Media Items Archive

March 3, 2022

Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145

In response to President Biden’s nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court, American Rivers President and CEO Tom Kiernan made the following statement:

“We applaud and support the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court. Judge Jackson is exceptionally well qualified, with legal expertise and experience that will strengthen the nation’s highest court, one of democracy’s most vital institutions. If confirmed, Judge Jackson will make history as the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court. Her nomination comes at a critical moment. We must follow science and facts to ensure a livable future in an era of climate change. We must uphold and strengthen just, equitable safeguards for rivers, clean water and communities. And our government, including the courts, only works if it reflects the diversity of our country. We congratulate Judge Jackson on her achievements and we urge swift confirmation by the Senate.”

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March 3, 2022

Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145

In response to President Biden’s nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court, American Rivers President and CEO Tom Kiernan made the following statement:

P R E S S R E L E A S E

Karuk Tribe • Yurok Tribe• American Rivers
Trout Unlimited • Institute for Fisheries Resources • California Trout
Sustainable Northwest • Salmon River Restoration Council • Native Fish Society • Northern California Council, Flyfishers International • Friends of the Shasta River • Save California Salmon • Mount Shasta Ecology Center • American Whitewater • International Rivers • Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 25, 2021

Media Contacts:
Craig Tucker, Karuk Tribe: 916-207-8294
Amy Kober, American Rivers: 503-708-1145
Brian Johnson, Trout Unlimited, (415) 385-0796
Glen Spain, PCFFA: 541-689-2000

Environmental Review Confirms the Benefits of Dam Removal

Washington, DC – Today the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) released its draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on the proposed removal of the lower four Klamath River dams. The public is now invited to comment on the DEIS which describes the impacts and benefits of the project.

“Once again, a thorough analysis by experts reveals dam removal as key for restoring Klamath fisheries and improving water quality” notes Yurok Vice Chairman Frankie Myers. “Our culture and our fisheries are hanging in the balance. We are ready to start work on dam removal this year.”

In comparing the impacts of dam removal to current conditions, the DEIS concludes that dam removal provides significant economic, environmental, and cultural benefits to northern California and southern Oregon. This conclusion is consistent with the findings of two other Environmental Impact Studies that evaluated dam removal over the past two decades.

For California and Oregon commercial salmon fishermen, dam removal is key to revitalizing their industry. “Dams have decimated salmon returns on the Klamath River which means fewer harvest opportunities for family-owned commercial fishing vessels. Dam removal has the potential to save our industry and thousands of jobs in California and Oregon ports,” explains Glen Spain with Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations.

In recent years, as many as 90 percent of juvenile salmon sampled tested positive for a disease called Ceratomyxa shasta. The disease flourishes in the areas where water quality and flows are most affected by the dams. “The dams are a key factor in the diseases that are wiping out entire generations of salmon,” says Spain.

Brian Johnson, California Director of Trout Unlimited, acknowledges that dam removal is but one significant component of the environmental restoration work that is needed throughout the Klamath Basin to support the recovery of fish like salmon and steelhead trout. “We still need to balance water use and restore wetlands in the Upper Basin,” said Johnson. “But dam removal remains the single biggest thing we can do to restore Klamath fisheries and water quality right now.”

Benefits of dam removal include reintroducing salmon to over 400 miles of historical habitat, eliminating reservoirs that host toxic algae blooms each summer, and eliminating poor water quality conditions that allow fish disease-causing parasites to flourish. Because the cost of relicensing the dams would exceed the cost of removal under the plan, removal is also the best outcome for PacifiCorp customers.

“This is the biggest salmon restoration project in history,” notes Russell ‘Buster’ Attebery, Chairman of the Karuk Tribe. “And it’s desperately needed. Fewer and fewer salmon return each year. If we don’t act now, we may lose them all. Dam removal gives me hope that my grandchildren will be able to fish for the family dinner the way I did when I was a kid.”

“Dam removal works. We have only to look at the Elwha River restoration to see just how quickly an entire ecosystem can recover,” said Brian Graber, senior director of river restoration for American Rivers. “The Klamath is significant not only because it will be the biggest dam removal and river restoration effort in history, but also because it is a story of righting historic wrongs, illustrating how the futures of rivers and communities are inextricably linked.”

