The River Radius Podcast

Jess Lewis & The River Running Mindset

17 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 an...

Live with The Returning Rapids Project, at the America Outdoors Conference

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This episode was recorded live at the America Outdoors annual conference and is a conversation with three members from the Returning Rapids Project in...

National Paddling Film Festival 2026

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Rivers are always photogenic, even telegenic, and rivers often become the setting for many films. Each year since 1981, the National Paddling Film Fes...

3 Women 300 Miles, River Boarding the Grand Canyon

10 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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? ...

Ben Stookesberry, Exploratory Kayaking & Ecuador

03 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 r...

Ed Roberson, Mountain & Prairie Podcast

06 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 c...

Albania's Vjosa River

18 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

This Moment Has Been Prayed For

25 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Amidst a flourish of media about Paddle Tribal Waters, a new film has published from Oregon Public Broadcasting & Jessie Sears, giving focus to the 20...

"The River's Daughter" with Bridget Crocker

13 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

640 Million Acres Are Yours - How Do We Keep It That Way?

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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, ...

The US Mexico Border, the Rio Grande, a Floating Fence

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Seek Higher Ground - Tim Palmer on His Lifelong Relationship to Floodwaters

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

From Flood to Future: Helene’s Mountain Recovery

16 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This September brings the one year anniversary of Hurricane Helene and the powerful flooding that pounded Southern Appalachia. Incredible work has bee...

Concrete vs The Snake River: Update 3

02 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After incredible collaboration and momentum at the Snake River amongst several tribes and two states to create a legitimate pathway for the 4 Lower Sn...

10 Rivers for 2025

19 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For 40 years, American Rivers has published its annual Most Endangered Rivers list — a powerful statement sparking awareness and action to restore w...

Is A River Alive? - Can a New Book Convince You?

05 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

“About Damn Time” - Women Dory Guides Breaking the Current

15 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Endurance, Suffering, Transformation - The MR 340

01 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Live on Stage with Paddle Tribal Waters & Their Source to Sea

17 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Live from the River Management Society’s Annual Symposium in Ashland, Oregon, we bring you a live conversation with Paddle Tribal Waters. This power...

Driving Sweep with Katie Veteto

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 diffic...

New Film: "Just Get A Kayak"

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 an...

Part 3, Tijuana River, Solutions

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 rive...

Are Public Lands 4 $ale?

30 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Bots & River Permits

08 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Part 2, Tijuana River, Source of the Pollution

18 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Tijuana Rivers courses through the City of Tijuana Mexico where 2 million people live.  Several hundred thousand homes in Tijuana are not connect...

Part 1 Tijuana River, Binational Flow

18 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 th...

Part 2, Hurricane Helene in Appalachia, River Rescue

04 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

River runners became paramount for river rescue in many parts of Appalachia when Hurricane Helene inflated the rivers to record levels. People were st...

Part 1, Hurricane Helene in Appalachia, The Science

21 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In September of 2024 when Hurricane Helene arrived in the mountains of North Carolina, Tennessee and South Carolina, it landed where the ground and ri...

Part 2, Dr Len Necefer, 2025

07 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 Riv...

Part 1, Dr Len Necefer, Living in the Soup

30 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 w...

Declaration of Rights for the Biobio River in Chile

26 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 a...

Darby McAdams & Her New Film, NEAR THE RIVER

03 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Is Public Access to Georgia’s Rivers Disappearing?

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Source to Sea: Maine's Sandy & Kennebec Rivers

24 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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,...

What is a River 2024: Chilcotin River Landslide, Dam & Breach

25 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the summer of 2024, the Chilcotin River in British Columbia had a landslide that completely blocked the river creating a natural dam.  For the nex...

Bats & Rabid Misinformation in the Grand Canyon

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Why have cases of reported bat encounters at the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon drastically increased in the last several years? What are the chan...

Sexual Harassment in River Guide Culture

23 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Working as a commercial river guide is one of the best jobs, day after day on rivers, helping people enjoy rivers, seeing beauty, having fun, chasing ...

Part 2: Kevin Fedarko Live

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

SPONSORSAmerican WhitewaterinstagramfacebookAmerican RiversinstagramfacebookNRSinstagramfacebookHigh Desert Life OutdoorsinstagramfacebookFree Flow In...

Part 1: Kevin Fedarko Live

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

SPONSORSAmerican WhitewaterinstagramfacebookAmerican RiversinstagramfacebookNRSinstagramfacebookHigh Desert Life OutdoorsinstagramfacebookFree Flow In...

2024 Snowpack & Riverflow

14 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As snow is melting and running down rivers across the US, this episode talks with hydrologists at 5 regions of the National River Forecast Center to g...

Dam Removal Updates & Trends

30 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dams have been blocking rivers for decades. Is there a growing crack in the dam? This episode explores dam removal as an increasing trend.  We talk w...

10 Rivers for 2024

16 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Each year American Rivers publishes a list of 10 rivers that hold great opportunity for river quality improvements. This year, in addition to covering...

Part 2 The Emerald Mile...Is It Lost?

