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. If you missed the initial release, you really should take a few minutes to at least read the Executive Summary, as it does a great job illustrating the challenges that the entire Colorado River ecosystem faces in the face of climate change. We also took the opportunity to pivot off of a blog post by John Fleck, author and Director of the Water Resources Department at University of New Mexico, about the same study.

At the end of our post, there was what amounts to a Top 10 List of key takeaways from the Center’s white paper, and a few of them seemed especially relevant to American Rivers body of work in the Colorado Basin, and to how we are thinking about the future of the Colorado River.

We can’t stop thinking about the line, “The Colorado River has been profoundly altered from its highest reaches to its delta,” which is something we all know, but describing it in that way is significant. There can be no argument that there has been major alteration to the river, from the highest headwaters trickling down from Poudre Pass (and the Grand Ditch, built between 1890 and 1936) all the way to the first dam built on the Colorado River, Laguna Dam near Yuma (1903) on to Morelos Dam on the Mexican border. Major impoundments and diversions like Flaming Gorge and Fontenelle on the Green, Granby Dam in the Colorado headwaters, tributary dams like Ruedi on the Frying Pan and the Aspinall Unit on the Gunnison, and yes, Lakes Powell and Mead, whose storage levels drive the vast majority of the policy rules, compacts, and guidelines that manage the river. We also should acknowledge two other aspects of this changed river – that ecosystems like the Grand Canyon, Glen Canyon, Black Canyon, and the San Juan are changed due to these alterations, but also that nearly 40 million people, a 1.4-trillion-dollar economy, and millions of jobs depend on the sum of all of these parts.

Is the system altered? Absolutely. But does that mean it’s dead and that we should not keep doing whatever we can to preserve it? Absolutely not.

The Colorado River system is highly managed, strained, stressed, and challenged, but is also one of the most loved, revered, enjoyed and sacred rivers in the world. Tribal communities whose lands are currently located hundreds of miles from its banks still call the Colorado River sacred. Millions upon millions of visitors, from across the country and around the globe, from all walks of life, gaze onto it’s waters every year. Tens of thousands of people raft, fish, swim, kayak, and yes, drink, it’s flowing bounty. It preserves life in so many ways, but the most prominent way is in our hearts. The Colorado River is one of us, and we are it.

In part, that is why the statement from the white paper was so striking. Even if you are not a dedicated river conservationist, you know that the Colorado River has been providing so much, for so long. Now with the onset of a warming climate, even the baseline amount of water the river carries is declining – and will decline over the next 30 years. Our laws and policies around the river were built on a totally different climate, with a totally different set of pressures, and demands, than what we have today.

The science matters, and teasing out the detail, as well as the topline implications from this report will take time, and it will catalyze critical debate, and demand hard choices. American Rivers, our partners, and our team here in the Colorado Basin is ready, and enthusiastic, about confronting and helping to solve the challenges facing the Colorado River. But we can’t solve these challenges alone. Ultimately, we need everyone who relies upon, and who loves the Colorado River on board.  Hopefully you are too!

Next week, we will be teasing out more from the report around how climate change is causing flow declines and that additional declines even more likely to occur looking forward. Stay tuned!

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 from the ocean to the Middle Fork Salmon to spawn. I came away from that trip knowing that restoring this amazing migration is critical to the future of the Pacific Northwest and our nation.

Communities across the Pacific Northwest have been in crisis for decades, feeling the pain from dwindling salmon runs. These iconic fish once filled our rivers, sustaining native tribes and powering local economies dependent on fishing, recreation and tourism. At the same time, infrastructure across the region is aging and our rivers and water quality face ongoing threats. The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified problems, adding new stresses for families and communities, exposing inequities and forcing many businesses to close their doors.

The challenges facing salmon and communities are urgent and require bold solutions. That’s why we welcome a groundbreaking proposal announced by Congressman Mike Simpson (R-ID). In a new video, he outlines a plan to revitalize the rivers and economy of the Pacific Northwest. The $33.5 billion package of infrastructure investments would advance salmon recovery, clean energy, agriculture and economic opportunity regionwide, and honor treaties and responsibilities to Northwest tribes.

The proposal’s river investments include:

• Restoring the lower Snake River in southeast Washington through the removal of four federal dams
• Water quality improvements in the Columbia Basin, Puget Sound, and Washington and Oregon coasts
• Restoration of salmon in currently blocked areas in the upper Columbia and upper Snake rivers
• Funding for the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan
• Incentives to remove select fish-blocking dams in the Columbia Basin
• Increasing tourism and recreation opportunities

You can read Congressman Simpson’s proposal here. There are a host of benefits for the region, including the restoration of the lower Snake – what would be the biggest river restoration effort in history. But there are also elements that require more conversation. For example, the framework includes wide-ranging restrictions on the application of federal environmental laws and extensions of licenses for hydropower dams throughout the entire Columbia Basin. In creating a path to restore rivers and salmon, we must not grant a broad license for other environmental harms.

American Rivers is committed to working with Congressman Simpson and the entire Northwest congressional delegation to make this package as beneficial as it can be for our rivers and communities.

A legacy of collaboration

Congressman Simpson’s fresh thinking and comprehensive approach builds on a legacy of collaboration in the region.