Some in the agricultural community see dam removal as a way to improve fish populations, making resolution of water disputes easier. “What it comes down to is what’s good for fish is good for farms. Taking dams out will benefit fish, people and agriculture. Dam removal is a huge step towards bringing the Klamath Basin back into balance,” Kelley Delpit, third generation farmer in the Klamath Basin.

FERC will accept public comments on the DEIS until April 18, 2022. Before dam removal can commence, FERC will need to issue a final EIS and approval. Dam removal advocates hope FERC will issue a final approval this summer will dam removal activities to begin soon after.

# # #

Editor’s note:

FERC dEIS can be found here.

A table summarizing effects of dam removal to the no-action alternative can be found on page xlii (table ES-2) of the dEIS.

Links to more information:

Background on the grassroots movement behind dam removal at bringthesalmonhome.org.

Information on the coalition of groups supporting dam removal and Klamath restoration at Reconnect Klamath.

Detailed information on dam removal plan at Klamath River Renewal Corporation.

57 dams removed in 2021

25 “dam removals to watch” for 2022 and beyond

February 22, 2022

Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145

Removing dams has tremendous benefits for river health, public safety and climate resilience, according to Free Rivers: The State of Dam Removal in the U.S. released today by American Rivers. 57 dams in 22 states were removed in 2021, reconnecting more than 2,131 miles of rivers. In addition, American Rivers is highlighting 25 dam removals to watch for 2022 and beyond.

“We had a good year in river restoration in 2021, but there is a growing urgency to accelerate our efforts to improve river health and resilience.” said Tom Kiernan, President and CEO of American Rivers. “The related crises of climate change, racial injustice, and biodiversity loss are further degrading our rivers and require us to accelerate river restoration through dam removals nationwide.”

“Congress, the administration, and the river restoration community need to significantly accelerate dam removal efforts nationwide if we are to prevent further declines in river health, prevent extinction of fish and wildlife, enhance communities, and safeguard the public from failing dams,” Kiernan added.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law late last year is an important step, committing $2.4 billion for the removal, retrofit and rehabilitation of dams. American Rivers urged Congress to includethe 21^st Century Dams Act, a bill introduced in 2021, in the upcoming Water Resources Development Act. This will provide programmatic authority and funding authorization for the removal of dams with willing owners, funding to increase capacity of state dam safety programs and resources to support dam retrofits to improve hydropower productivity.

Healthy, free-flowing rivers are essential to life, yet hundreds of thousands of dams block rivers across the U.S. Dams turn rivers into stagnant reservoirs that release methane, a greenhouse gas 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide. While many dams serve useful purposes and should remain in place, many no longer provide any benefits and are causing more harm than good.

Outdated, obsolete dams threaten public safety: 85 percent of the nation’s dams are more than 50 years old, which is the average life expectancy of a dam. Aging dams are at increased risk of failure, particularly during increasingly severe storms and flooding fueled by climate change. Since 2015, at least 87 dams have failed in South Carolina during storms and hurricanes.

Dam removal is a proven tool to restore river health, improve public safety, revitalize fish and wildlife populations, safeguard cultural values and reconnect communities to their rivers. River restoration also benefits the economy — every $1 million invested in restoring watersheds generates 16 jobs and up to $2.5 million for the economy.

As part of its leadership in river restoration, American Rivers tracks dam removal trends and maintains a national dam removal database. A total of 1,951 dams have been removed in the U.S. since 1912.

In 2021, the states leading in dam removal were:

Vermont, Pennsylvania and Oregon (7 removals each)
New Jersey (6 removals)
Wisconsin (4 removals)

Successes from 2021 include:

Public safety (Hammel Woods Dam on DuPage River, Illinois)— This low-head dam was removed by the Will County Forest Preserve District because three people had drowned at the dam in recent years. This project is complemented in the broader watershed by the neighboring Forest Preserves of Cook County who have been working to remove unsafe and ecologically harmful dams on the Des Plaines and North Branch Chicago River (see our “projects to watch” list for more information).
Access and recreation: (Hyde Dam on White River, Vermont)— This project involved the removal of a former mill dam from a site that had a dam as early as the 1700s. Upon completion of the dam removal project, partners will develop the historic site as a public access area for angling, swimming and boating. This project builds upon the momentum of the Vermont Dams Task Force as one of seven dam removals for Vermont in 2021.
Fish and wildlife habitat (Ward Mill Dam on Watauga River, North Carolina)— Built in 1890, this hydropower dam ranked first in the North Carolina barrier assessment tool to increase aquatic connectivity. American Rivers led this project that improved habitat for resident fish and wildlife like the Eastern hellbender (the largest salamander in the U.S.) in partnership with MountainTrue, Blue Ridge Resource Conservation and Development and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

American Rivers also released a list of 25 dam removal projects to watch for 2022 and future years.

