American Whitewater is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 membership organization with the declared mission "to conserve and restore America's whitewater resources and to enhance opportunities to enjoy them safely." The organization can broadly be classified as an advocacy group that engages in a variety of tactics to ensure rivers are accessible to those who wish to use them. This includes working on lobbying efforts at local and national levels as well as maintaining and publishing information about river conservation, statistics on river use, accident reports, and river sports safety.