From the Yakima to the Owyhee, the Pacific Northwest has a track record of crafting innovative, bipartisan solutions to challenging water and river issues. Governors Inslee and Brown, and Senators Murray, Cantwell, Merkley and Wyden have supported these efforts in the past and they have a critical role to play now.

As Congressman Simpson says,

“The question I am asking the Northwest delegation, governors, tribes and stakeholders is “do we want to roll up our sleeves and come together to find a solution to save our salmon, protect our stakeholders and reset our energy system for the next 50 plus years on our terms?” Passing on this opportunity will mean we are letting the chips fall where they may for some judge, future administration or future congress to decide our fate on their terms. They will be picking winners and losers, not creating solutions.

We can create our own solution on our own terms.”

Economic benefits for the region and the nation

Congressman Simpson’s proposal is also an example of how investing in healthy rivers can be a down payment on a future of abundance and prosperity. A well-crafted, comprehensive solution would not only benefit the Northwest, but the nation as a whole by restoring salmon runs, bolstering clean energy and strengthening the economy of one of the most dynamic regions in the country.

Our Rivers as Economic Engines report details how investing in smart infrastructure and healthy rivers can revitalize local economies.

Salmon – and people – need healthy rivers

For decades, Northwest tribes have been spearheading salmon recovery solutions in the Columbia-Snake and regionwide. The Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) adopted its first resolution advocating for removal of the four lower Snake River dams in 1999.

In a statement last year, Chairman Shannon F. Wheeler said, “We view restoring the lower Snake River as urgent and overdue. To us, the lower Snake River is a living being, and, as stewards, we are compelled to speak the truth on behalf of this life force and the impacts these concrete barriers on the lower Snake have on salmon, steelhead, and lamprey, on a diverse ecosystem, on our Treaty-reserved way of life, and on our people.”

In his video, Congressman Simpson says, “My staff and I approached this challenge with the idea that there must be a way to restore Idaho salmon and keep the four lower Snake River dams. But after exhausting dozens of possible solutions, we weren’t able to find one…In the end we realized there is no viable path that can allow us to keep the dams in place…I am certain if we do not take this course, we are condemning Idaho salmon to extinction.”

At American Rivers, we’ve seen dam removal work on rivers nationwide. More than 1,700 dams have been removed in our country, restoring free-flowing rivers and revitalizing river ecosystems. From Maine’s Penobscot River to Washington’s Elwha, White Salmon and most recently the Middle Fork Nooksack, American Rivers has helped spearhead successful dam removal and river restoration efforts.

We need your voice: speak up for a comprehensive solution

Big problems require big solutions – and the Pacific Northwest has always been a place of big ideas.

American Rivers applauds Congressman Simpson for tackling this region’s interconnected challenges. This is a historic opportunity to invest in what makes the Northwest strong. Congressman Simpson has given us a great place to start.

President Biden took steps to make Americans more resilient to climate change and the increasing floods that many communities are facing by signing an executive order that directs federal agencies to considering reversing harmful environmental actions taken under the previous administration. In addition to restoring National Monuments like Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante and revoking the permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline, this sweeping executive order reinstated the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard — a key step toward improving protection and management of the nation’s floodplains.  

In our 2021 Blueprint for Action, American Rivers called on the Biden-Harris Administration and Congress to reinstate the standard, which requires federally funded infrastructure to be built to a higher standard that is safer and more resilient to floods. It also urges all federal agencies to use nature based solutions wherever possible.  

Higher flood standards mean safer, more resilient communities. 

The United States has been wrestling with increasingly severe floods for decades. As flood damage rises, so does the federal cost of flood response and recovery. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter took steps to protect federal taxpayer investments, public safety and river health from flooding when he signed an executive order that required federal agencies to avoid actions or development in the 100-year floodplain whenever practical.  

By 2015, it had become clear that the so-called “100-year flood” was no longer an adequate measure of flood safety if communities were to be resilient to the more frequent and intense floods brought by climate change. As a part of his Climate Action Plan, President Barack Obama established the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard. This standard required that federal projects must be able to handle a larger flood and steps were taken to make sure that agencies had as much flexibility as possible to use a standard that works for their projects. The standard offers three options: 

• Climate-Informed Science Approach: Agencies use the best-available science to determine future flood conditions — design infrastructure and buildings accordingly.  
• Freeboard Evaluation Approach: This approach takes the 100-year flood and adds 2 feet of “freeboard.” Infrastructure and buildings must be able to handle this larger flood. For critical facilities like hospitals, the standard is raised to 3 feet of freeboard for an added margin of safety.  
• 500-Year Elevation Approach: This approach requires that infrastructure and buildings be able to handle the 500-year flood, i.e., the flood that has a 0.2 percent chance of occurring in any given year.  

Encouraging nature-based solutions.  

In an important move for the health of rivers, the standard also states that, “Where possible, an agency shall use natural systems, ecosystem processes, and nature-based approaches when developing alternatives for consideration.” This key policy was the first interagency instruction to all federal agencies that they should use nature-based solutions in floodplains whenever possible.  

Nature-based solutions to flooding — such as restored wetlands, reconnected floodplains, natural floodways and natural vegetation — are generally more resilient, sustainable and cost-effective than traditional static, concrete strategies alone. They also beautify and provide quality of life and economic benefits to communities. 