“There are thousands of dams that need to come down in the U.S., and there are opportunities for river restoration at every size and scale,” said Kiernan.

The “projects to watch” list is not exhaustive. It is meant to illustrate examples and highlight opportunities. The projects range from small dams with willing owners where river restoration will deliver important local benefits, to bigger dam removal efforts that are vital to saving species from extinction and addressing longstanding injustices across entire regions.

Highlights include removal of Walton’s Mill Dam on Maine’s Temple Stream, a tributary of the Kennebec River, which will begin this year. Dam removal will restore more than 52 miles of important habitat for wild Atlantic salmon and other native fish. The project is part of a broader effort over the past several decades to restore endangered Atlantic salmon and other sea-run fish to the Kennebec River, an effort ignited by the successful removal of Edwards Dam in 1999.

The list also spotlights critical ongoing dam removal efforts, including four federal dams on the Pacific Northwest’s lower Snake River which are driving salmon runs toward extinction. The 573 tribes of the National Congress of American Indians have called for the removal of these four dams to address injustice and recover salmon. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Washington Governor Jay Inslee are spearheading an effort examining how to replace the services the dams provide.

About American Rivers

American Rivers believes a future of clean water and healthy rivers for everyone, everywhere is essential. Since 1973, we have protected wild rivers, restored damaged rivers and conserved clean water for people and nature. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., and 300,000 supporters, members and volunteers across the country, we are the most trusted and influential river conservation organization in the United States, delivering solutions for a better future. Because life needs rivers. www.AmericanRivers.org

February 14, 2022

Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145

(Washington, DC) – American Rivers today announced that five new members were elected to its board of directors. The new directors bring a breadth of expertise that will be instrumental in helping the organization achieve its vision of clean water and healthy rivers everywhere, for everyone.

“I am thrilled that these dynamic and talented individuals will help chart the course of American Rivers,” said Tom Kiernan, President and CEO of American Rivers. “We are in a critical moment, and their perspective will guide us as we develop bold solutions to address some of the most pressing challenges facing rivers, including climate change, racial injustice and the biodiversity crisis. At a time where we must maximize our impact, I am grateful for the leadership of our strong and dedicated board.”

Aja DeCoteau (Portland, Oregon) is a citizen of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation and has other tribal lineage with the Cayuse, Nez Perce, and Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. She grew up on the Yakama reservation and spent her childhood fishing and harvesting traditional foods with her family. With over twenty years of experience working on natural resource management and policy issues, DeCoteau currently serves as the Executive Director of Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) in Portland, Oregon. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and Native American studies from Dartmouth College and holds a Master of Environmental Management from Yale University, School of the Environment.

Queta González (Portland, Oregon) is the Director at Center for Diversity & the Environment and Environmental Professionals of Color. She has been facilitating and coaching people in Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit organizations, government, and small businesses for over 30 years. González has developed and delivered trainings across a myriad of cultures and worked in partnership with a wide variety of organizations. She is the first woman of color to run a whitewater rafting company in the Grand Canyon and is a founding board member of Nesika Wilamut (formerly Willamette River Network). González serves on the Oregon’s Environmental Equity Committee and served on the Roadmap to the Outdoors steering team, and on the Governor’s Task Force on the Outdoors. González received the Rosa Parks and Grace Lee Boggs Outstanding Service Award in recognition of her leadership in educating and promoting action to support environmental education and environmental justice at the local, state, or global level.

