About American Rivers

Nearly everyone in our country lives within a mile of a river but few know what that river provides. Much of our drinking water comes directly from rivers, and clean water is essential to our health. Natural river habitats support thousands of plant and animal species. Our crops and cities alike depend on abundant river water for growth. For many of us, rivers offer recreation and a way to connect to nature. 

Our rivers are threatened by pollution, violent weather, unnecessary dams, and more. Perhaps the greatest threat to our rivers is simply lack of awareness of their importance to our lives.

American Rivers tackles these challenges head on. We have a half-century of experience addressing river threats from coast-to-coast: helping partners protect vital habitat, working with communities to reduce river pollution, securing policies to ensure we all have clean, abundant water, driving solutions that reduce the risk of floods, working to remove unnecessary dams, and strengthening a river movement that adds power to all of this work.