Nature-based solutions have been growing in popularity and support from communities across the nation in recent years thanks to their ability to solve multiple challenges for communities. For agricultural areas trying to reduce excess nutrient runoff into rivers and streams, restoring floodplains can improve water quality and give rivers room to safely flood. Upgrading undersized culverts and bridges to accommodate a larger flood also improves passage for fish and other river critters. And breaching levees can allow fish to access spawning and rearing grounds, while the flooded floodplain captures carbon and recharges groundwater supplies. Nature-based solutions can even bring economic benefits and revenue to local cash-strapped communities.  

An error gets corrected. 

Despite the clear benefits of the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard to communities across the country, the previous administration revoked the standard in 2017. Just days later, Hurricane Harvey hit the Gulf of Mexico, bringing devastating flooding to Texas communities. 

By reinstating the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard, the Biden-Harris administration is sending a clear signal that science is a priority, and that administration will aggressively push to ensure that American communities are increasing their resilience to flooding and climate change. This is a start for President Biden, but it is just the first step toward implementing equitable, integrated flood management and prioritizing nature-based solutions in states and communities across the country. American Rivers is eager to work with the Biden-Harris administration to take additional steps to improve protection and management of the nation’s floodplains.    

This blog was written by Julie Fair and Daisy Schadlich

During the summer of 2020, American Rivers and partners completed the restoration of three small meadows in the Upper West Walker River Watershed. The meadows – Upper Sardine, Lower Sardine, and Cloudburst – are located at around 8,500 feet in elevation on the east side of Sonora Pass in the Eastern Sierra.   

Historic land use, especially unregulated grazing, resulted in degradation in these three meadows. Heavy grazing can result in soil compaction and erosion that can be self-perpetuating. When meadows are degraded, they are less resilient and therefore more prone to further damage. A large flood event in 1997 exacerbated the effects of grazing in these meadows, resulting in erosion and gullies that were unnaturally draining the meadows. In addition, in Lower Sardine Meadow, flow from an adjacent hillslope was being concentrated into culverts under Highway 108 rather than spreading flow across the meadow surface. This further contributed to meadow drying and erosion.

Yosemite Toad 

These meadows are unique in part because Upper and Lower Sardine provide breeding habitat for Yosemite Toad, a federally threatened species. These toads are very particular about their breeding habitat; they depend on shallow ponded water at high elevations. Snowmelt from the surrounding peaks pools in the wet meadows in the spring and early summer. After breeding, adult toads move to upland areas where they overwinter in animal burrows. Juveniles mature quickly and are out of their ponds in a matter of weeks. They then move to the wooded upland to fill up on food and find a burrow before the colder weather comes.  

Dryer meadows mean less intact habitat for Yosemite Toad and other species that depend on healthy, wet meadow systems. Additionally, Lower Sardine had a historic dirt road cutting through the meadow that threatened Yosemite Toad habitat. Toads were known to breed in the tire ruts of the road in the springtime, and although the road was formally closed by the US Forest Service, it was still being used by off-highway vehicle users, sometimes squishing young toads.

Restoration

American Rivers worked with our partners to decommission 580 feet of the old dirt road and construct 660 feet of new walking trail to reroute people away from sensitive Yosemite Toad breeding habitat. The project also placed dirt and rock to fill gullies, arrest erosion, protect toad habitat and restore the meadows’ ability to provide natural water storage. In addition to these enhancements, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) installed two new culverts under Highway 108 at Lower Sardine meadow to restore more natural flow to the meadow surface.  

One culvert at Upper Sardine Meadow was too steep for toads to climb out of when they followed the flow upstream in their transition, leaving them stranded in the pipe. To fix this, Caltrans installed a low-angle ramp that allows the toads to climb out of the culvert and access upland habitat on the other side of the highway. 

In total, the project repaired 2,500 feet of eroded channels and swales and restored and protected 38 acres of wet meadow. American Rivers has been working with the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and California Trout, with help from Forest Creek Restoration, since 2018 to restore these sites. The project was funded by California State Parks Off Highway Vehicle Program, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Watershed Restoration Grants Program under Proposition 1 and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. 

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, and former Colorado River District General Manager, Eric Kuhn, among a few notable others in the climate modeling and Colorado River management space (Disclosure: Jack Schmidt and Eric Kuhn both serve voluntarily on American Rivers’ Science and Technical Advisory Committee.) The new publication builds upon a 2020 white paper, “Strategies for Managing the Colorado River in an Uncertain Future.” Wheeler et. al ran scenarios for various planning strategies on one of the most managed rivers in the world, the Colorado, to better understand the implications of those decisions in a hotter and drier future. Using the same computer modeling tools used by basin managers (the Bureau of Reclamation CRSS model), they integrated new climate and river flow data and looked out decades into the future to explore and predict water supply conditions under various scenarios.

The outcome of the study, in short: we’ve got to be more creative, and we need to have some hard conversations about what kind of future we want for the Colorado River and all who depend upon it.  American Rivers has been engaged with the authors of the study, and we’re coming up to speed with its prescient findings. But even more important than that, our desire is to spark a conversation with you about what kind of future lies before us, what this new science tell us about various realities on the river, and how can we design solutions for the river, together.

