American Rivers Announces 2025 River Champion Award Recipients
2025 Awards Celebrates Leaders Supporting Clean Water and Safe, Healthy Communities
Contact: Hawk Hammer, National Communications and Media Director, Hhammer@americanrivers.org
Washington, D.C. – American Rivers is today announcing the 2025 recipients of our “River Champion” awards which recognize leaders who are improving lives and strengthening our nation by advancing solutions for healthy rivers and clean water. This year’s honorees are Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC), Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA), the City of Grand Rapids and the Wilburforce Foundation.
“Healthy rivers provide clean water and are essential to our nation’s health, security, and prosperity,” said Tom Kiernan, president and CEO of American Rivers. “We are thrilled to honor this year’s River Champions for their work protecting and restoring our nation’s waterways. We are fortunate to have leaders like them at the local, state, and federal level committed to a safer, healthier future.”
“I’m honored to have been named American Rivers’ River Champion of 2025 for my work to strengthen dam safety across the country. For centuries, Americans have been constructing dams to address immediate needs, not realizing what it takes to maintain them, or the long-term effects they may have,” said Congressman Chuck Edwards. “Our nation’s dams have been neglected for too long, and we’re finally taking inventory, making programs more workable for states, and taking steps to make sure that the American people are safe from the dangers of crumbling dams.”
“So much of our lives depends on healthy, clean rivers: safe drinking water, habitat for plants and wildlife, thriving agriculture, urban development, and fulfilling recreation,” said Congressman Jared Huffman. “As our waterways face pollution and degradation, it’s urgent we do everything possible to protect our rivers, ensure a constant supply of clean water, and set future generations up for success. This work has been an important part of my career — from my days as an environmental attorney to serving in the CA State Assembly and now in Congress, and it’s an honor to have this work recognized through the River Champion award. American Rivers has been an invaluable partner in these efforts, and I look forward to continuing our work together.”
“The work to restore and revitalize our namesake river is a generational undertaking. One that began over three decades ago and involved not just the local government, but stakeholders from across our entire community. They understand that the Grand River is more than a natural resource. For us, it is a community asset. One that is worth protecting, preserving, and improving,” said David LaGrand, mayor of Grand Rapids. “This year, we will take another step in on this journey by removing a series of low head dams and adding in natural features to restore the rapids to the Grand River. Combined with on-going work to build out our riverside trail network and create access points along the river, we are continuing to realize the vision set out so long ago. It is an honor to be recognized by American Rivers as an example of what’s possible when people come together with a common goal of making rivers for all.”
“We are honored to be in such a long-standing partnership with American Rivers to advance our shared vision of conserving important lands, waters, and wildlife in Western North America. It is humbling to be recognized with this outstanding award, and look forward to many more years of working together for wild rivers and the people and wildlife that depend on them,” said Lisa Weinstein, executive director of Wilburforce Foundation.
Representative Chuck Edwards (R-NC) introduced three public safety and healthy rivers bills that were passed as part of the Water Resources Development Act of 2024. These bills are the National Dam Safety Program Reauthorization Act of 2023, the National Dam Safety Program Amendment Act, and the Low-Head Dam Inventory Act. The need for these bills to protect our communities was underscored by the impacts of flooding of Western North Carolina due to Hurricane Helene. As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure and Appropriations committees, the congressman will have the opportunity to continue to advance policies that protect people and rivers.
Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA) was elected to the top Democrat spot as Ranking Member on the House Natural Resources Committee for the 119th Congress. He is widely regarded as a champion for both the environment and rivers nationwide. He spearheaded Congressional efforts to advance the restoration of the Klamath Basin ecosystem and has a long history of support for the removal of two dams to restore the Eel River in Potter Valley. As a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, he was instrumental in the development and passage of the 2024 Water Resources Development Act, which included critical dam safety provisions.
City of Grand Rapids: the dedication of Grand Rapids city leaders – including Mayor David LaGrand and former Mayor Rosalynn Bliss – to invest in clean water, restore the Grand River and its tributaries, and conserve vital green space, has made a significant impact on the community. Through strategic partnerships and innovative approaches to stormwater management, they have implemented initiatives that have reduced pollution, spurred economic investment, protected local wildlife, and improved public safety and well-being.
As we honor the City of Grand Rapids, we also recognize the importance of strong community leaders and celebrate the leadership of West Michigan Environmental Action Council. WMEAC has advanced innovative infrastructure solutions, led the Mayors Annual River Cleanup, encouraged the city to adopt critical clean water safeguards, and are vital to amplifying voices of local residents.
Wilburforce Foundation: Rose Letwin founded the Wilburforce Foundation in 1991 based on her vision of a thriving, interconnected American West that could foster healthy wildlife. Today, the Foundation is focused on conserving important lands, irreplaceable waters, and important wildlife in western North America by supporting organizations and leaders advancing strategic solutions. The Foundation has been steadily funding American Rivers’ river protection work in Washington, Oregon, southwest New Mexico, Montana and Idaho since 2005. Over the last 20 years, the Foundation has been instrumental in supporting watershed-level approaches for protection and restoration for some of the most ecologically important rivers and streams in these states.
The annual awards celebrate a wide variety of leaders who are helping advance the river and water solutions our nation needs. Last year’s River Champion Awards celebrated leaders who were instrumental in the Klamath dam removal and river restoration effort: the Yurok Tribe, Karuk Tribe, Klamath Justice Coalition, Berkshire Hathaway, states of Oregon and California, Klamath River Renewal Corporation, and Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation Group. River Champion Award recipients in 2023 were Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID), Rep. Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH), the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and the Brunckhorst Foundations.
Learn more about the River Champion Awards.
About American Rivers
American Rivers is championing a national effort to protect and restore all rivers, from remote mountain streams to urban waterways. Healthy rivers provide people and nature with clean, abundant water and natural habitat. For 50 years, American Rivers staff, supporters, and partners have shared a common belief: Life Depends on Rivers. AmericanRivers.org