Dr. Na’Taki Osborne Jelks (Atlanta, Georgia) is an environmental health scientist and educator. She is an assistant professor of Environmental and Health Sciences at Spelman College and Co-Founder of the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance, a community-based environmental justice organization. She is known for her activism in environmental justice and urban sustainability, for which she was named a Champion of Change by the White House in 2014. Jelks received her BS from Spelman College, her Master of Public Health in Environmental and Occupational Health from Emory University, and her PhD from the School of Public Health at Georgia State University. She is also an immediate past co-chair of the Proctor Creek Stewardship Council, a grassroots organization focused on restoring the ecological health of the Proctor Creek Watershed in west Atlanta. In 2018, Jelks was named a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Environmental Justice Advisory Council and currently serves as one of two Co-Chairs. In 2021, Rachel’s Network granted Jelks with the 3rd annual Catalyst Award.

Alyssa Macy (Seattle, Washington) is of Wasco, Diné and Hopi descent and a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. She is the CEO of the Washington Environmental Council and Washington Conservation Voters. In her previous role, Macy served her Nation as the Chief Operations Officer where she was responsible for $33 million in tribal programming and services. Her previous experiences include working transportation, campaign management, communications, and international advocacy within United Nations bodies. She is a published writer and co-authored the first ever national report on Native American voting in 2005. Macy is a graduate of Arizona State University where she received her B.S. in Justice Studies and did her graduate studies at the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis.

Mary J. Pavel (Silver Spring, MD) is a member of the Skokomish Tribe of Washington. Upon graduation from Dartmouth, Pavel became the first paralegal with the law firm of Sonosky, Chambers, Sachse, Endreson & Perry, LLP, one of the most highly regarded federal Indian law firms in the nation. After serving as paralegal for one year, Pavel entered law school at the University of Washington School of Law, and eventually became one of the first Indian women to be made a partner in a National Indian Law Firm in 1999. In 2013, Pavel served as the Staff Director and Chief Counsel for the United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. During her tenure, she served two Chairs: Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Senator Jon Tester (D-MT). As Staff Director and Chief Counsel, Pavel directed the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs agenda through the Senate. Pavel is former Dartmouth College Alumni Council member, and a current board member of the Native American Alumni of Dartmouth. Pavel is the Founding President of the Native American Bar Association of Washington, D.C., and a founding member of the Northwest Native American Bar Association.

About American Rivers

February 9, 2022

Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145

American Rivers announced today that Heather Taylor-Miesle will join the organization as its new Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Regional Conservation. Throughout her career, she has built diverse coalitions and strategic partnerships and led successful campaigns for rivers and communities.

“Heather is an outstanding addition to American Rivers and I am thrilled to welcome her to our growing team,” said Tom Kiernan, President and CEO of American Rivers. “Her proven policy experience and strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion will be keys to strengthening our regional conservation strategy, building a powerful river movement, and increasing our impact for healthy rivers and clean water.”

For the past six years, Taylor-Miesle served as Executive Director of the Ohio Environmental Council, and President of OEC Action Fund. There, she engaged frontline partners, businesses, agricultural interests and other stakeholders in efforts to reduce pollution. She also negotiated federal and state legislation, including serving as lead negotiator for a Constitutional amendment to end gerrymandering in Ohio. Prior to that, Taylor-Miesle served as Founding Director of the NRDC Action Fund, where she grew the organization into a recognized powerhouse in advocacy campaigns.

She received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Marietta College, and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

“Rivers flow through the heart of our nation’s biggest challenges, from climate change to injustice to biodiversity loss. Rivers can also be the source of transformational solutions for people and the environment,” said Taylor-Miesle. “That’s why I’m so energized to take on this new role at American Rivers. With our talented staff and fantastic partners, we’re going to aim high and I know we will achieve big, ambitious goals.”

Taylor-Miesle will start at American Rivers on April 4. The search was led by Isaacson Miller.

About American Rivers

Contact: Ted Illston, 202-834-3657

Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145

American Rivers today released the “River Budget: National Priorities for Healthy Rivers and Clean Water (FY23)”, endorsed by 47 partner organizations, outlining priorities for federal spending to ensure a future of clean water and healthy rivers everywhere, for everyone.

Rivers are essential to life. They provide drinking water, nurture fish and wildlife, power our economy, connect us to the natural world and are vital to healthy, thriving communities. But rivers and clean water supplies are threatened by pollution, dams, climate change and crumbling infrastructure, with Black, Indigenous, Latino and other communities of color feeling disproportionate impacts.