02 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

SPONSORSDown River EquipmentInstagramFacebook AED One Stop Shop discount landing page  GUESTSJohn AmodioFacebookLinkedin: John Amodio Kevin Fedark...

Part 1 The Emerald Mile, The Forest Behind the Story

19 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin Fedarko’s book, the Emerald Mile, takes readers on the journey of the fastest ride through the Grand Canyon in a dory named the Emerald Mile. ...

Atmospheric Rivers 101

05 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Atmospheric Rivers are bands of water vapor in the sky, sometimes a few thousand miles long, bringing winter moisture to the west coast of North Ameri...

American Whitewater’s Top 10 River Stewardship Focus

20 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

American Whitewater published their Top 10 List of Stewardship issues in January 2024.  This is a mix of dam removal projects, legislation and policy...

Queer River Guiding; 1 Professional’s Experience

06 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The river guiding and river running world are sometimes perceived as idyllic and welcoming.  When is it something different?  Our guest today is an ...

The Mountain Hydrology Lab & Future River Flows

23 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Mountain Hydrology Lab at West Virginia University has defined the density of whitewater river runs in the United States and cross referenced this...

Heart Attack on the River

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the first episode of 2024, a commercial river guide tells his story of having a massive heart attack while guiding a trip in May of 2023 on the Sou...

Heather Hansman & Teal Lehto: Conversations on their Craft & Conservation

13 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There are numerous authors and media professionals doing work to explore river topics.  To close out the 2023 river and podcast year, this episode ho...

Klamath 2: The Next Generation of Paddle Tribal Waters

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Klamath River 2nd episode. In the Spring of 2025, a group of teenagers from several Tribal Nations of the Klamath River Basin and greater region w...

Klamath 1: The Origin of Paddle Tribal Waters

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After 100 years of dams stagnating the flows of the Klamath River and killing the Salmon runs, a group of teenagers from the tribal nations of the Kla...

Payson Kennedy

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Payson Kennedy at 39 was a career academic, and with his wife Aurelia had four kids, a house, and two cars in Atlanta.  After working on the stunt te...

What is a River 2023

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Our 3rd Annual episode of "What is a River" comes to you from a plane flying above the flooded Yampa River Valley in northwest Colorado. In May 2023, ...

Native Teen Guide In Training Program

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Native Teen Guide in Training Program held its 12th year of training teenagers from various tribal nations how to work as river guides. This year ...

Lessons Learned from the Lost River

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

SPONSORSDenver Area Nissan DealersInstagramOver It Raft CoversInstagramPromo Code (free shipping):  riverradius GUESTSScott Armstrong with All Outdo...

Gauley River, West By God Virginia

12 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

SPONSORSDenver Area Nissan DealersInstagramOver It Raft CoversInstagramPromo Code (free shipping):  riverradius GUESTSDavid BrownBook for saleBook o...

The Last River Lost

22 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

EPISODE SPONSORSOver It Raft CoversPromo Code:  riverradiusWholesumPromo Code:  riverradius GUESTSMark DuboisKevin WolfRESOURCESThe Stanislaus Rive...

Cleaning the Urban South Platte River

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The South Platte River runs right through downtown Denver and as you might imagine, this river catches a lot of trash.  There are hordes of people wh...

Re-issue: History of the Groover

18 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Have been using a groover this summer?  Have you cleaned one....or need to clean one?  This episode is a Re-issue of our "History of the Groover" ep...

Fill Lake Powell

11 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

While many river runners see Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam as the leading threat to the Colorado River overall and to the Grand Canyon, there is a v...

Fires & Floods

27 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is there a relationship between forest fire scars, floods and debris flows? This episode will explore  landscapes denuded by fire and these massive s...

Glen Canyon is Again Being Submerged Under Lake Powell

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Glen Canyon was home to the flowing Colorado River until 1963 when Glen Canyon Dam closed its gates creating Lake Powell.  Over the past few years, w...

River Guide Unions

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

An exploration of unions in river guiding. Why aren’t they common? Why do some guides want them?  A guide forms a union. One outfitter assesses the...

2023 Western Snowpack & River Flow

11 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As spring melt begins to fill rivers in the Western United States, the anticipation is high for big water runoff this season because of the long snowy...

10 Rivers for 2023

18 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Every year since 1984, American Rivers has released a report called America's Most Endangered Rivers. To be highlighted by this report, rivers must ha...

American Rivers

28 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

American Rivers celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year.  Founded in 1973, American Rivers is a national level river conservation organization.  T...

River LNT

21 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

River corridors are the conduits of water and beauty.  And so many of us treasure our time there.  How do we best leave it untrammeled?  Two expert...

The Shocking Details of River Lightning

14 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is it true that lightning can’t strike in the Grand Canyon? How far can lightning travel through water? If it does strike, where is the safest place...

Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls

07 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Running waterfalls in rafts is not overly common, but some rafters do it.  Tony Glassman and his river crew built a film about running waterfalls tha...

Tools for the River Guide

02 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

River Guides have a great life working on rivers, guiding people down fun and beautiful rivers. But what makes that life hard? How do River Guides dea...