John Fleck, author of a pair of recent books on western water, recently posted his take on the study, including some of the key highlights. He underscored that “Under a relatively optimistic scenario (things don’t get any drier than they’ve been in the first two decades of the 21^st century), stabilizing the system would require:

• The Upper Basin to not increase its uses beyond its current ~4-million-acre feet per year of water use.
• The Lower Basin to adjust to routinely only getting ~6-million-acre feet of water.”

Basically, that means adapting to living in a 10-12 million-acre-foot (MAF) river, rather than a 17 MAF river as the Colorado River Compact assumes. Obviously, this stuck out to us too. While the Law of the River (the Colorado River Compact) essentially promised 7.5 MAF for the Upper Basin and 8.5 MAF for the Lower Basin (then added in Mexico’s allocation later), the Alternative Management Paradigms study makes clear that this is now an unattainable, and unwise, ambition.

Fleck points out that “Upper Basin water users have averaged about 4-million-acre feet/year since the 1980’s, but with plans to use more. The Lower Basin has reduced their use from the allowable 7.5 MAF to 6.9 MAF on average over the last five years. So to balance things out, Upper Basin use can’t grow, and Lower Basin use needs to shrink. More than it already has.”

The authors write that “the primary purpose of this White Paper is to provide provocative new ideas,” and they warn that “the current management approach that allows only incremental changes to the Law of the River may be insufficient to adapt to the future conditions of the basin.”

With both the warning and the desire for new ideas and thoughtful conversation in mind, we wanted to share some of the top conclusions from the study as an invitation for further conversation:

1. The Colorado River has been profoundly altered from its highest reaches to its delta. In the highly constructed and managed basin—complete with numerous transbasin diversions and large dams—the native river ecosystem has been profoundly altered, the Upper Basin less so than the Lower, but still to significant degree. 
2. Unrealistic future depletion projections for the Upper Basin confound planning. There simply isn’t enough water to meet the aspirations for growth of the Upper Basin. “Unreasonable and unjustified estimations create the impression that compact delivery violations…are inevitable. Such distortions mislead the public about the magnitude of the impending water supply crisis and make identifying solutions to an already difficult problem even harder.”
3. Climate change is causing flow declines and additional declines are likely to occur. 2000-2018 flows in the Colorado River are nearly 20% less than during the 20^th century. Even accounting for this decline is not sufficient for future planning—increased temperatures and the resulting aridity will likely precipitate further decline.
4. The Colorado River exists in a tenuous balance between supplies, demands and storage. Unplanned changes in this balance are likely to lead to highly undesirable outcomes. The Colorado River is already stretched. Any actions that decrease the inflows or increase demand are untenable. “If the Millennium Drought conditions continue and the 2007 UCRC future depletion projections materialize, the Colorado River’s water supply cannot be sustainably managed.”
5. Likely lower inflows and/or any increases to Upper Basin consumptive uses will result in a difficult basin-wide reckoning. Future reductions in water supply are likely, due to the effects of climate change, exacerbating tensions between the Upper and Lower Basin, especially if the Upper Basin increases its demand. Negotiations are already massively difficult. Planning for a supply that science suggests will not be realized makes difficult processes profoundly more difficult.

In addition to those “difficult reckonings” it is clear that unless something is done, the environment—the river itself—has the most to lose. But in addition to those, the study outlined these additional takeaways that are key to understanding the expansive challenge facing the Colorado River:

• Lower Basin shortage triggers based on combined Lakes Powell and Mead storage are more logical and clearer than existing triggers (and different from simply looking at the individual lake levels on their own)
• Neither a Fill Mead First nor Fill Powell First scheme promotes or improves Lower Basin water security
• Flaming Gorge Reservoir releases provide little Upper and Lower Basin Risk Protection
• Humans have significant control over demands but little control over inflows
• Dire situations require solutions far from historic norms

As Kuhn, Fleck and others have stated for years, the study demands a reimagining of what we want versus what we need when it comes to water, and it grounds us in future-looking predictions of what we’re likely to have, which isn’t more and will likely be less. This is, perhaps, the epitome of inconvenient science, but it’s important science nonetheless, and if history has taught us anything, it is science that we can’t ignore. Doing so will cost us greatly.

You can read the study HERE, and you can learn more by staying engaged with us as we continue the work of distilling and contextualizing this research through additional blog posts, and other outreach, in the near future. We hope to catalyze a dialogue here—dare we say, a movement—and we look forward to your reactions, comments and ideas.

In late 2019, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden from Oregon issued an unprecedented request of Oregonians to tell him which rivers across the state we should protect as Wild and Scenic. He asked us to essentially to vote for the rivers and streams with the cleanest water or most outstanding recreation, or fish and wildlife habitat.

We at American Rivers were preparing to get out the vote. We had well-laid plans to barnstorm the state along with our partners collecting data on rivers, hosting public events and forums to hear from Oregonians rural and urban about their favorite streams and why. When the COVId-19 pandemic hit, and data collection and public forums were replaced by justifiable lockdowns and lifesaving stay at home orders. But we still had to chronicle the incredible richness of Oregon’s free-flowing streams and meet Senator Wyden’s call to action.

With in-person school, then camps and play dates cancelled for my kids my ability to travel to chronicle these streams without my family was not an option. We needed to get creative, so we came up with the idea of doing 7 “River Camps” around the state. One early summer evening my 4-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter sat around the dining room table and drew circles around rivers a map of the state of Oregon.  Some of the trips would be within an hour of our house and some involved 7-hour drives and in-depth 9-day camping trips within a stone’s throw from the California or Nevada borders.