“This moment demands bold action for clean water and rivers,” said Tom Kiernan, President and CEO of American Rivers. “Equitable investment in clean water and healthy rivers is vital to helping solve the interconnected challenges of climate change, injustice and biodiversity loss. American Rivers and our partners urge President Biden and Congress to prioritize these investments.”

The River Budget includes priorities in four key categories:

Improve water infrastructure:

The American Society of Civil Engineers rates the nation’s drinking water infrastructure at C- and its stormwater infrastructure at D. Fortifying our nation’s drinking water and wastewater facilities to be resilient and sustainable requires urgent investment, especially in proven solutions like green stormwater infrastructure. The River Budget calls on Congress to appropriate necessary funds to address the scale of the drinking and clean water infrastructure crises.

$3.87 billion – Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
$4.38 billion – Clean Water State Revolving Fund
$1.75 billion – Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program
$80 million – Safe Water for Small and Disadvantaged Communities

Restore watersheds:

Conserving and restoring watersheds in a changing climate is essential to slowing and reversing freshwater biodiversity loss and supporting local economies. Congress will need to prioritize funding watershed restoration to meet President Biden’s America the Beautiful goal of conserving 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030.

$12 million – Wild and Scenic Rivers programs
$100 million – Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program
$15 million – Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance

Modernize flood management:

As floods become more frequent and severe, communities need cost-effective, reliable solutions to protect people and property and safeguard river health.

$2 billion – Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Program
$12.5 million – Engineering With Nature
$700 million – Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Program
$200 million – Flood Plain Management and Flood Mapping

Remove dams:

Removing dams can improve public safety, restore the natural functions of rivers, help endangered fish species, create jobs, protect important environmental and cultural resources, and increase climate resilience.

$60 million – Community-based Restoration Program
$200 million – High Hazard Potential Dam Safety Grant Program
$92 million – National Dam Safety Program
$30 million – National Fish Passage Program

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provided a major infusion of funding, energizing the public to let Congress know they are facing a changing climate, environmental injustice, biodiversity extinction, unaffordable or polluted water, and other issues that have long been overlooked and underfunded.

In the American Rivers 2021 Blueprint for Action, we called on Congress to invest – over the next 10 years – $200 billion to improve water infrastructure, $200 billion to modernize flood management and $100 billion to restore watersheds in our communities. Over the next five years, the IIJA will provide over $55 billion for water infrastructure, $10 billion for flood management and $21 billion for environmental remediation, paling in comparison to the $500 billion needed. We can not let the IIJA be a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence; rivers and communities need those levels of funding on an annual basis.

The River Budget is a tool to voice the interests and needs of communities by recommending to Congress and the administration funding priorities and levels for programs that create clean rivers and water nationwide. Read “River Budget: National Priorities for Healthy Rivers and Clean Water (FY23)”

Conservation groups’ lawsuit prompts Army Corps’ reversal

December 15, 2021

CONTACTS:

Jill Mastrototaro | Audubon Delta | (504) 481-3659 | jill.mastrototaro@audubon.org

Louie Miller | Mississippi Sierra Club | (601) 624-3503 | louie.miller@sierraclub.org

Olivia Dorothy | American Rivers | (217) 390-3658 | odorothy@americanrivers.org

Andrew Whitehurst | Healthy Gulf | (601) 954-7236 | andrew@healthygulf.org

Stu Gillespie | Earthjustice | (303) 996-9616 | sgillespie@earthjustice.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) released a memo withdrawing the agency’s January 15, 2021, Record of Decision that green-lighted its proposed 2020 Yazoo Pumps plan, a destructive agricultural drainage project in Mississippi’s South Delta. The Corps cited the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent restoring of its 2008 Clean Water Act 404(c) veto as a basis for their decision.

Federal lawsuits filed earlier this year by Earthjustice on behalf of American Rivers, National Audubon Society, Sierra Club, and Healthy Gulf, against the Corps, EPA, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, challenged the Trump administration’s rushed 2020 attempt to revive the Pumps. The Corps’ official withdrawal of their approval was prompted by these legal challenges, which serves as a final step in stopping the Pumps and ensuring some of the nation’s richest wetland and water resources are protected once again.

