Explore every episode of the podcast The River Radius Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverhorse | 16 Sep 2026 | 00:45:11 | |
Riverhorse Nakadate is the author of a new book, "Water Lines: A Life on Marshes, Rivers, Seas, and in the Rain." He is deeply connected to fish and fishing, even as he casts his rod less and less. He has led a life of travel in pursuit of fishing and surfing that has taken him to waters in rivers, lakes, marshes and oceans around the world. It also seems he travels in pursuit of opportunities to meet people through random exchanges involving food and conversation. His book is a collection of short stories from his life exploring wild places, airports, and roadside food stands. These stories of fish and water life get mixed with his passion for music, which has led him to editing a guitar magazine, playing music and befriending some of the most legendary musicians. And this is all in parallel with his day job as a public school teacher. GUESTS Riverhorse Nakadate
SPONSORS VALLEY AUTO GROUP
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Roadless Rivers | 09 Sep 2026 | 00:37:28 | |
For 25 years, a rule at the United States Forest Service has been in place that does not allow new roads to be built. These roadless areas inside our National Forests total about 59 million acres, and they have remained without roads, without human vehicle traffic, without heavy equipment working to extract natural resources. Inherently, this has protected rivers and their headwaters, their entire basins, their narrow riparian canyons, and all the critters in the water and on the land. In August of this year, 2026, the current US Presidential administration announced in the Federal Register their intent to rescind this rule. This episode hosts Chris Wood who was working directly on the Roadless Rule when it was initiated in 1999 and completed in 2001. Today Chris Wood is the President and CEO of Trout Unlimited. He talks with the River Radius about why the rule was created, the culture of trees and forests and roads that supported this rule 25 years ago, and also how we can all engage with public comments until September 21 on this topic. GUESTS Chris Wood, CEO & President at Trout Unlimited
RESOURCES
Comment at United States Forest Service Comment at American Whitewater Comment at Greater Yellowstone Coaltion
Chris Wood from Trout Unlimited in the Wired to Hunt Podcast, with great and longer history of timber sales in US
VALLEY AUTO GROUP
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Greg McFadden: Outfitting, Expansion & Dinner Party Culture | 18 Aug 2026 | 01:06:39 | |
Sometime in the 1980s, after reading a hand written note telling him to come up for a river trip, Greg McFadden turned north on a rural highway in Idaho. He had no idea about river running and river culture, nor did he know, that note and river would lead him to become a lifelong river guide and eventually purchase the river outfitter hosting that very first river trip. Today Greg leads a group of 4 full time staff and 38 guides as they take their guests down guided river trips on the Middle Fork of the Salmon and the Main Salmon Rivers in Idaho, sometimes all in one long trip. Last year they only hired one new guide, and their crew spans 5 of the named generations. Greg also travels to Washington DC advocating for rivers and river guides, he is a painter with his own downtown gallery, even if it is the size of a van, and he also guides a couple of river trips for a Grand Canyon river outfitter because it feels good and keeps him connected.
Canyons Booking (Food & Wine Trip) FB @canyons River Radius Episode with Canyons Founder
SPONSORS
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Les Bechdel | 04 Aug 2026 | 01:10:42 | |
Les Bechdel is a river runner, an outfitter, an author of the first comprehensive book on modern river rescue techniques, a kayaker, a husband, a catarafter, a father, a river ranger, a grandfather, an instructor, and a soldier. In the 1980s, river rescue became a more organized and developed concept and practice, and Les Bechdel was at the center of that movement. In 1985, the first edition of the book "RIVER RESCUE" was published with Les and Slim Ray as the authors. The book is now in its 4th edition. Les was selling kayaks during the transition from fiberglass to plastic. Eventually, he moved to Idaho from North Carolina with his family and started a river outfitting company in the Salmon River system that is still thriving today. Beyond all of that, Les is a kind and open man who tells stories of a life shaped by rivers and family. AW Bio Bio article
River Rescue: A Manual for Whitewater Safety, 4th Edition Les Bechdel "Guidefather" 1996, newspaper article Southern Appalachian Whitewater Hall of Fame Bio Bio accident report from American Whitewater, 1981 Payson Kennedy, episode on The River Radius, Apple Podcasts Payson Kennedy, episode on The River Radius, Spotify SPONSORS
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Heather Hansman & Her New Book "Fierce Country" | 14 Jul 2026 | 00:54:27 | |
Heather Hansman publishes her 3rd book today, "Fierce Country: The Untold Story of Three Women Who Ignited America's Love for the Wild." Heather joins the River Radius as a returning guest to talk about the subjects of her book: Georgie White, Anne LaBastille and Dolores LaChapelle. We also get into her travels to learn about these three people, how going through the complete collection of one person helped clarify details, how writing a book is a multi-year commitment, her own feelings about the book and the nervous tension she rides as her book publication date arrives. Heather is a longtime river runner and river guide, and is the author of the recent article exposing many details about the current river permitting system. Her writing is funny and serious and deep, and our conversation lets her share with us her journey of writing this excellent book about rivers, people, boats, wild places, ecological theories, and the bias that gets in the way of understanding our natural systems.
