Fastwater Spill Resonse Published: February 13, 2018

Inland Spill Response: WRI Environmental Fastwater spill response , river spill response and inland oil spill response training are our speciality at WRI Environmental. WRI has comprehensive experience in every aspect of inland spill response. From pre-planning, collecting data and creating Geographic Response Plans -to coordinating multi-agency spill response training and fastwater oil spill r...

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Inland Oil Spill Response Challenges Published: February 9, 2018

Inland Spill Response Inland oil spill response often involves moving water and presents a unique set of challenges for responders. WRI offers state of the art and innovative inland oil spill response training in our Swiftwater Spill Response Technician courses. Responder safety and managing risk during fastwater spill response are our top priority at WRI.  Safety officers must be well versed in...

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Cold Weather Response: Personal Gear Published: January 10, 2018

At WRI Environmental we specialize in fastwater spill response and inland spill response training. Last Christmas, I was put on standby for an inland oil spill response and spent over an hour collecting the right personal gear I'd need to be outside on a river in windy 10 degree weather.  I was reminded that safely responding to a river emergency or spill in cold weather requires a little more p...

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Graves Creek Case Study Published: August 30, 2017

Case Study: Graves Creek, MT Class V-V+ June 7, 2012   Two friends, Joe and Sam, left Missoula at 0400 the morning of the 7th to begin the drive up to Graves Creek. They decided that the drive would take about 4 hours, placing them at the put-in by 0800. Joe, who had been down Graves Creek once before, said that even though the section they would be paddling was only 1 mile l...

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WRI November 2011 Update Published: November 15, 2011

By Frank Preston If you live in Missoula long enough, you stop listening to the weather report this time of year. The predictions of 12-24 inches in the mountains almost always disappoint with a third that much. You figure out what the weather is really going to do, and you rely on your own cloud-reading. Despite WRI celebrating a week of staff birthdays, I don’t know if we are ready to talk ...

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Should Canoers wear helmets? Published: March 23, 2011

As an avid skier, I have watched the transformation of the heads in lift lines go from day glow head bands and mohawks, to wool beanies, to what we see today--helmets. It makes sense. The speed and the likelihood of falling are high. Why not protect our noggins. This same transformation has been seen with many sports--motorcycles, biking, and climbing to name a few. Standard issue for kayakers,...

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Four Case Studies by Dr. Amtmann Published: March 15, 2011

Case Study #1 Month: Mid July Time: Midafternoon A commercial solo raft on the Rollercoaster section of the Alberton Gorge was flipped at the rock/hydraulic in the middle of the rapid. A customer sitting in the front was knocked backwards and struck her head on either the rock or oar frame, it was unknown which. The guide was unable to get the customers back in the boat – but was able to get ...

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Use it or Lose it: Basic Cardio Training for the Swiftwater Rescue Professional Published: March 9, 2011

John Amtmann, Ed.D., Professor, Applied Health Science, Montana Tech The phrase “use it or lose it” is never more appropriate then in January when it comes to cardiovascular conditioning after taking time off of training for the Christmas/New Year holidays. It’s also applicable to river folks during the off-season: don’t wait until the spring to think about conditioning for spring run-o...

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How to Buy Swift Water Rescue Equipment Published: March 2, 2011

Swift water poses many dangers to the rescuer. It is a dynamic environment, and one small mistake or misjudgment can snowball into catastrophe. In past years, one third of drowning victims in the United States were would-be rescuers. Many of these victims either lacked proper training or equipment. It is paramount, then, for rescue teams to not only purchase the proper equipment, but also to tr...

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Case Study: Vallecito Creek, Colorado Published: February 23, 2011

Vallecito Creek Durango, Colorado Class V-V+ 500-1000 cfs 250 feet per mile River Description- Vallecito Creek is a popular 1 mile stretch of class V whitewater in Southern Colorado. Paddlers start the trip at the take out and hike upstream. Typically, paddlers put in at the top or bottom of Superboof rapid. Regardless, there is only a few hundred yards of class II-III rapids before Entran...

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“Whether you are a river-rookie or an experienced boater, WRI tailors their classes to what you need to learn in a fun and challenging environment. Their scenario based teaching approach creates an electric learning atmosphere where you feel like you are in actual river rescue situations. I would recommend them to anybody!”

Eric Giddens, Owner Kern River Brewing Company/1996 Olympic Kayak Team Member
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