Statement by American Rivers, National Audubon Society, Sierra Club, Healthy Gulf, and Earthjustice:

“The Corps’ reversal of the outdated, ineffective Pumps is an unequivocal reminder of the power of science, the law, and the public’s voice in holding agencies accountable for their irresponsible actions – namely the Corps’ unprecedented effort to illegally sidestep bedrock environmental laws, abdicate agency responsibilities, and ignore key scientific findings about the 2020 Pumps’ plan.

The Corps unlawfully refused to consider any other alternatives except the Pumps, yet they themselves acknowledge their plan would leave most local communities vulnerable – Corps data shows only 17% of the backwater would receive any flood relief from the Pumps.[1] No more time or taxpayer money should be spent on pursuing a boondoggle that would only deliver more environmental injustice to the Mississippi Delta.

This conclusion of the Pumps’ saga underscores the real opportunity to deliver meaningful flood relief to vulnerable backwater communities through existing federal programs that are available now to get money on the ground to those who need it the most.

We stand ready to support this new chapter that can benefit people’s lives, property, and livelihoods while safeguarding this globally important area for future generations.”

[1] Corps’ 2020 FSEIS, Appendix C (Tables) at Table 5.3; Corps’ 2020 SEIS, Appendix G (Engineering Report) at 135, Table 2-26.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NOVEMBER 30, 2021

CONTACTS:

Nicole Hayler, Chattooga Conservancy, tel 864-647-9849, email info@chattoogariver.org

April McEwen, American Rivers, tel 864-710-9045, email amcewen@americanrivers.org

CHATTOOGA RIVER, GA/SC On Friday, November 26^th, six conservation groups moved to intervene in a proceeding before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to urge the agency and Georgia Power to study removal of the Tugalo Dam, located on the Georgia and South Carolina border immediately below the confluence of the Chattooga and Tallulah Rivers. The Southern Environmental Law Center filed the papers on behalf of American Rivers, American Whitewater, Upstate Forever, Chattooga Conservancy, Naturaland Trust and the Georgia Canoeing Association.

Georgia Power recently submitted a license amendment to FERC seeking authority to spend at least $24 million to rebuild, upgrade, and increase capacity of significant components of the Tugalo facility, which dams the lower Chattooga and Tallulah Rivers and floods nearly 6 miles of whitewater rapids and free-flowing river.

The conservation groups are requesting that all impacts of the Tugalo Dam be evaluated in an environmental impact statement when considering this license amendment, so that the dam relicensing process, set to begin in 2031, is not preempted by a premature amendment and major investment in the old dam.

The case for decommissioning Tugalo Dam is compelling, as the almost 100-year-old dam:

Only produces a maximum of 45 megawatts of power, less than 1% of Georgia Power’s total electric power production.
Buries nearly 6 miles of free-flowing river and world class whitewater rapids.
Removes important recreational opportunities in the region for thousands of residents and visitors.
Prevents the free movement of fish and the migration of plant and animal species in the ecologically rich Brevard Zone of the southern Blue Ridge Escarpment.
Traps over 100 years of sediment and emits significant greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.
Floods nearly 600 acres of forest lands.

Investing in smarter infrastructure and restoring the Chattooga River Gorge would:

Provide exceptional nature-based recreation opportunities, and could generate millions of dollars for the local and regional economy.
Save in excess of $24 million to upgrade a century-old facility that could otherwise be used to invest in alternative renewable and less harmful energy like solar.
Mitigate the effects of climate change by eliminating facility greenhouse gas emissions and restoring native forests that remove carbon from the environment.
Provide connectivity between large blocks of wildlands to help ecosystems adapt to climate change.

Conservationists agree that if FERC grants an amendment to Georgia Power’s operating license without thoroughly considering important economic and environmental issues, it will allow Georgia Power to spend millions of dollars to upgrade Tugalo Dam, which will result in a biased relicensing process in 2031-2036.

The coalition of national, regional and local conservation groups hope Georgia Power Company will work with them to accomplish transparency in decision-making, equitable infrastructure investment, and jump-starting the process of considering the feasible alternative of restoring the lower Chattooga and Tallulah Rivers—two iconic wild rivers—that will boost the local economy, provide exceptional recreational opportunities, and address compelling environmental concerns.