"Wreck Dot Gov" (article about the river permit system) Previous River Radius Episode with Heather Hansman Apple Podcasts Previous River Radius Episode with Heather Hansman Spotify
SPONSORS
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Devon Barker-Hicks, Idaho River Proud | 08 Jul 2026 | 01:04:02 | |
Devon Barker-Hicks is an Idaho born and raised river runner, growing up in the Barker family of river outfitters. She is a lifelong public school teacher, a global kayak competitor, and a dedicated advocate and protector of the waters and rivers of Idaho. Her program "Dare to Kayak," brings kayaking to the public schools of Idaho, and a film about that same program premiers on July 22nd in Riggins, ID. She grew up running rivers with her family, working as a guide at the family outfitter company from childhood through her college summers. Today she teaches kayaking through the "Dare to Kayak" program and at her brother's outfitting company. She is considered by her Idaho river peers to be a leader in the knowledge of the rivers of Idaho, and a leader in caring for the rivers and the river runners, and she serves on the Board of Directors of Idaho Rivers United. In addition to all of this, we also talk through her 2020 two-month tour of the entire watershed of the Owyhee-Bruneau Canyonlands. GUEST Writing: "The Confluence of Passions on the Canals of Amsterdam" Writing: "The Owyhee Bruneau Canyonlands All Forks Sabbatical" South Fork Salmon, Barker video Southfork Salmon & Idaho Rivers United video Film Premiere SPONSORS
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| 10 Rivers for 2026 | 23 Jun 2026 | 00:59:41 | |
Each year American Rivers, a national river focused advocacy organization publishes a list of 10 rivers that are beautiful rivers and rivers that want our engagement. These are the rivers of the 2026 Most Endangered Rivers List. American Rivers first published the Most Endangered Rivers List in 1984, and now 41 years later, they still bring to our attention ten rivers of elevated importance. This year's rivers run between 8 and 400 miles in length. My guest again this year is Chantel Dominguez from American Rivers. Chantel brings infectious optimism to the power of highlighting these rivers. GUEST MER LIST 2026 Video of AR's MER List 2026 on YouTube SPONSORS
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| North Fork Championship 2026 | 07 Jun 2026 | 01:07:34 | |
What happens when you invite the best river kayaking athletes from around the world to meet up for a 3-day race on the wild and rowdy Class 5 North Fork of the Payette River under the big sun and blue sky of Idaho? You get the North Fork Championship of 2026. After a multi-year hiatus, one of the favorite races among paddlers and fans is back, now with a solid foundation and strategic stability to return year after year. We talk with the founder of the race, James Byrd, and a board member of the newly established board of directors, Aaron Pruzan. These guests are deeply passionate about this race, paddling, this river, and bringing conservation of rivers to the culture of this wild race, all in a way that keeps stoke on high.
Aaron Pruzan FILMS Several North Fork Championship short films on Vimeo SPONSORS THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Northeast River Forecast Center 2026 | 02 Jun 2026 | 00:33:59 | |
This is our 5th of five episodes with various River Forecast Centers of the United States. In the uppermost northeast corner of the US, the Northeast River Forecast Center is bound on three sides by water: the Great Lakes to the west, Canada's lakes and bays to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The mountains of this region collect this moisture from various weather events and send that water down the river valleys. In this episode we talk with Bill Leatham, a Senior Hydrometeorologist with the Northeast River Forecast Center. This landscape is impacted by its regional waterscape, the hurricanes in the Southeast and even the weather patterns of El Niño and La Niña. What winter weather did they receive? When did their snow melt? Are they experiencing a drought? What type of storms do they expect this summer?
NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
SPONSORS
PREVIOUS EPISODES ON RIVER FLOW FORECAST Southeast River Forecast Center 2026 - Apple Podcasts Southeast River Forecast Center 2026 - Spotify
Colorado River Basin Snowpack & River Flow 2026 - Spotify California & Nevada Snowpack & River Flow 2026 - Spotify Columbia Basin Snowpack & River Flow 2026 - Apple Podcasts Columbia Basin Snowpack & River Flow 2026 - Spotify 2024 Snowpack & River Flow - Spotify 2023 Western Snowpack & River Flow - Apple Podcasts 2023 Western Snowpack & River Flow - Spotify Atmospheric Rivers 101 - Spotify THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Southeast River Forecast Center 2026 | 27 May 2026 | 00:29:10 | |
The Southeast River Forecast Center hosts a landscape that has the Appalachian Mountains in the north, is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to its east and the Gulf of Mexico to its south, has the Florida Peninsula jutting into those ocean waters, and lowlands between the oceans and mountains. Rain and hurricanes are powerful and important parts of the climate in the Southeast and this region has the most rivers of all the River Forecast Center domains. Did this region have a warm and dry March like much of the country did? How was their winter precipitation? What type of summer river flow do they anticipate and what happens here if El Nino is truly the emerging influence? This is the 4th episode in a series hosting interviews with five of the thirteen River Forecast Centers in the US. Our guest for this episode is Haley Stuckey, Hydrometeorological Analysis and Support Forecaster with the Southeast River Forecast Center GUEST NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
SPONSORS
PREVIOUS EPISODES ON RIVER FLOW FORECAST Colorado River Basin Snowpack & River Flow 2026 - Spotify California & Nevada Snowpack & River Flow 2026 - Spotify Columbia Basin Snowpack & River Flow 2026 - Apple Podcasts Columbia Basin Snowpack & River Flow 2026 - Spotify 2024 Snowpack & River Flow - Spotify 2023 Western Snowpack & River Flow - Apple Podcasts 2023 Western Snowpack & River Flow - Spotify Atmospheric Rivers 101 - Spotify Part 1, Hurricane Helene in Appalachia, The Science - Apple Podcasts Part 1, Hurricane Helene in Appalachia, The Science - Spotify Part 2, Hurricane Helene in Appalachia, River Rescue - Apple Podcasts Part 2, Hurricane Helene in Appalachia, River Rescue - Spotify THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Colorado River Basin Snowpack & River Flow 2026 | 19 May 2026 | 00:42:30 | |