Throughout our trips (so far, we’ve seen 5 of the 7 wonders) we did research on the river dependent native species, the importance of salmon, the shade of old-growth trees, and the indigenous tribes that have called these watersheds home since time immemorial.  We saw all kinds of wildlife—birds, bears, deer, and even a cougar swimming across the Rogue River. We even caught an ocean-bright salmon—a miracle that nourished us for days.

We saw with our own eyes the evidence of why the small streams are so important. My kids snorkeled in these streams seeing baby salmon, steelhead, and cutthroat trout when the larger rivers were so warm that they would be lethal to the same fish. Wading in their waters you could feel the dramatic difference in temperature between ankle-shocking cold small streams and the warmth of the big rivers they flowed into.

Our first trip was to Thirtymile Creek, a tributary creek of the lower John Day Wild and Scenic River located in north-central Oregon. At 281 miles, the John Day is the longest free-flowing river in the contiguous United States and Thirtymile Creek is an essential summer steelhead stronghold. To get to this rugged and remote high desert area isn’t easy but it is worth it for the expansive canyon scenery, solitude and fish and wildlife habitat. As we dropped into the steep canyon hundreds of birds could be heard as we neared the creek. In years past, we’ve seen an abundance of deer that use the Thirtymile canyon for forage and cover. 

Miles of Thirtymile Creek were acquired by the Bureau of Land Management several years ago to establish a new public access point to launch multi-day river trips from the Rattray family. Rita Rattray, who still runs shuttles for boaters, was born on the ranch near the banks of the John Day River which she said still looks like it did back then early in the 20^th Century. The first time I met Rita and her husband who once outfitted guided hunting and fishing trips on the John Day, he summed up the importance of Thirtymile Creek.  He said, “You can run up and down the length of the John Day River to find fish, but there is no need, this is to best 100-yards of fishing on the whole damn river,” pointing the mouth of the creek. According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife fish biologists that were doing surveys of the creek that same year Thirtymile Creek is a stronghold for the summer steelhead, providing essential habitat.

Our second “River Camp” was on the Little Deschutes River, which flows over 100 miles south to north out of the Mount Thielsen Wilderness in the southern Cascade mountains. The Little Deschutes River is home to Redband rainbow and brown trout, resident and migratory birds, and provides essential habitat for the Oregon Spotted Frog which was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Additional protections for the river will help protect this fish and wildlife and recreation. 

My wife’s family which has been in Oregon for five generations has owned property, a tree farm, on the Little Deschutes for over 50 years that abuts BLM land and serves as a destination each year for the extended family to camp each 4^th of July. The property is named “WUG” after the last names of the three siblings who originally agreed to purchase it over five decades ago. The river has literally connected this family and its friends for generations through family gatherings, weddings, surprise birthdays.

I once met a rancher and head of a central irrigation district in nearby Prineville who was a part of a contentious settlement agreement American Rivers had negotiated. I happened to mention my wife’s family property. “You mean WUG?,” he said. “I grew up swimming there in the summer.” He ended up inviting me to come see his ranch sometime.  Every year, this beautiful little river helps knit together the social fabric of our family and maybe the community. 

Our third “River Camp” was close to home, only about an hour West of Portland, on the Little North Fork Wilson River that flows into its larger and better-known cousin the Wilson River near the Oregon coast.  On this hot September day, the Wilson was low and warm so we could wade across easily from where we parked on a gravel bar.  In the rain-swollen winter this gravel bar would have been underwater.  We hiked up the Little North Fork and saw a lush river corridor full of birds and walked in the cold water of the river seeing baby salmon and a cutthroat trout of about 12 inches. I was told by fish and wildlife biologists that the Little North Fork is a haven for all kinds of species including birds, deer and elk, salmon and amphibians. After a couple hours of hiking and swimming in the creek we headed back to the car where we found the gravel bar now full of people swimming and barbequing, using this river as a beautiful and no-cost place to spend a summer Sunday afternoon. While they were not there to chronicle the native species that these rivers support, it was a great reminder of the value of a river as a place just to relax with family.      

Throughout our travels I learned two major lessons—one ecological and one sociological.  First, I came to learn just how important the lesser-known tributary streams are to the larger well know rivers and why they deserved protection. Tributary rivers and streams—Indigo, Silver and Lawson Creeks, the Little North Fork of the Wilson River and Lookingglass Creek to name just a few provide the ecological life support system for the larger, better known rivers such as the Rogue, Illinois, Wilson, and Grande Ronde Rivers. These are the beating heart of our public lands in Oregon. I saw evidence of their importance this on during our travels and will highlight them more in the weeks to come.

Second, I learned the importance of these rivers and streams not just for fish and wildlife, but to the people who rely on them for a free place to swim, camp or fish, a place to sustainably make a living, or for their drinking water.  The communities where these streams flow such as Brookings, Tillamook, Post or La Pine rely on these streams for all of the outstanding values that they provide.   

Seeing all of this through the eyes of my kids of course has left an indelible mark on me. Hopefully a little has rubbed off on them.  By the end of our “River Camps” it became as clear as the water in the rivers and streams we explored that these are the special places where the earth is already proving resilient in the face of climate change. These are the waters that are worth fighting for, and we have Senator Wyden to thank for leading the charge.