“We believe the public deserves a say in whether allowing Georgia Power to continue operating Tugalo Dam for profit is in the public interest. The dam continues to cause lasting damage to the health of the Chattooga River. The dam is also holding local communities back from all of the recreation and economic benefits that a healthy river can offer. It makes sense to explore clean energy alternatives to the dam, and invite everyone who cares about the Chattooga to be a part of shaping its future.”

– Peter Raabe, Southeast Regional Director, American Rivers

2008 Clean Water Act veto of damaging Yazoo Pumps Project is upheld

November 15, 2021

Contact: Amy Kober, 503-708-1145

Olivia Dorothy, 217-390-3658

American Rivers today applauds EPA Administrator Michael Regan’s decision to uphold the 2008 veto of the Yazoo Pumps, a massive agricultural drainage project north of Vicksburg, Mississippi. The decision will protect hundreds of thousands of acres of some of the richest wetlands in the nation along the Big Sunflower and Yazoo rivers, which flow into the Mississippi River. This vital Mississippi Delta habitat supports over 450 species of birds, fish and wildlife, from waterfowl and monarch butterflies, to pallid sturgeon, American eels and Louisiana black bear.

American Rivers listed the Big Sunflower River among America’s Most Endangered Rivers® six times between 1997 and 2020 because of the damage the Yazoo Pumps project would cause to wetlands and wildlife habitat.

“The decision to protect these globally-significant wetlands is a major win for rivers and wildlife,” said Tom Kiernan, President and CEO of American Rivers. “We applaud the EPA for basing its decision on science and we look forward to working with Delta residents and local, state and federal agencies to implement effective solutions to the flood challenges in the lower Delta.”

The Yazoo Pumps would not have protected communities from flooding. The project would have drained ecologically-significant wetlands so that a small number of large landowners could intensify agricultural production. The environmental threat from the Yazoo Pumps spurred the George W. Bush Administration to veto the project under the Clean Water Act Section 404(c) veto authority, but the Trump Administration resurrected the project in 2020.

To learn more about today’s decision, read our press release with Audubon Mississippi, Sierra Club, Healthy Gulf, and Earthjustice.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 17, 2021

CONTACTS:

Crucial safeguards restored to nationally significant area

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) restored its long-standing Clean Water Act veto of a massive agricultural drainage project in the Mississippi Delta known as the Yazoo Pumps. EPA’s decision immediately reinstates Clean Water Act protections for some of the nation’s richest wetlands and waters, which provide habitat for over 28 million migrating birds each year.1 EPA also withdrew the Trump administration’s last-minute attempt to unlawfully revoke the veto, which would have allowed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to circumvent the law and revive the same destructive pumps project.2, 3 EPA reaffirmed its support for advancing effective, enduring flood solutions for communities in the Yazoo Backwater Area.

In January, Earthjustice filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of American Rivers, National Audubon Society, Sierra Club, and Healthy Gulf, challenging the Trump administration’s attempt to exempt the Yazoo Pumps from the 2008 veto. EPA had never before revoked a veto, and the conservation organizations contended that the 2008 veto squarely prohibits the Corps’ rushed 2020 plan to revive the project. Recent media reports have documented how Trump EPA political leadership deliberately ignored career staff scientists’ concerns when revoking the veto last year.4

“EPA’s decision is a powerful affirmation that science and law, not politics, ultimately prevail,” said Stu Gillespie, Earthjustice attorney. “EPA’s decision upholds bedrock environmental laws and restores crucial safeguards for some of the Nation’s richest wetlands.”

Although vetoed during the George W. Bush administration due to its unacceptable environmental impacts, the ineffective $440 million-dollar Pumps continue to be touted as the only solution to address flooding problems in vulnerable communities of the Yazoo Backwater Area.

“The Corps’ stunning admission that 83% of the Yazoo backwater would still be under water even with the Pumps during the 2019 flood says it all,” said Louie Miller, State Director for the Mississippi Chapter of the Sierra Club. “The Pumps are not designed to protect communities from flooding but benefit agribusiness. Federal focus needs to be getting money on the ground to the people who need it the most.”

1 The findings were based on 2020 analyses by the National Audubon Society, using data from eBird Status & Trends from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Partners in Flight Population Estimates Database from Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. The findings were made possible thanks to data contributed by community science participants in eBird and the USGS Breeding Bird Survey.