What will the rivers of the Colorado Basin have for flow this year? Many rivers already had one peak in March during the heat dome, and a second peak is expected in May. But as spring in the Rocky Mountains is unpredictable, it is currently snowing and raining in the northern basin. This episode is the third in a series of five interviews with the River Forecast Centers of the United States. Our guest in this episode is Cody Moser, Senior River Hydrologist with the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center. We talk through the soil moisture of 2025, the winter of 2026, the March heat dome, the wet spring, and what may happen if El Niño fires up a wet weather pattern for the rest of the year. GUEST Colorado Basin River Forecast Center NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
SPONSORS
PREVIOUS EPISODES ON RIVER FLOW FORECAST California & Nevada Snowpack & River Flow 2026 - Spotify Columbia Basin Snowpack & River Flow 2026 - Apple Podcasts Columbia Basin Snowpack & River Flow 2026 - Spotify 2024 Snowpack & River Flow - Spotify 2023 Western Snowpack & River Flow - Apple Podcasts 2023 Western Snowpack & River Flow - Spotify Atmospheric Rivers 101 - Spotify THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| California & Nevada Snowpack & River Flow 2026 | 15 May 2026 | 00:32:25 | |
With the unique winter and spring weather events creating a mixed snowpack and melt season, this episode talks with the California Nevada River Forecast Center to learn details about the expected river flows this spring and summer in their region, and to look at what types of precipitation might load up for the summer and fall. This is the 2nd episode in a series of five episodes talking with five River Forecast Centers across the US. The River Forecast Centers are part of the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; they track all precipitation in each river basin, creating flow forecasts based on a variety of parameters. In this time of shifty weather and climate rowdiness, these experts are able to explain how the weather of the past fall and winter will impact river flows today and into the near future.
California Nevada River Forecast Center NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
SPONSORS
PREVIOUS EPISODES ON RIVER FLOW FORECAST Columbia Basin Snowpack & River Flow 2026 - Apple Podcasts Columbia Basin Snowpack & River Flow 2026 - Spotify 2024 Snowpack & River Flow - Spotify 2023 Western Snowpack & River Flow - Apple Podcasts 2023 Western Snowpack & River Flow - Spotify Atmospheric Rivers 101 - Spotify THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Columbia Basin Snowpack & River Flow 2026 | 13 May 2026 | 00:32:06 | |
As rivers in the west fill with spring runoff, we begin a series of episodes with various river hydrologists from four River Forecast Centers across the country. In this episode, we talk with the Northwest River Forecast Center in Oregon to learn about this past winter's precipitation and what flows will emerge this spring and summer. This episode is focused on the Columbia River Basin. Our guest is Amy Burke, a river hydrologist from the NWRFC. She explains the impacts of the Atmospheric Rivers and the March heat dome. Following this episode will be companion episodes for many of the river basins popular with river runners.
GUESTS Northwest River Forecast Cente NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
SPONSORS
PREVIOUS EPISODES ON RIVER FLOW FORECAST 2024 Snowpack & River Flow - Spotify 2023 Western Snowpack & River Flow - Apple Podcasts 2023 Western Snowpack & River Flow - Spotify Atmospheric Rivers 101 - Spotify THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Colorado State's River & Stream Access Un-Clarity | 06 May 2026 | 00:55:34 | |
In the State of Colorado, the couple hundred rivers and several thousand streams are extremely popular for fishing, boating, swimming, all the river things. And while people typically have access to these waterways, the laws on access in the state are not clear and could potentially lock up access when rivers run next to and through private property. Currently two groups are working to secure access for river users and a film, "Common Waters," explores a recent interaction between a landowner and a fisherman that is leveraging a push for legal clarity around this access. Two guests join us to talk through the topic: Hattie Johnson from American Whitewater, and Cody Perry from Rig to Flip. GUESTS Hattie Johnson from American Whitewater Cody Perry from Rig to Flip Thumbnail pic: Cody Perry, Rig to Flip
White paper on Wading and navigability in Colorado Article on opposition to stream access in Colorado Donate to Colorado Access Fund
Responsible River Recreation Alliance (Hattie Johnson & AW) Send a letter to your Colorado lawmaker supporting safe and legal river passage Colorado Stream Access Coalition (Cody Perry & Rig to Flip) Sign the Petition for boating and fishing/wading access
SPONSORS
PREVIOUS RIVER RADIUS EPISODES ON TOPIC New Mexico's Fenced Off Rivers (Apple Podcast) New Mexico's Fenced Off Rivers (Spotify)
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| When a River Guide Rows Across the Pacific Ocean | 21 Apr 2026 | 01:11:06 | |
Rowing is loosely defined as the act, or the art, of moving a boat through water with two oars, powered by a human. As a professional river guide, Kelsey Pfendler rows boats down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. In early May of 2026, she will embark on a 2,500 mile row across the Pacific Ocean from south of San Francisco, California, to the islands of Hawaii. Kelsey will make this journey solo, taking about 80 days. Her vessel, Lily, is built for the task. She has a small cabin for sleeping and reading charts and weather and communicating with her land crew. Why is she rowing solo across the ocean? There are many answers. One answer is to bring attention to the Whale Foundation, a guide support organization focused on Grand Canyon guide health. The other reasons? She tells us why. This is her second Mid Pacific crossing, but the first solo. What she learned on the first crossing brings more depth to the power of the solo crossing.
