CHARLEMONT — With the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) having recently awarded a new 40-year license to the Bear Swamp Power Co. for operating its hydroelectric power station on the Deerfield River in the towns of Monroe and Florida, whitewater releases have been secured on the river for another 40 years.
The license, issued on Nov. 26, 2025, is valid through 2065. Over the span of time that this newest license is active, dams will have existed on the Deerfield River for more than 150 years.
To celebrate this milestone, the whitewater paddling community will join together at Deerfield Riverfest on Saturday, Aug. 1, from 5:30 to 10 p.m. at Berkshire East Mountain Resort. Admission is $10, with all proceeds benefiting the nonprofit American Whitewater’s river stewardship work in the Northeast.
“The very beginning [of dams on the Deerfield River] is at the very beginning of the 20th century. The first dam [on the Deerfield River] was actually built in 1902, making it one of the first hydroelectric dams, really, anywhere in the U.S.,” said Pablo Pineda Perez, a recent graduate of Dartmouth College who wrote his thesis paper on the Deerfield River. “Fast forward … to 1987, New England Power shut down a bunch of these dams for regularly scheduled maintenance.”
According to Pineda Perez, these dams being shut down led to the first influx of kayakers, boaters and outdoor recreation enthusiasts visiting the Deerfield River. For about 10 weeks during the summer of 1987, there was a constant flow of water pouring into the river, which “allowed a bunch of boaters to come here for the first time, and kind of see what the Deerfield has to offer,” Pineda Perez recounted.
Seven years later, in 1994, the Deerfield Settlement Agreement was signed, which, according to the document, “appropriately balances the environmental, recreational, fishery, energy, and other uses and interests served by the Deerfield River.” This agreement is the reason for the scheduled whitewater releases that continue today.
“Some of the best quotes come from people who have spent a lot of time on the river,” Pineda Perez said. Of the opportunities it provides for whitewater paddlers, he added, “Elaine Campbell … a very famous kayaker who has spent a lot of time on the Deerfield, one of the quotes that really stuck with me throughout my research was her likening the Dryway to church. Being at the same time every week, bringing a group of people together, all to share in something incredibly meaningful and very spiritual in a lot of ways.”
This new license from FERC, Pineda Perez said, “reaffirms the value of outdoor recreation to these communities.”
“I think one of the most beautiful things about the river is that it brings [people together] at this regularly scheduled cadence, and allows for events like the Deerfield Riverfest,” Pineda Perez said. “It’s a really unique quality for rivers in New England. … It’s tough to be a boater in New England. Aside from snowmelt, you’re really just relying on heavy rainstorms, so the Deerfield is entirely unique.”
Jake Elder, a marketing and partnership associate for both Zoar Outdoor and Berkshire East, said the new license is a big win and “exciting news for the New England outdoor and paddling community.” Elder added that while Deerfield Riverfest is an annual event, this year’s celebration will have a little extra to be excited about.
“The Deerfield Riverfest, it’s been going on for 31 years,” Elder said. “The event is on the river during the day on the Dryway section and the Fife Brook section and below. So during the day, people are enjoying the river, and the band, the beer, the music, the food, the vendors — all that stuff is at the Berkshire East Base Area during the evening.”
In his work, Elder said more and more people, especially teenagers and young adults, have been asking about Deerfield Riverfest, which he attributes to the growth of outdoor recreation.
“It’s cool to kind of see the next generation take interest in what’s going on,” Elder said. “I know personally I worked on my paddling skills for three years before being comfortable to take on Zoar Gap. … Once I went to the Deerfield, I realized that other people do it and it’s a big community. So, it is kind of a cool full-circle moment, too, for me to be able to come back and perpetuate the community through this event.”
For more information on Deerfield Riverfest, visit tinyurl.com/3n293wv8.