2 EPA’s 2008 Clean Water Act 404(c) Final Determination
3 EPA letter to Corps, 11/30/2020
4 E&E News, 8/27/2021, “Trump EPA ignored scientists’ warnings on Miss. Project: Docs” (Cont.)

Right now, there are alternative flood solutions available through existing federal programs to help Yazoo Backwater communities effectively and sustainably reduce flood risks and benefit wildlife.

“EPA’s actions demonstrate a true commitment to birds and people,” said Jill Mastrototaro, Mississippi Policy Director for Audubon Delta. “Not only is this ecologically important area protected for future generations but vulnerable communities can finally get the flood relief they have long deserved.”

Instead of the ineffective, antiquated Pumps, the conservation groups have developed and shared with EPA and the Corps a Resilience Alternative, which identifies existing federal programs that would use natural infrastructure and non-structural solutions to provide prompt flood relief for local communities while benefitting wildlife.

“Communities throughout the Mississippi River basin are already putting commonsense flood measures, such as elevating homes and paying farmers to restore cropland back to wetlands, to good use,” said Olivia Dorothy, Certified Floodplain Manager and Restoration Director for American Rivers. “Federal programs and significant funding are available now to provide these same protections for people’s lives, property and livelihoods in the Yazoo backwater area.”

In April, the conservation organizations filed as second federal lawsuit challenging the Corps’ reckless approval of the project in the final days of the Trump administration.

“EPA’s unequivocal reaffirmation of the veto underscores a shocking lack of restraint by the Corps,” said Andrew Whitehurst, Water Program Director for Healthy Gulf. “Our organizations will continue to hold the Corps accountable in their attempt to sidestep federal laws by refusing to consider any other alternatives except an outdated project that they themselves acknowledge will leave most local communities vulnerable.”

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November 10, 2021

Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145

Washington – American Rivers today announced that Dr. Mel Michelle Lewis (she/they) will join the organization as Vice President for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice.

Throughout their career, Dr. Lewis has worked to center and amplify the voices of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), queer, and trans communities pursuing social and environmental justice.

“I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Lewis to American Rivers,” said Tom Kiernan, President and CEO of American Rivers. “They are an accomplished leader with the expertise and experience to help guide our critical work on behalf of rivers and communities nationwide.”

“I am elated to join the American Rivers team. This role offers a powerful opportunity to provide DEIJ strategic guidance, inspire enthusiasm, cultivate diversity, promote equity, and foster inclusion in the service of social and environmental justice,” said Dr. Lewis.

“From the deltas and bayous of Alabama, to the harbors of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, my rivers journey now courses through the most trusted and influential river conservation organization in the United States.”

Most recently, Dr. Lewis has served as the Program Director of the Ecosystems, Sustainability, and Justice Program (ESJ) and Faculty Lead/Grants Project Director for the Natural Dye Initiative (NDI) at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). In addition to their ESJ and NDI roles, Dr. Lewis also served as Associate Professor of Gender/Sexuality & Black/Ethnic Studies in the Humanistic Studies Department, and Co-Founder of The Space for Creative Black Imagination: An Interdisciplinary Research and Making Institute at MICA.

Dr. Lewis has also served as a Collaborator/ DEI Consultant with The Art of Change Agency, supporting critical voices and creative visions for sustainable practice, structural change, and social transformation within organizations, institutions, and communities.

Previous positions include Director of the transdisciplinary Center for Geographies of Justice and Associate Professor of Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies and Africana Studies at Goucher College; Associate Professor and Director of Ethnic Studies at Saint Mary’s College of California; and Interim Executive director of the National Women’s Studies Association.

Originally from Bayou la Batre, Alabama, Dr. Lewis’s multidisciplinary creative work explores social and environmental justice themes affecting BIPOC and queer residents in rural coastal settings and engages West African worldviews, Poarch Band Creek Nation wisdom, and ancestral narrative portraiture.

“This new position at American Rivers demonstrates our steadfast commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice,” said Kiernan. “Dr. Lewis is a tremendous addition to American Rivers and their work will make us a stronger, more inclusive and effective organization.”

Dr. Lewis will begin at American Rivers on January 3, 2022.

About American Rivers

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