TikTok: @yourowkelsey Kelsey's first row
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Big Bend, the Rio Grande & a Border Wall | 07 Apr 2026 | 00:59:21 | |
The waters of the Rio Grande form the entire 1,254-mile border between the state of Texas and Mexico. Some portions of that border are open, with no physical barrier and monitored primarily by surveillance. Other sections have a full wall, with others are slated for new construction. One long stretch through Big Bend is defined by deep, rugged canyons that seem to function as a natural barrier. And it is here that survey crews are working toward the possibility of building a wall. This region is known for the Rio Grande flowing through national and state parks, Wild and Scenic canyons, and vast wildlife areas all consistently remote, powerful river country. Supporting that riverscape is a long-standing river outfitting community. A wall could cut off access to the river for outfitters, for do-it-yourself boaters and potentially disrupt the local economy built around it. River runners, ranchers, residents, and five border-county sheriffs are speaking out about the wall, standing against a wall and for the wild canyon country they call home. In this episode, we talk with Tara Shackelford, an outfitter, and Judge Greg Henington, a former outfitter and current county judge, to understand their connection to the river. GUEST Judge Greg Henington SPONSORS
RESOURCES REGIONAL MEDIA
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Jess Lewis & The River Running Mindset | 17 Mar 2026 | 00:51:15 | |
Jess Lewis started her company, Wyld Heart Co., to support river runners in the early stages of learning to run rivers. Her work focuses on mindset and heuristics that support personal growth alongside the technical skills needed to get boats down the river, and the mental skills required to grow through the challenges and “stuck on rock” moments that are inevitable for all river runners. She teaches skills for all river crafts, and her favorite and most common teaching setting is in a raft, with her students rowing the boat. We talk through the details of the oar setup she provides, the types of boats she uses, and the various learning styles of her students. Jess believes—and teaches—that even if a river runner has had moments on the river that scared them, or scared their kids who were in the boat, those fears can be worked through and skills can be adapted to support river running that is more prepared and more adaptable to each situation. Jess grew up with river-guiding parents, and at 13 she hiked the full Continental Divide Trail with her family. She describes both of these early life experiences as foundational to the work she does today. GUEST SPONSORS Down River Equipment THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Live with The Returning Rapids Project, at the America Outdoors Conference | 03 Mar 2026 | 01:20:35 | |
This episode was recorded live at the America Outdoors annual conference and is a conversation with three members from the Returning Rapids Project in Utah. The Returning Rapids Project is documenting the changes and restoration happening to the reservoir-affected areas of the Colorado River and the San Juan River as Lake Powell continues to recede out of the river canyons it inundated with reservoir waters for the past several decades. The deeper focus of this episode beyond this research project is the powerful observational ability of river guides who work on rivers day after day, year after year, and how they can notice the most minute changes. In the case of the Colorado River and the Returning Rapids Project, it was this guide observation that witnessed a subtle shift to the river. This observation has developed into a powerful project that is learning how rivers recover from life under a reservoir.
America Outdoors Watch this episode on the America Outdoors Youtube Channel
Giveaway: "Raft the Last Wild River Sweepstakes" OARS
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| National Paddling Film Festival 2026 | 17 Feb 2026 | 00:41:51 | |
Rivers are always photogenic, even telegenic, and rivers often become the setting for many films. Each year since 1981, the National Paddling Film Festival (NPFF) has provided a collective presentation of river films. This year’s festival is happening on February 21, live and in person in Kentucky with a virtual streaming option available for the price of a cup of coffee. We have 3 guests bringing us details about the NPFF. Stephanie Hoelscher is the director; Devin Ashley Brown is the featured paddler in the film “Mother River” about her Mississippi River run; and Nishan Thapa is the creator of the film “The Jewel of Wild West Nepal” about paddling the rivers in his home country of Nepal.
Stephanie Hoelscher Devin Ashley Brown Nishan Thapa
SPONSORS
NATIONAL PADDLING FILM FESTIVAL THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| 3 Women 300 Miles, River Boarding the Grand Canyon | 10 Feb 2026 | 01:13:29 | |
Do you ever get those wild ideas about running a river in a unique way, but they just stay ideas, and you kinda always wish you had followed through? This episode is about an idea that became a reality. In November of 2001, 3 people zipped up their drysuits, pulled on their swim fins, strapped their dry bags to river boards, and slid into the Colorado River beginning a 300 mile trip where river boards were their only water craft. Kelley Kalafatich, Julie Munger and Rebecca Rusch floated, swam, kicked and paddled their way in and down the Colorado River, successfully and joyfully, and they have a film documenting this story. The film has just published and they joined The River Radius to have a reunion of sorts and tell their river boarding story 25 years later. THE FILM:
Kelley Kalafatich TEDX Rebecca Rusch website SPONSOR Denver Area Nissan Dealers EPISODE THUMBNAIL IMAGE ARTICLES "Grand Adventure: River Boarding the Colorado"
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Ben Stookesberry, Exploratory Kayaking & Ecuador | 03 Feb 2026 | 01:02:35 | |
Ben Stookesberry paddles kayaks in his home state of Montana, and around the world. In his teen years he learned to make home movies showing off his rollerblading moves, and in college he learned to kayak. Today he blends the paddling and film making as he runs rivers in global settings. He has created deep and lasting friendships in his travels, and returns to rivers again and again, to paddle more stretches, to learn more, and sometimes to engage in protection work. In this episode, Ben talks through all of this with us, and goes into depth about his current paddling and film efforts on the Jatunyacu and Mulatos Rivers in Ecuador. GUESTS Bio @ Kokatat RESOURCES Ecuadorian Rivers Institute PADDLERS TO FOLLOW @ecuskayaker (Diego) SPONSORS Denver Area Nissan Dealers
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Ed Roberson, Mountain & Prairie Podcast | 06 Jan 2026 | 01:45:55 | |
Podcasting is incredibly unique and fun work that has allowed me to meet so many rivers and river people. And podcasting is a job that I really just created for myself. Yes there are other podcasts and podcasters, but by nature of the work, we are all kind of hidden in quiet places behind microphones and editing screens, so finding a podcasting friend is so helpful. Ed Roberson has built the Mountain & Prairie Podcast and we have become colleagues and friends that can support each other when we have questions and challenges. For this episode, Ed and I decided to interview each other in a single episode and go deeper into our work, and publish it on both of our respective podcasts. Ed is a leading interviewer finding some of the most humble and impactful people of the American West and Ed is in the process of writing his own book. To start off 2026, here is an episode with two podcasters talking about our work, focus and plans for this coming season of episodes.