Note: David will be chronicling some of the other rivers and streams he’s been exploring under consideration for protection as Wild and Scenic in Oregon.

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 our engagement with the Biden Administration.  

On President Biden’s first day in office, he issued numerous executive orders impacting the regulatory rollbacks enacted by the last Administration that weakened critical environmental protections.  President Biden’s  Executive Order on Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis ordered federal agencies to review the regulatory actions from the past four years.  These reviews cover most of the Federal agencies and are listed in detail in the Executive Order.  These reviews include myriad issues under the jurisdiction of the EPA, including water, air, and toxics—many provisions important to American Rivers priorities.  Reversing, replacing, or rescinding these rules is critically important to protecting the Nation’s water resources and enabling American Rivers to pursue its work. We view these early Executive Order actions by the Administration as a tremendous first step toward success for American Rivers priorities.

There are several key water rules and actions that we opposed over the last four years included in the Biden ordered reviews.  Undoing these actions are critical to American Rivers’ work.  These include:

• Navigable Waters Protection Rule;
• Nationwide wetland permits; 
• Lead and Copper Rule;  
• Coal Ash Rule; 
• NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule; 
• Steam Electric ELGs; 
• Perchlorate decision;
• Section 401 State Certification of Water Quality Rule;
• Maryland’s Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan;
• Proposal to increase Shasta Dam capacity.

President Biden also directly rescinded several previous Executive Orders for actions that American Rivers had previously opposed. Trump’s Executive Order 13778 was repealed.  This order directed EPA to begin repealing the Obama era Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. Biden’s action now indicates to EPA to examine the Trump era Navigable Waters Protection Rule for replacement.  Executive Order 13868 was also repealed.  This order resulted in the new rule governing Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 401 requirements.  This action also indicates Biden wants EPA to review the Section 401 guidance, and the Section 401 Certification Rule issued last year. The issuance of these two regulations caused American Rivers to join with partner environmental groups in legal action to overturn these environmentally harmful rules. 

These opportunities to reverse the last Administration’s harmful regulations are exciting developments.   Once the changes are complete, it will enhance critical protections of our Nation’s rivers, streams, and critical water resources.  With these tremendous environmentally protective changes, American Rivers will now pursue more progressive policies that will continue the advancement of our mission to protect wild rivers, restore damaged rivers and conserve clean water for people and nature.

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, provides an overview of dam aging by world region and details the increasing risk of older dams. According to the report, most of the 58,700 large dams worldwide were constructed between 1930 and 1970 with a design life of 50 to 100 years, adding that at 50 years a large concrete dam “would most probably begin to express signs of aging”.

Aging, unsafe dams are a growing threat in the U.S. From the failure of the Edenville Dam in Michigan in May 2020, to the failure of multiple dams in the Carolinas, this is an issue that continues to put lives and property at risk.

The Biden-Harris administration can begin to address this challenge by investing in dam safety and dam removal. In our 2021 blueprint, American Rivers calls on the administration to launch a national fund to prioritize and fund dam removals.

This includes:

• Fund barrier removal to improve habitat, connectivity, water quality and public safety
• Develop a schedule for reviewing the operation of federal facilities
• Develop accurate budget projections that reflect the true costs of maintaining and operating federal water infrastructure.
• Facilitate dam removal and river restoration through the hydropower relicensing process.

“From Michigan to the Carolinas, we’ve had multiple wake up calls that too many dams are outdated and unsafe. This report raises another alarm that we must not ignore,” said Brian Graber, senior director of river restoration for American Rivers.

“The U.S. has been a leader in dam removal and river restoration. We must continue to lead by investing more in dam safety and river restoration to keep our rivers healthy and our communities safe.”

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 emissions responsible for climate change. It signals a return to science, to global responsibility, and to serious thinking about how to repair the damage highly industrialized countries have perpetrated against the only planet where humanity can survive.

Other critically important executive orders revoked the Keystone XL pipeline’s permit, rescinded rollbacks to environmental rules — such as vehicle emissions standards and drilling leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge — and re-established climate science as a key factor in decision-making about land and water protections. Bolstered by the proficiency of experts tapped to lead on environmental issues, the message is clear and powerful: The health of people and nature must be front and center. That includes protecting our remaining healthy  lands and waters, aggressively curbing fossil fuel pollution , and genuinely respecting Indigenous leadership, history and treaty rights.

These shifts come at a precarious moment for our planet. More than 100 climate-related catastrophes have pummeled the Earth since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic last spring. This includes the onslaught of megafires, superstorms and heat waves we lived through last summer. In 2019, nearly 100 days of flooding on the upper Mississippi River put homes, farms and businesses under water, and caused four deaths and $6.2 billion in damage. Sustained drought in the states that make up the Upper Basin of the Colorado River is putting 40 million people and a $1.4 trillion economy at risk. The most impacted people — including Black, Latino and Indigenous People — are also the most marginalized from decisions.

We cannot have healthy rivers without a commitment to climate science. We cannot have equity without shifting power to people most impacted by climate change and environmental degradation. We cannot have peace, health and well-being unless we have clean, healthy water, land and air.

