November 2, 2024 would’ve been the 29th annual Green Race, an event that draws thousands from all over the world to watch whitewater kayakers race a stretch of Class V rapids on Western North Carolina’s Green River Narrows.
Instead, paddlers rallied for a river clean-up day and memorial for the Green River as they knew it after floodwaters from Hurricane Helene altered the river beyond recognition.
Green River altered significantly by impacts from Hurricane Helene
“As whitewater paddlers we’re used to change…but rarely do we see the proverbial bedrock shaken and distorted in a way like it has,” shared Chris Gragtmans, lifelong paddler of the Green and whitewater professional.
“The Green River witnessed just an unbelievable, earth-shaking event here with this storm. There were a few watersheds in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee that bore the brunt, the pinnacle of fury, of Hurricane Helene. The Green River watershed was one of them.”
Overall, Hurricane Helene caused an estimated 1,400 landslides in Western North Carolina, damaged over 160 sewer and water systems, damaged at least 6,000 miles (9,650 kilometers) of roads, and washed out more than 1,000 bridges and culverts according to the Associated Press.
“There’s obviously a lot of human pain involved. People lost their lives, their homes, people will go bankrupt over this.” Gragtmans shared. “For myself and for our community, where we deal with the hard things in life are these sacred rivers.”
“This is what rivers do, rivers change, but we’re not used to seeing geological time play out before our eyes,” Gragtmans added. “We make the assumption that these things occur more gradually, that the water wears the rock away over millions of years.”
In place of the 29th annual Green River Race, paddlers rally to clean up and honor the Green River
According to a statement from the Green Race, the road that allowed vehicle access to the lower Green River has been washed out from both above and below; the powerhouse that controlled water release through the Green River Narrows was partially destroyed by a landslide, rendering the Narrows fully dependent on rainfall for runnable water levels. Beyond that, the Green River Narrows itself has changed.
“We’re not writing a new chapter here, it’s a new book,” the Green Race wrote.
With the Green River Race an impossibility at this time, paddlers from throughout the region and world gathered on November 2, 2024 for the river clean up, fundraiser, and to honor the river itself.
Eric Deguil, a former Green River Race champion from France, competed in the Russell Fork “Lord of the Fork” Race, coming in first, and made the trip over to the Green River for the clean up and memorial, race or no race.
“Deguil, Corey Volt and countless others utilized their trade skill sets to help the community. He was in the river, climbing all over with borrowed chainsaws doing work that the rest of us aren’t qualified to do,” shared Gragtmans. “It’s just so beautiful to see people doing that, to see Eric still flying in from abroad, I really gotta give him props.”
A look at the new Green River
So what remains of the Green River as we knew it?
“Probably 97% of the rapids on the Green changed, and three percent are intact,” Gragtmans estimates. “Maybe less. It’s basically become a very young geological river bed. Sediment is going to fill in and rocks are going to roll.”
Overall, Gragtmans estimates that the river has likely become more difficult and more consequential.
“I believe we need to treat it like a remote class V river. I also think that rescue from the heart of that gorge is going to be really challenging,” said Gragtmans.
“I choose to believe that we can hold both the grief and sorrow of losing the place as we knew it and also wonder at the power of nature, and hope for the future stories that will be written in that gorge. I think it’s got a lot more to teach us,” added Gragtmans.
According to a post on Facebook on Thursday, November 7, Chris Gragtmans put that philosophy into action with friend and paddler Patrick Keller and opened up the Gorilla, one of the most recognizable rapids on the Green.
Gragtmans wrote on Facebook that while the river has changed not all hope is lost:
“She’s different, but still so beautiful and badass. And she’s got at least two more lines to share with us all when the flows and the energy align. It was a very special day.”
To support recovery in the Green River watershed, consider donating to the Green River Recovery Fund and/or Green River Access Fund.