GUESTS Mountain & Prairie Podcast website
@nissanusa THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Albania's Vjosa River | 18 Dec 2025 | 00:33:28 | |
The Vjosa River in Albania is one of the largest of the last free running rivers in Europe and recently it was protected with the new Vjosa Wild River National Park. The Vjosa sources from the mountains of Greece and flows north through Albania where it meets the Adriatic Sea. Eco Albania has led much of the work to create this National Park and our guest Dr Olsi Nika founded Eco Albania. Dr Nika tells us about this long and beautiful river in his home country, how people in Albania use this river, about life in Albania, and how they did the work to project this river.
GUESTS
RESOURCES Vjosa Wild River National Park Video: Blue Heart - Eco Albania
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| This Moment Has Been Prayed For | 25 Nov 2025 | 00:44:35 | |
Amidst a flourish of media about Paddle Tribal Waters, a new film has published from Oregon Public Broadcasting & Jessie Sears, giving focus to the 2025 source to sea run completed by the indigenous teens of PTW. The film, “First Descent: Kayaking the Klamath”, is there to meet the paddlers at the Pacific Ocean when they complete their journey, is with them along the river and the film also engages with the families of the paddlers to hear their perceptions of their kid’s work and pursuits. And finally, the film’s producer, Jessie Sears, is a member of the Karuk Tribe from the Klamath River basin, and by creating this film, she is exploring her own connections with this river and these families. The Film: “First Descent: Kayaking the Klamath" Jessie Sears professional website Paddle Tribal Waters & Rios to Rivers New York Times about Paddle Tribal Waters Underscore Native News
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| "The River's Daughter" with Bridget Crocker | 13 Nov 2025 | 01:06:45 | |
In the spring of 1980, nine-year-old Bridget Crocker, while playing next to her home river, fell from a downed tree into the cold swollen Snake River — a scary swim that initiated a deep, lifelong relationship with rivers and river people. This year in 2025 her memoir “The River’s Daughter” traces a thalweg of traumas, challenges and joys that played out in both her river life and her family life. Today Bridget hosts retreats and workshops on rivers, guides on special occasions, and is creating her dream life with her family.
RELATED EPISODES FROM THE RIVER RADIUS
ORGANIZATIONS FROM EPISODE
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| 640 Million Acres Are Yours - How Do We Keep It That Way? | 28 Oct 2025 | 01:11:41 | |
Across the United States, 640 million acres of public land belong to all of us — rivers that still run wild, deep canyons, mountain ranges, plains, and deserts. Places where the wild things live. Places we can still visit, explore, and trust that it will be there for generations or an eon. But this year, the push to sell or transfer those lands has surfaced — sometimes openly, sometimes in quieter, less obvious ways. Why is this happening? Who’s behind it? And how do we, as citizens, stand up in simple, effective ways to keep public lands public? Our guest is Land Tawney, from American Hunters & Anglers — a man who comes from a long line of land conservationists. He brings both a historical lens and a practical action plan for keeping these 640 million acres wild, free, and truly ours.
GUEST American Hunters and Anglers Minority Outdoor Alliance RESOURCES 202-224-3121 Ambler Road
The Gila: River, Place, Family US Senator Martin Heinrich, New Mexico US Representative Gabe Vasquez, New Mexico US Representative Betty McCollum, Minnesota US Representative Ryan Zinke, Montana US Senator Steve Daines, Montana US Senator Ron Wyden, Oregon US Senator Jeff Merkley, Oregon US Senator John Hickenlooper, Colorado US Senator Susan Collins, Maine US Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, Pennsylvania US Senator John Thune, South Dakota
SPONSORS Denver Area Nissan Dealers Buddy Boy Adventure Waste Kit THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| The US Mexico Border, the Rio Grande, a Floating Fence | 14 Oct 2025 | 00:43:33 | |
Dr. Adriana Martinez grew up in Eagle Pass, Texas, swimming and playing in the Rio Grande as a part of daily life. 10 years after getting her Ph.D and teaching university classes in fluvial geomorphology, her Texas hometown and home river became the iconic center of the modern immigration debate and the setting for the controversial river buoy border fence. In this episode she tells us about the research she is conducting to learn how the buoy fence in the Rio Grande is impacting this river, and about growing up riverside to an international border. GUEST Dr Adriana "Didi" Martinez
RESOURCES
SPONSORS Denver Area Nissan Dealers Over It Raft Covers THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Seek Higher Ground - Tim Palmer on His Lifelong Relationship to Floodwaters | 30 Sep 2025 | 00:43:13 | |
Tim Palmer has spent much of his life floating down, writing about, and photographing America’s rivers. With 34 books and scores of awards to his name (including the first-ever lifetime achievement award presented by American Rivers), he’s one of river conservation's most seasoned voices. In this episode, guest host Clark Tate joins Tim to talk about a recent run down the newly dam-free Klamath, his lifelong bond with Pennsylvania’s Youghiogheny River, the origins of America's flood management system, the benefits of giving rivers the room they need to run when the waters inevitably rise, and how increasingly severe floods both reveal our vulnerabilities and offer opportunities.
