A Review of Fish Passage Provisions in the License Application for the Hells Canyon Complex

Conservation Groups’ Comments on Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Falls Creek Hydroelectric Project

Critique of the Goldendale Energy Storage Hydroelectric Project (FERC No. P-14861)

Hydropower at Jackson Lake Dam, Grand Teton National Park: Probabilities and Implications

Hydropower Development on the Mississippi River

Motion to intervene by various parties in Falls Creek Hydroelectric Project

Request for rehearing of order issuing new license in Mill 2/3 Hydroelectric Project

River of the Year

Save the Skykomish River

Colorado River Futures – “Climate & the River” Edition

This blog was written by Page Buono & Sinjin Eberle, American Rivers Communications Director, Intermountain West. Over the last few weeks, we’ve focused our attention on the recent study published by the Center for Colorado River Studies about the future of the Colorado River, given some alarming new data synthesized by the Center. You’ll likely […]

69 Dams Removed in 2020

Despite the challenges of working through a pandemic, river restoration practitioners continued to pursue dam removal projects in 2020 to revitalize local economies and communities and reconnect 624 upstream river miles for fish, wildlife and river health. Sixty-nine dams were removed in 2020 across 23 states, including: California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, […]

Future of the Colorado River – the “Changed River” edition

As we teased in a blog last week, we’re back to continue breaking down the compelling, and quite frankly, sea-changing recent study coming out of the Center for Colorado Rivers Studies at Utah State University. In it, we highlighted key findings from the study’s authors, Kevin Wheeler, Jack Schmidt, Eric Kuhn, Brad Udall and others. […]

A bold plan for salmon, clean energy and jobs in the Pacific Northwest

Two summers ago, I floated the Middle Fork Salmon, in the heart of Idaho’s Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness. The trip had everything, spectacular scenery, great fishing, wonderful companions. The only thing missing was abundant salmon and steelhead which, before the construction of the four lower Snake River dams, made the 800 mile journey […]

New report confronts tough choices for the future of the Colorado River

This blog was written by Sinjin Eberle & Page Buono The Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University recently published a preprint edition of their new white paper titled, “Alternative Management Paradigms for the Future of the Colorado and Green Rivers.” The authors of the paper include Kevin Wheeler, Jack Schmidt, Brad Udall, […]

President Biden Executive Orders Rollback of Anti-Environmental Regulatory Actions

American Rivers sees the first one hundred days of the new Biden Administration as an opportunity for real change in protecting our Nation’s waters and water resources.  In our 2021 Blueprint for Action , we identify overturning or reversing the anti-water protection regulations and actions of the past four years as a top priority for […]

UN report: Aging dams pose growing threat

By 2050, most people on Earth will live downstream of tens of thousands of large dams built in the 20th century, many of them already operating at or beyond their design life, according to a UN University analysis. The report, “Aging water infrastructure: An emerging global risk,” by UNU’s Institute for Water, Environment and Health, […]

We’re back in the Paris Climate Agreement. Now what?

Of the 17 executive orders newly sworn-in President Joe Biden signed on his first day in office, one of the most consequential for the health of our communities, rivers and the planet is the promise to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement. Returning to the 2015 accord is more than a recommitment to slowing greenhouse gas […]

In defense of democracy

I watched the raging mob pouring into the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 with a mix of horror, disgust, and anger.  This felt personal.  I’ve spent more than 30 years working in Washington, D.C. and on Capitol Hill to protect the environment, including serving on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee staff in the early 1990’s.  I know […]

Bringing Back Lewis River Salmon

American Rivers recently praised PacifiCorp and parent company Berkshire Hathaway for stepping up to ensure dam removal and river restoration on the Klamath River in Oregon and California. While we applaud PacifiCorp for taking responsibility for the damage that their dams have caused on the Klamath, they still have work to do on Washington’s Lewis […]