Farmington River Spotlight on the Chair | Dan Bowler FRCC

'As a seven-year-old, the flood of 1955 entered my world. I can still see the flowing power of the Farmington River. It swept away buildings and bridges which I could see from the hillside near my home. I was intrigued. We boys would fish and tube or swim down the river as the years passed by. However, pollution in these earlier days was a deterrent to our enjoyment. Sometimes it smelled horrible and we would have to wait for a cleaning freshet to clear up the mess. Still, the white-water section that was our playground always seemed to beckon me. When as a young adult I discovered kayaking, I knew I had found the ultimate river craft to become part of that river power. I have paddled canoe, kayak, and C-2 whitewater all across the US. I raced whitewater slalom on the national level and have chaired many slalom races. Being on and in our Wild and Scenic Farmington River still brings me the river experience. My experiences on the Farmington as well as many other rivers is my motivation in protecting and preserving the river experience for others.'

A selfie of Dan Bowler at the top of the Targhee Ski Resort with a view of Grand Teton in the background.

Dan has been the chair of Farmington River Coordinating Committee (FRCC) for almost two years and has represented the town of Hartland since 2012. He is the curator of the Farmington River Coordinating Committee’s (FRCC) Farmington River Quilt Project, and is very active on Education and Outreach projects including the River Steward Program and river use issues.

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Return to Partnership Wild and Scenic River News | August 2020