GUEST
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| From Flood to Future: Helene’s Mountain Recovery | 16 Sep 2025 | 00:52:32 | |
This September brings the one year anniversary of Hurricane Helene and the powerful flooding that pounded Southern Appalachia. Incredible work has been to remove the bridges and cars and houses and trees that filled up the rivers. And more work continues today and for the next 18 months to clean up the remaining smaller trash. In this episode we learn about these details and how some communities did not flood because dams were removed prior to Helene, and how more dams are being removed post Helene. Our guests are Hartwell Carson and Andy Hill from Mountain True in North Carolina. GUESTS Hartwell Carson
Part 1, Hurricane Helene in Appalachia, The Science
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Concrete vs The Snake River: Update 3 | 02 Sep 2025 | 00:52:18 | |
After incredible collaboration and momentum at the Snake River amongst several tribes and two states to create a legitimate pathway for the 4 Lower Snake River Dams to be breached and therefore allow the anadromous Salmon, Steelhead and Lamprey of the basin to avoid extinction, the collaboration has been cancelled by the current presidential administration. Why? What comes next? Our guests are full of passion and wisdom for this story: Kayeloni Scott from the Columbia Snake River Campaign and Libby Tobey from the Grand Salmon Project. GUESTS Libby Tobey FILMS ABOUT SNAKE RIVER "The Grand Salmon"
RESOURCES "Trump Administration Abandons Deal With Northwest Tribes to Restore Salmon" Pro Publica "Remove the dams. Replace their services. Restore the Salmon." Idaho Outfitters & Guides Association "Snake River Fact Sheet" Idaho Rivers United
PREVIOUS RIVER RADIUS EPISODES ON SNAKE RIVER Salmon 2: Big Dam Problems & Solutions Salmon 3: Fighting Extinction Real Time
SPONSORS Buddy Boy Adventure Waste Kit THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| 10 Rivers for 2025 | 19 Aug 2025 | 00:57:02 | |
For 40 years, American Rivers has published its annual Most Endangered Rivers list — a powerful statement sparking awareness and action to restore waterways across the country. In this 40th anniversary episode, we talk with Chantel Dominguez from American Rivers to explore this year’s list, river by river, moving through the challenges they face and the tangible solutions for each. We also revisit three rivers from last year’s list to learn about their increasing health and vitality. Thumbnail pic credit: Sinjin Eberle, American Rivers
Denver Area Nissan Dealers Over It Raft Covers
EPISODE GUEST Chantel Dominguez
Mississippi River Tijuana River Rivers of Southern Appalachia Passaic River Lower Rio Grande River Rappahannock River Clearwater River Basin Susitna River Calcasieu River Gauley River
Part 1, Tijuana River, Binational Flow Previous American Rivers Most Endangered Rivers List Episodes THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Is A River Alive? - Can a New Book Convince You? | 05 Aug 2025 | 00:53:06 | |
Every year, we ask one big question: What is a River? This year, the currents brought us to Dr. Robert Macfarlane—writer & professor—and his newly released book, Is A River Alive?, Dr Macfarlane joined us to explore that very question. From the chalk streams from his home in England to rivers across three continents, Macfarlane pursues his answers. In this episode, we move through his global journey, his new water literacy, and why he calls himself a teacher first.
GUESTS Dr Robert Macfarlane, University of Cambridge Dr Robert Macfarlane, Wikipedia Film: MOUNTAIN narrated by Willem Dafoe The poem Inversaid by Gerard Manley Hopkins Universal Declaration of River Rights River Seine in Paris and a Declaration of River Rights Britain's Premier Nature Writer Cries Us a River SPONSORS Natural Systems Design
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| “About Damn Time” - Women Dory Guides Breaking the Current | 15 Jul 2025 | 00:46:22 | |
In this episode, we dive into About Damn Time, Dana Romanoff’s powerful film that follows Cindell “Dellie” Dale and a crew of boatwomen as they navigate handcrafted wooden dories down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. They spent 17 days and 277 miles running the river and filming the story. Their journey becomes a vivid exploration of women reshaping a river culture long dominated by men. We ask: How did they work together to tell this story? What wisdom flows from these women to the next generation of dory guides? And why is the dory the most poetic boat ever built to run through the Grand Canyon? GUESTS
SPONSORS American Rivers
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Endurance, Suffering, Transformation - The MR 340 | 01 Jul 2025 | 00:56:08 | |
Every July, more than 500 paddlers push off from Kansas City down 340 miles of massive Missouri River current, paddling day and night across the state in one of the world’s longest nonstop river races. This is the MR 340, an event of endurance, suffering and transformation. From solo racers chasing records to 10-person canoes grinding it out over four brutal days, every paddler faces the same river. In this episode, we sit down with Kate Mansker, a racer from the very first MR 340 in 2006 who still holds course records, and Steve Schnarr, the race director who steers the chaos behind the scenes. Together, they chart the evolution of the race, the legends it’s created, and what it takes to avoid the Reaper.
GUESTS Kate Mansker
Denver Area NIssan Dealers River City Outdoors MR 340 RACE INFO Article 1: They Were Magnificent Humans: An Oral History of the First MR340 Article 2: Missouri River Relief to host 20th annual MR340 race on Missouri River THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Live on Stage with Paddle Tribal Waters & Their Source to Sea | 17 Jun 2025 | 01:09:34 | |
Live from the River Management Society’s Annual Symposium in Ashland, Oregon, we bring you a live conversation with Paddle Tribal Waters. This powerful project is paddling the entire length of the Klamath River from its headwaters to the Pacific Ocean during the summer of 2025. We dive into the vision and logistics behind this month-long river journey. Hear how Paddle Tribal Waters is weaving together stories of ecology, culture and river life.
