiple-phase survey model, thanks to the knowledge and expertise of RMS member Zachary Cole, PhD, Assistant Professor, Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Learn about the study process and the final report.

2014: The next step is to work with the US Geological Survey to develop a platform for 'layers' of river information. Stay tuned for updates.

Thanks go to the National Park Service for their support of this important database development project!