Water and climate scientist Brad Udall is often quoted saying, “Climate change is water change.” In other words, the most obvious and dire impacts of climate change are felt in profound changes to our rivers and to clean water. More sewer overflows, longer and deeper droughts, tap water that is unsafe to drink because of toxic algae outbreaks, uncertainty that is destabilizing communities, livelihoods and lives.

But flip that coin on its head, and you’ll see the opportunity: Healthy, well-managed river systems — including headwaters, wetlands and floodplains — absorb and reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, and they provide buffers against water shortage, help relieve damage from floodwaters, ensure water quality, and provide refuge for fish and wildlife. Healthy rivers are our best chance against climate change.

The deal 200 countries made in 2015 in Paris has always been an ambitious, if imperfect, starting point: Keeping global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels requires massive reforestation, changes to agriculture, a swift transition away from fossil fuels,  and other seismic shifts. It didn’t help that one of the biggest contributors of greenhouse gas emissions — the United States — formally left the accord in 2017. 

Returning to the Paris accord offers a renewed opportunity to work toward a future  preparing our natural and built environments to handle the onslaught of climate impacts. In the coming months, the decision will reverberate here in the United States, as well as globally: We expect to see policies and solutions that address environmental injustice and take the science of climate disruption into account when planning for increased flooding, water shortage, habitat disruption and more.

Let’s be clear. This is just a beginning. We cannot lose focus or expect the threats to rivers and drinking water to magically disappear.

In meetings with representatives of the Biden-Harris transition team, American Rivers has shared a 2021 Blueprint for Action that calls for major investments in water infrastructure, flood management, and river restoration. We are urging Congress to invest $500 billion for rivers and clean water over the next 10 years. We are also calling on the Biden-Harris administration to scrap the Dirty Water Rule and restore Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, which gives states and tribes the authority to decide whether major development projects, such as hydropower and oil and gas projects, move forward.

The next 100 days will be critical in addressing the four converging crises our country faces. Here is what I know for certain: We are ready to roll up our sleeves and work with the administration to repair the substantial damage to our climate. We are poised to advance protections for our remaining healthy rivers. We are committed to taking down dams and restoring rivers that sustain our lives and communities. And we are ready to stand together, with you, for every person’s right to clean water and a healthy community. Let’s get to work.

Most things found at cleanups are cigarette buds, plastic bottles and cans. Sometimes it’s a few tires, couches and shopping carts. Then there are things you would (to put it lightly) not expect.  

Here are some of those interesting cleanup finds: 

A $100 bill 

Yes, you heard that correct. A volunteer during a Friends of Poquessing Creek cleanup found a $100 bill during a cleanup outside of Philadelphia and rather than keep it for themselves, they donated it to the group organizing the cleanup. Although cash is not that unusual to find, a $100 bill is. If this isn’t more of a reason to participate in cleanups, we don’t know what is. 

Halloween costumes and decor 

Why are these items being found during April cleanups? We have no idea, but it happens more than you think. If you are planning outside Halloween décor or taking a walk in your costume, please make sure your items are secured. Or else, you may cause a fright at a future cleanup. 

Swamp monster Elmo 

Imagine this: While canoeing with your child, you start picking up litter, but you both get the feeling that something is watching you. You shrug it off and get back to cleaning. Then, just as you turn your head, you see something… Is it a rock? Is that a face? What is that thing? –  False alarm. It’s only a floating, mud-covered Elmo in need of rescue. 

A punching bag 

Don’t worry, we’re just as confused as you.  

Vacuum cleaners 

The Mayor’s Grand River Cleanup hosted by West Michigan Environmental Action and sponsored by Cascade Blonde American Whiskey, volunteers found not one, but TWO vacuum cleaners during their annual fall cleanup. 

Clean rivers mean clean drinking water and clean drinking water is good for people, wildlife and communities.  It’s also vital making great whiskey! Without clean water, great whiskey isn’t possible. That’s why Cascade Blonde is committed to helping to protect and restore our nations rivers. 

Have you come across an interesting item during a cleanup? Share the photo(s) with us and Cascade Blonde American Whiskey, sponsor of National River Cleanup® on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Tag @americanrivers and @cascadeblonde.

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 my way around the Capitol, from its maze of tunnels to the magnificence of the Rotunda.  It is literally and figuratively the heart of American democracy.  And on January 6, it was defiled by a motley aggregation of conspiracy-mongers, white supremacists, and neo-Nazis, all at the behest of an unhinged President Trump, who would not accept the undeniable fact that he lost the 2020 election. 

Think about those words.  The President of the United States incited a violent insurrection against Congress in its seat at the Capitol.  In my spare time, I like to read, especially books on American history.  If I had ever read about a lawless President unleashing an equally lawless mob to retain power, I would have thought I was reading outlandish fiction – until now.  

The immediate damage of the attack on our government was tragic.  Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick was killed, and other officers injured defending our freedom.  Four members of the attacking mob also lost their lives.  Damage to the Capitol was extensive.  But the longer-term damage to our democracy could prove to be even greater unless, as Americans, we demand that those responsible for this heinous act be held accountable.  And make no mistake, our ability to protect rivers and clean water requires a functioning democracy in which disagreements remain peaceful and compromise is possible. 