Northwest River Supplies American Whitewater HOST
GUESTS Danielle Rey Frank
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Driving Sweep with Katie Veteto | 03 Jun 2025 | 00:34:55 | |
Katie Veteto is a river guide with quiet calculated confidence and a sharp eye for water. Within a few years she was navigating one of the most difficult crafts on the river—the massive sweep boat. NRS's new film Driving Sweep, directed by River Radius Contributing Host Greg Cairns, follows her journey of learning, doubt, and determination as she takes on a role historically dominated by men. Through her story, the film offers a powerful reflection on resilience, mentorship, and making space in wild places. GUESTS Katie Veteto Greg Cairns
SPONSORS
WATCH THE FILM
GIVEAWAY
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| New Film: "Just Get A Kayak" | 28 May 2025 | 00:55:23 | |
Two friends become enamored with R1 rafting and together began running class 5 runs to include waterfalls. Then they decide to spend a summer R1ing and making a river film about their fun. Kenny Beauchamp and Ryan Huck tell their story of being friends, running scary fun water and learning to make a film.
GIVEAWAY
Ryan Huck @hucknstuff29 Kenny Beuachamp @steep_creek_kenny Film Acct @steep_creek_productions_llc Website: www.steepcreekproductions.com
THE FILM: JUST GET A KAYAK
Sage Yazzie @nativenaturellc Music Jackson Corbo on Spotify & Instagram Drone pilot @anakin_fpv Thad @thaddeusthefirst FILM SPONSORS
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Part 3, Tijuana River, Solutions | 20 May 2025 | 00:52:05 | |
This is the 3rd and last episode about the Tijuana River. The Tijuana River is a story of trade, immigration and international borders. This is a river that flows across the US Mexico border and carries pollution and sewage. Our guest is Dr Maria-Elana Giner; she served as commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission and upon request of President Trump, she resigned from this position in April of 2025. In this 3rd episode we look for solutions to this epic challenge for the US and Mexico.
CO-HOST Ramon Chairez GUESTS Letter or Resignation, Dr Giner News on Dr Giner resigning as Commissioner
RESOURCES Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve San Diego / Tijuana Metro Area Navy Seals impacted by Tijuana River
PREVIOUS EPISODES ON TIJUANA RIVER Part 1, Tijuana River, Binational Flow Part 2, Tijuana River, Source of the Pollution
American Rivers THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Are Public Lands 4 $ale? | 30 Apr 2025 | 00:44:38 | |
Many of our favorite rivers run through public land, land that is owned and managed by the Federal Government, and so therefore owned by the citizens of the United States. There is renewed chatter in Washington DC suggesting that major sales of public lands can create significant revenue for the Federal Government. This episode hosts experts on this topic from the Idaho Outfitters & Guides Association, and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition to learn more about who wants this, why this is being considered, what are the benefits, and how listeners can engage in the process.
GUESTS
Idaho Outfitter and Guides Association
ARTICLES ON TOPIC Republicans weigh sales of public land in reconciliation Could federal land be sold to pay for tax cuts?
LINKS TO SENATORS & REPRESENTATIVES Find your House of Representatives Member
SPONSORS Denver Area Nissan Dealers SURVEY LINK
EMAIL SIGNUP LINK THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Bots & River Permits | 08 Apr 2025 | 01:02:38 | |
Do you ever wonder if bots are being used to acquire river permits during the annual cancellation lotteries each year? So do we. So we built a bot to see if it works to secure permits. And we tried talking with rec dot gov to get their input. Check out this episode for a tour of bots, permits, bureaucracy and access to public rivers.
SURVEY ABOUT THE RIVER RADIUS PODCAST 2021 EPISODE ABOUT RIVER PERMITS GUESTS American Whitewater Allocating Recreation with Fairness at the Forefront Rec Dot Gov SPONSORS
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Part 2, Tijuana River, Source of the Pollution | 18 Mar 2025 | 01:00:54 | |
The Tijuana Rivers courses through the City of Tijuana Mexico where 2 million people live. Several hundred thousand homes in Tijuana are not connected to the city sewage system and this leads to significant pollution of the Tijuana River. And because the city of Tijuana butts right up to the US Mexico border, the path of the river sewage and the responsibility for managing is not always clear. This episode goes into Tijuana to learn more about why the pollution exists, where it comes from and the status of various infrastructure tools that manage the pollution.
CO-HOST Ramon Chairez GUESTS Waylon Matson Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve San Diego / Tijuana Metro Area North American Free Trade Agreement United States Mexico Canada Free Trade Agreement
American Rivers Denver Area Nissan Dealers THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Part 1 Tijuana River, Binational Flow | 18 Feb 2025 | 00:44:44 | |
This episode is on site where a beautiful desert mountain river flows through an estuary and into the Pacific Ocean. Before the Tijuana River meets the ocean, it navigates through a dense urban border region with 5 million people. The outcome is a river that is carrying toxic sewage and pollution to the ocean, closing beaches and creating illness in the river and beach communities. This is the first episode in a series about this beautiful place, the epic pollution, and the incredible people who are engaged in the work to clean up this river and ocean.
