Update from the field: Montana dam malfunction impacts Madison River
Northwestern Energy’s 107-year-old Hebgen Dam on Montana’s famed Madison River suffered a malfunction early on Tuesday morning that sent flows below the dam plummeting from 650 cubic feet per second (cfs) to nearly 200 cfs almost instantly. I surveyed the damage...
Press Release: Fishing, recreation advocates topple critical Trump-era Clean Water Act federal power grab
Late last night, fishing and recreation advocates won a significant victory for clean water when a federal district court threw out (vacated) a critical Trump Clean Water Act rule. Today’s order from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California restores state and Tribal authority to ensure federally permitted activities in rivers and lakes comply fully with state and tribal law. The Biden administration had planned to revise the rule to an unknown degree through a years-long public process. This court decision erases the Trump rule completely and immediately.
Prioritizing dam removal and river restoration: an update on federal legislation
There are major efforts underway that would have a transformational impact on river health, removing dams and restoring healthy, free-flowing rivers nationwide. American Rivers is a strong advocate for both the 21st Century Dams Act and the removal of the four dams on...
Senate Passes Infrastructure Bill: Enhances River Restoration, Dam Safety, and Hydropower
Passage of the infrastructure bill represents a vital down payment to bring our nation’s dams into the 21th century, and we applaud the Senate’s bipartisan leadership. Dams are critical infrastructure, and we encourage the U.S. House to move swiftly to pass this bill to revitalize river ecosystems, improve public safety and enhance hydropower’s ability to optimize generation efficiency and output.