American Rivers

We had a great National River Cleanup event in Wichita, Kansas earlier this month with Cox Communications employees. Big thanks to Cox, Mark Greatrex and Wichita Mayor Lily Wu for your passion and dedication to clean water and healthy rivers! As Mayor Wu says, "It is essential for communities to have clean water -- rivers are an economic engine for communities... we need to make sure our rivers are healthy."

Another milestone on the Klamath, as crews break ground for the removal of J.C. Boyle Dam. We named the Klamath River of the Year for 2024 to spotlight important lessons in river restoration, including the importance of leadership from Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities. 📸 JC Boyle Dam on the Klamath River | Shane Anderson, Swiftwater Films

If the nation is going to successfully adapt to sea level rise and flooding that is more frequent and severe due to climate change, we need more reliable flood maps that show where flooding is likely to occur both now and in the future. And we need to put a halt to some of the worst practices when it comes to floodplain development. https://lnkd.in/dQwJiHCk FEMA received three recommendations from an advisory panel that – if implemented – would greatly improve the reliability of its flood maps and put an end to the practice of fill and build, which often increases flood risks in a community. Those recommendations include: Mapping flood risk with much higher certainty for purposes of determining where people are required to purchase flood insurance. Mapping the floodplain of the future, instead of the floodplain of the past. Banning the practice of fill and build, whereby fill (i.e. dirt) is piled up and homes built on top. American Rivers, Anthropocene Alliance, National Wildlife Federation, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), The Nature Conservancy, Southern Environmental Law Center, and the Union of Concerned Scientists recently sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell urging them to implement these recommendations. 

Great discussions today at American Rivers Resources Legacy Fund dam symposium. Topics: Importance of leadership from Tribal Nations, freshwater mussels free-flowing rivers, inequities with dam removal $$. It's an important step in accelerating the pace of river restoration nationwide!

Join American Rivers and the Energy and Environmental Study Institute virtually for a congressional briefing on dam removal on Wednesday, May 1 from 3-4:30pm ET. This briefing will discuss the options dam owners have to manage their infrastructure, including dam removal, which is a common approach to dam safety and river restoration. To date, dam owners have worked with federal agencies and nonprofits to remove 2,119 dams, the majority of them in the last 25 years. The briefing can be streamed here: eesi.org/livecast 📸 Removal of the Middle Fork Nooksack Dam, Middle Fork Nooksack River, Washington, Photo credit: Brett Baunton

Thanks to Maryland DNR for your partnership in restoring the Patapsco River by removing outdated dams! We’re thrilled it’s an even better place for families – including Gov. Wes Moore

A big thank you to our 2024 River of the Year sponsors: Perkins Coie LLP, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, and Resource Environmental Solutions LLC. We appreciate your continued support! Learn more about the 2024 River of the Year by following the link below: https://lnkd.in/eN58VszQ

The annual River Champion Awards recognize leaders improving lives and strengthening our nation by advancing collaborative solutions for healthy rivers and clean water. It’s an honor to celebrate our 2024 winners! https://lnkd.in/eeEv386u

California and Oregon’s Klamath River has been named the 2024 River of the Year! Deep gratitude to the Tribes, families, and communities who have led the way in dam removal and river restoration! #RiverOfTheYear https://lnkd.in/eN58VszQ