Martin Litton (USA)

A major part of Martin’s life has been spent fighting to protect and preserve the integrity of many of the West’s beautiful places.

As a writer, conservationist, and pioneer boatman, Martin Litton has fought, among others, to keep dams out of Dinosaur National Monument and the Grand Canyon.

Martin Litton pioneered oar-powered whitewater recreation in Grand Canyon beginning in the 1950s. His advocacy helped block two dams on the Colorado in Arizona. He organized the boats for the Sierra Club Powell Centennial from Green River (WY) to Lake Mead and played the role of Major Powell. From the 1970s on, he owned and ran Martin Litton’s Grand Canyon Dories with trips on the Grand Canyon, Hell’s Canyon, Salmon River, Grande Rhonde, Owyee and Green Rivers. He produced an 85 minute film, Grand Canyon by Dory, and traveled and lectured across the U.S. to educate the public about the then little known beauty of the Grand Canyon from river level. He celebrated his 80th birthday by rowing a dory 277 miles through the Grand Canyon.

Martin was also part of the team who succeeded in gaining the designation of the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area ending the possibility of further damming of Hells Canyon. He also helped prevent two dams inside Dinosaur National Monument (1956) and dams on the Snake River in Idaho (1967), while also helping obtain Wild and Scenic designation for the Grande Rhonde in Oregon in the 1980’s.