Dr Kimberly Dickson Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve San Diego / Tijuana Metro Area American Rivers Denver Area Nissan Dealers THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Part 2, Hurricane Helene in Appalachia, River Rescue | 04 Feb 2025 | 01:27:22 | |
River runners became paramount for river rescue in many parts of Appalachia when Hurricane Helene inflated the rivers to record levels. People were stranded in buildings, bridges blew out, and houses were swept downriver. This live episode at the America Outdoors Conference hosts 3 river runners who immediately engaged in the rescue of people stranded by the floods, and, the rescue of the rivers from their own floods. They tell the stories of their work beginning at daybreak on day 1 of Hurricane Helene.
GUESTS Korey Hampton Steven Foy
RELEVANT LINKS AND CONTENT USA Today articles about Korey and Mitch running rescues USA Today New York Times, print and podcast story about Mr Tipton 60 Minutes: Families in WNC rebuild in wake of Helene: "This is home"
SPONSORS River Management Society
Part 1, Hurricane Helene in Appalachia, The Science THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Part 1, Hurricane Helene in Appalachia, The Science | 21 Jan 2025 | 01:10:59 | |
In September of 2024 when Hurricane Helene arrived in the mountains of North Carolina, Tennessee and South Carolina, it landed where the ground and rivers were already saturated and swollen with rain. The result was “the storm of record” taking out thousands of bridges, sending thousands of landslides down the mountains and taking human life. This episode hosts the National Weather Service and the Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center to explore the storm and the river reaction, and then Dr Phillip Prince goes deep in describing landslides and debris flows and their impact.
GUESTS Trisha Palmer Matt Wilson Dr Phillip Prince
RELEVANT LINKS AND CONTENT Video: French Broad River Flooding 2024 - Hurricane Helene in Woodfin, NC Article: Helene deals billions in damage to infrastructure Article: Reflections on loss and opportunity in flood ravaged Western North Carolina
SPONSORS River Management Society
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Part 2, Dr Len Necefer, 2025 | 07 Jan 2025 | 00:45:24 | |
Dr Len Necefer opens up 2025 for The River Radius. Len is the mind and perspective I wanted to welcome me and you both into this 6th season of The River Radius. We talk through the relationship of rivers and elections, of books for this year, the work and impact of Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, and other river and life layers. Len is the founder of Natives Outdoors, the Sonoran Avalanche Center, runs rivers, is articulate and intelligently humorous. This is the 2nd episode with Dr Len Necefer and both are some of my favorites.
BOOKS
River Management Society
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Part 1, Dr Len Necefer, Living in the Soup | 30 Dec 2024 | 01:13:26 | |
To move from 2024 into 2025, we have one guest in two episodes for you. Our guest is Dr Len Necefer. This is the first episode. We talk through life wrapped in intellect and self facing humor, 6th grade reading levels, native art and the modern retail market, an upriver bike ride, and river runs at the northern most reaches of the North American continent. Len is the “star” of his Outside TV show where he is riding his bike up the Colorado River from Mexico to Colorado. He is the founder of Natives Outdoors. He served the Obama Administration in the Dept of Energy. And Len is part of the founding crew of the Sonoran Avalanche Center. Len and I sat on top of a small mountain, on a park bench looking down on the deep desert river and ski town of Tucson, Arizona on a Sunday morning in the end of November to laugh and learn, and talk life and rivers.
SPONSORS Over It Raft Covers THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Declaration of Rights for the Biobio River in Chile | 26 Dec 2024 | 00:29:53 | |
Do rivers have rights? Should they have a set of rights that guide how they are used? In September of this year, 2024, the Biobio River in Chile was assigned a Declaration of Rights. This non binding document allows for work to be done towards making the Declaration influential and even binding at a later date. We speak with International Rivers and Malen Lebu in Chile to understand this more.
Over It Raft Covers
GUESTS Evaluna Morales Malen Lebu Declaration of Rights for the Biobio Maranon River, Peru, Declaration of Rights
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Darby McAdams & Her New Film, NEAR THE RIVER | 03 Dec 2024 | 00:49:29 | |
Darby McAdams holds many places in the river world: kayaker, film maker & instructor of both kayaking and film work for young paddlers. In November of 2024 her new film NEAR THE RIVER went public. In this episode Darby moves through her kayak path, her film path and talks about NEAR THE RIVER and its story about the people of the Zambezi River in Africa. DARBY MCADAMS
Over It Raft Covers
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Is Public Access to Georgia’s Rivers Disappearing? | 12 Nov 2024 | 00:38:49 | |
Georgia has rivers and streams running from the mountain country of the Southern Appalachians to the Gulf of Mexico, totaling about 70,000 total miles of waterways. Whitewater and flatwater. Clear water and Black water. And a long history of publicly accessible rivers and streams. That access is being debated by the State of Georgia and bills have been proposed that would curtail access for the public. We talk with Georgia Rivers to learn more about this topic and about the public meeting and comment process.
SPONSORS Denver Area Nissan Dealers Over It Raft Covers
GUEST
PUBLIC MEETING Email your comments / Georgia Residents Email your comments / Non Georgia Residents
THUMBNAIL IMAGE Pic credit, Joe Cook, Georgia Rivers
THE RIVER RADIUS | |||
| Source to Sea: Maine's Sandy & Kennebec Rivers | 24 Oct 2024 | 00:43:49 | |
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.
RIVERS FOR CHANGE
Stuart Hickey, raft guide Jessica Sterling, kayak instructor and web designer Chris Morgan Jennifer Noll Saige Purser Joe Klementovich, Photographer Matt Palmariello Amy Borch, Tattoo artist Eli Studer, Tattoo artist
SPONSORS Denver Area Nissan Dealers Over It Raft Covers
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 | |||