So, what must happen now?  Congress and the courts must hold President Trump accountable for inciting an insurrection against the government of the United States, whether through removal from office under the 25^th amendment, impeachment, censure, or criminal prosecution.  Similarly, members of Congress who enabled Trump by amplifying his lies about the election must also be held to account, through censure, expulsion, or resignation.  And all those who invaded and desecrated the Capitol must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The hateful and deadly actions of those who stormed through the Capitol waving Confederate and neo-Nazi flags, wearing anti-Semitic messages on clothing, and looking to kidnap and kill Vice President Pence and Speaker of the House Pelosi cannot be ignored or tolerated. Only a strong response like this will make clear that this must never happen again.  

In addition, there are steps each of us can take as individuals to strengthen our democracy.  We must denounce white supremacy and bigotry, examine how it permeates and poisons our institutions, and work for justice and equity in all aspects of our society, including in the conservation movement and in our own organization. 

We should strongly support the rule of law and demand that our elected officials do the same in word and deed.  We should participate in democracy by voting and respecting the outcome of the elections even when our candidates lose.  And we should make our voices heard, peacefully and effectively, on issues of river conservation and any others we care about so deeply.   

In an oft-told story, as Benjamin Franklin emerged from Philadelphia’s Independence Hall in 1787 at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention, he was asked what type of government we would have, a monarchy or a republic.  Franklin was said to reply, “A republic, if you can keep it.”  The deadly insurrection on January 6 was a frightening reminder that it is the responsibility of each of us to help keep our republic safe.  

Following the attack at the U.S. Capitol

The convergence of a multi-decadal, climate-fueled drought, a trillion-dollar river-dependent economy, and a region with growth aspirations that rival any place in the country has peaked speculative interest in owning and profiting from Colorado River water. An “open market,” as described by investors in the recent New York Times article, Wall Street Eyes Billions in the Colorado’s Water, while extremely unlikely, would present a grave danger to rural communities, farms and ranches, clean, safe, reliable drinking water for people, and ultimately the health and sustainability of the Colorado River ecosystem itself.  

Water speculation is not a new concept in the West.  Unfortunately, the article gives short shrift to the role of states in managing surface water in the public interest. In all Colorado River Basin states, the surface water is held by the state and water rights are issued for certain specified beneficial uses. These rights cannot be changed to other uses without thorough regulatory review by the state to ensure no “injury” to other water rights holders (like a neighboring ranch or the next town over) and to ensure that public interest is protected. Tribal rights in the Colorado River Basin also come with a number of court-ordered or legislative restrictions on how water may be transferred.  

Additionally, there is absolutely no logic to the idea that states would agree to let a private investor have its own “account” in Lake Powell, just so it could “sell” that water back to the Upper Basin states. 

Water in Colorado and throughout the West is tied to the land and must, by law, be put to a specific use like agriculture, energy, or municipal drinking water.  Water cannot be bought and held without putting it to “beneficial use,” which means that in order to profit from held water rights, these investors would have to move the water. In all likelihood, it would move away from a farmer’s field to a city – in many cases, never to return. So, while water speculation isn’t a new concept or threat, framing investments in land in order to secure water rights as “beneficial to the environment” is a new tactic. But the end remains the same: profit for few investors at the expense of human and wildlife communities, and the river, will be the only actual benefit.  

Unfortunately, the article falsely implies that Demand Management follows the export model for water, which is not the case. Instead, the guiding concept behind demand management is to NOT move water from farms to cities to facilitate municipal growth. Instead, Demand Management aims to reduce water supply risk for all water users in the face diminishing water availability by temporarily and voluntarily reducing water use. If designed and implemented appropriately, Demand Management can generate environmental and recreational flow benefits, while keeping water local and in the local watershed or even the broader Colorado River basin. The purpose of Demand Management is to sustain productive agriculture, not permanently dry it up.   

For these reasons, American Rivers is partnering with The Nature Conservancy, Trout Unlimited, several ranching families, and the State of Colorado to test, model, and better understand the consequences and benefits of Demand Management and to design a program that can be implemented at scale to reduce risk, preserve agriculture, and benefit the environment. It is critical to understand that the farmers and ranchers involved in these programs are leading efforts to keep water with the land and preserve Colorado’s agricultural heritage for future generations in the face of an increasingly water scarce reality.    

Not all investments of capital wealth in water are designed strictly for profit. There are a number of innovative private companies that are dedicated to helping solve some of the West’s most pressing environmental challenges by leveraging private capital. In Southwest Colorado, Quantified Ventures’ is working with local stakeholders on a Wildfire Mitigation Environmental Impact Fund. Like much of the west, Southwest Colorado is facing an increased threat of wildfires from past fire suppression policies, drought conditions and beetle-infested forests. This Wildfire Mitigation Environmental Impact Fund will utilize capital from private investors as well as revenues from biomass generated from forest thinning to offset the financial burden that any entity covers for wildfire mitigation in wildland-urban interface of the San Juan National Forest. The project fosters regional collaboration through shared financing and project implementation, while creating the opportunity to scale up wildfire mitigation by creating a revolving loan fund that reinvests proceeds into future projects. Because of the revolving loan, the impact of the fund will grow over time as capital is re-deployed for forest health treatments in new areas beyond this initial plan.  

There is some promise in approaches that deliver private capital investments to benefit the restoration and protection of rivers and streams. These investments can expand or enable projects that are eventually funded by public agencies, NGOs and local landowners. However, we fear that the private equity firms looking to the Colorado Basin and the water it provides as a commodity are really only interested in one thing—profit.