Hayley Stuart: kayaker, film maker, storyteller, river advocate

31 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hayley Stuart learned to kayak while attending an international traveling high school.  Today she works with indigenous river communities in South Am...

American Whitewater

10 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

American Whitewater is one of the oldest whitewater clubs in the United States, has become the club of clubs and is a modern leader in access to white...

Kanawha Falls Rescue 2020

27 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In September of 2020 at Kanawha Falls in West Virginia, a river rescue at midnight occurred and was given an award and labeled the “Midnight Miracle...

Source to Sea Conservation River Trips

06 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Source to Sea expeditions come with a myriad of missions. This episode explores how to leverage source to sea river expeditions for conservation. Sour...

Part 1: Green Race 2022

18 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For the past 27 years in November, class 5 kayakers have assembled at the Green River in North Carolina for the Green Race.  And a couple thousand ha...

Part 2: Green Race 2022

18 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For the past 27 years in November, class 5 kayakers have assembled at the Green River in North Carolina for the Green Race.  And a couple thousand ha...

Endless Summer 3: Guiding with a Healing Intention

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

ADVERTISING SPONSORNissan and the Denver Area Nissan Dealers websiteNissan Instagram GUESTJon TottenDogsmile AdventuresInstagramMusic Jon likesJason ...

Endless Summer 2: A Guide's Sunset

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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Endless Summer 1: The Guide Life

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

ADVERTISING SPONSORNissan and the Denver Area Nissan Dealers websiteNissan Instagram GUESTJon TottenDogsmile AdventuresInstagramMusic Jon likesJason ...

Project RAFT

20 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the late 1980s, a group of river boaters from the United States reached out to river boaters in the Soviet Union, modern day Russia.  And they beg...

50 Episodes; 8 Follow Up Stories

08 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our 1st episode published in 2019 and in September of 2022, we hit the 50th episode.  The River Radius has covered 50 rivers, 21 states and 12 countr...

Dignity of Risk

24 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is there a right associated with being able to float down a river and to engage in that joy and risk?  What happens when life circumstances create ba...

What is a River 2022

11 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What is a River?  What is in there, at the micro level?  How does water move from the Earth’s surface through the ground, in and out of rivers?  ...

Ben Knight: River Films & Being Dad

19 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ben Knight builds powerful films with his partner at Felt Soul Media.  DAMNATION, RED GOLD, IN CURRENT, and now LEARNING TO DROWN.  In the past few ...

Salmon 3: Fighting Salmon Extinction Real Time

07 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Grand Salmon Source to Sea crew is paddling just shy of 1000 miles following the Snake River Basin Spring Summer Chinook Salmon from the mountains...

Salmon 2: Big Dam Problems & Solutions

21 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The River Radius went to Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River to learn about that dam.  How do Salmon get around the Lower 4 Snake River Dams?  How ...

Salmon 1: Mountain Origins

21 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Chinook Salmon of the Snake River begin their lives in mountains of Idaho’s rivers, live their lives in the Pacific Ocean, and return to their natal...

Part 2: No Boat No Paddle on the Big Susitna River

24 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is the 2nd of 2 episodes.  Some stories stand the test of time. This is one. 1995, Big Susitna River in Alaska, glacial melt, rains in t...

Part 1: No Boat No Paddle on the Big Susitna River

24 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is the 1st of 2 episodes.  Some stories stand the test of time. This is one. 1995, Big Susitna River in Alaska, glacial melt, rains in t...

10 Rivers

04 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Each year, American Rivers, one the largest organizations advocating for clean and healthy rivers, releases their annual report of 10 rivers in the Un...

Food Packing for the River

24 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How many times have you ended a river trip and said that you have enough food for 3 more days?  This episodes talks with two outfitters focused on Gr...

Swiftwater Rescue

24 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

 Swiftwater Rescue courses are available for private river runners, commercial river guides and professional rescuers.  These courses provide curric...

Getting Kids on the River

24 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Getting kids on the river is many things: fun, life-shaping and maybe intimidating.  Lindsay DeFrates has written numerous “How to” articles base...

Cleaning Rivers by the Barge Load

25 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

River cleanups with excavators, barges, bigfoot and Oreos.  Living Lands & Waters is an “Industrial Strength River Cleanup” organization working ...

How to Listen to The River Radius Podcast

01 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever heard someone say they don't listen to podcasts or don't know how?  Have you recently learned how to listen and want to know more?  Th...

2022

19 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

ADVERTISING SPONSORBig Muddy Adventures websiteBig Muddy Adventures InstagramClipper Canoes   THE RIVER RADIUSWebsiteRunoff signup (episode newslett...

Autopsy of a Post Reservoir River

16 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Is it a reservoir in crisis or a river recovering?   In October of 2021 a crew of river scientist and river runners and this podcast traveled down Ca...

The Gila: river, place, family

24 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Gila River and Gila Mountains of New Mexico have been home for Indigenous people for thousands of years, for colonial Spanish and Mexican people f...

The New Film "River's End"

03 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dry rivers and deserts full of irrigated nut trees. Jacob Morrisons new film, “The River's End: California’s New Water War” leans into the quest...