Media Items Archive

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 6, 2021

Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145

American Rivers today applauds the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the bipartisan infrastructure bill which contains significant funding for rivers and clean water nationwide. A key highlight of the package is the $2.4 billion that American Rivers helped secure for the removal, rehabilitation and retrofit of dams nationwide.

When President Biden signs the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law, communities will benefit from critically needed investments in water infrastructure, river restoration and flood protection.

Now, the Senate must act with urgency to rectify their concerns in the House-passed Build Back Better Act and pass legislation true to President Biden’s Build Back Better framework. This framework provides additional funds to address the water crisis facing communities nationwide – lead service line replacement, low-income rate assistance and climate-resilient infrastructure.

Action is vital: Two million people in our country do not have access to safe, clean, affordable drinking water. Forty-four percent of waterways in the U.S. are too polluted for fishing and swimming. Climate change is threatening lives and the economy with the full range of water impacts, from severe flooding to record-breaking drought and toxic algae outbreaks. Black, Latino, Indigenous and low-income communities are disproportionately impacted by river and climate threats.

“At this moment in our nation’s history, investment in rivers couldn’t be more critical. By prioritizing rivers and clean water, Congress is addressing urgent needs in our communities, from public health and safety to environmental justice and the economy,” said Tom Kiernan, President and CEO of American Rivers.

“Drought, floods and soaring temperatures are underscoring the importance of healthy rivers, reliable infrastructure, and safe, affordable water supplies to our nation’s future. We have much more work to do to advance equitable clean water solutions, tackle urgent river restoration needs, and address the climate crisis, but this bill is an important step forward.”

Highlights of the infrastructure bill include:

Clean water

The bill contains a total of $55 billion for water infrastructure. $28.8 billion will go toward the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds. Of that $55 billion, $510 million will go to small and disadvantaged communities; $1.4 billion for sewer overflow and stormwater reuse grants; and, $250 million for the Indian Reservation drinking water program. The bill will also fund studies on advanced clean water technologies and stormwater infrastructure technology.

River restoration

The bill contains $4.5 billion for watershed restoration. This includes $2.4 billion to support the removal, rehabilitation and retrofit of dams ($800 million for dam removal, $800 million for dam safety and $753 million for hydropower facilities for dam safety improvements, environmental improvements, and grid resilience)

Equitable, nature-based flood management

The bill contains critical funding for flood management, including key programs that can support nature-based flood management projects including $3.5 billion for FEMA’s Flood Mitigation Assistance program, $1 billion for FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, and $300 million for the Emergency Watershed Protection Program at the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The bill also includes $2.5 billion for inland flood risk management at the Army Corps, with a focus on multi-purpose projects and projects that will directly benefit economically disadvantaged and minority communities.

In addition, the bill contains important funding for key river basins. In the Colorado River Basin, funding will help implement large water reuse and recycling projects, increase resilience to climate change, and prioritize natural infrastructure solutions. In Washington’s Yakima River Basin, the bill’s funding will support the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan, advancing water supply reliability and river restoration.

American Rivers called on Congress to take additional urgent steps to protect clean water and rivers nationwide:

Include funding for dam removal and dam safety programs in the Reconciliation funding process to address the nation’s aging and obsolete dam infrastructure.
Enact legislation to save Northwest salmon from extinction by restoring the lower Snake River and investing in the region’s energy, transportation and agriculture sectors
Pass the bipartisan 21st Century Dams Act, which dedicates $25.8 billion for the removal, rehabilitation and retrofit of dams, including $7.5 billion to support removal of 1,000 dams to restore 10,000 miles of rivers.
Pass bills that would designate more than 6,700 miles of new Wild and Scenic Rivers in New Mexico, Washington, Montana and Oregon.

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November 5, 2021

Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145

American Rivers applauds the Senate’s confirmation of Mike Connor as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, the top civilian post overseeing the Army Corps of Engineers. Connor, a member of the Taos Pueblo tribe, served as deputy Interior secretary in the Obama administration.

The Army Corps of Engineers has a significant impact on river health nationwide, issuing federal Clean Water Act permits and managing 740 dams and more than 14,000 miles of levees. The Corps leads critical flood management efforts and in recent years has been instructed by Congress to incorporate nature-based solutions including floodplain and ecosystem restoration.

Among the more contentious projects the Corps is currently engaged in are the Pebble Mine in Alaska, the Yazoo Pumps in Mississippi, and its management of four federal dams on the lower Snake River in eastern Washington that are impacting endangered salmon runs.

Tom Kiernan, President of American Rivers, made the following statement:

“Mike is a proven leader with a strong conservation mindset. He has extensive experience in water management and river restoration. As a member of the Taos Pueblo, he understands the critical importance of the federal government fulfilling its trust responsibilities to Native American tribes.

Climate change is impacting communities across the country with bigger and more frequent floods and droughts. The Army Corps has a critical role to play in strengthening communities in the face of these challenges. Protecting and restoring healthy, free-flowing rivers and investing in natural infrastructure must be the cornerstone of our strategy to build climate resilience because it has proven so effective. We encourage the Army Corps to fully integrate nature-based approaches that protect communities and improve river health into the Civil Works program, and to address long-standing inequities in water resources investments.

We look forward to working with the Army Corps and the Biden-Harris administration to ensure that equitable investment in clean water and river restoration is a top priority.”

Senators Heinrich and Lujan re-introduce legislation to protect New Mexico’s Gila River

November 2, 2021
Contact: David Moryc, 503-307-1137; Mike Fiebig, 406-600-4061

Responding to strong community support, Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan today introduced legislation to add New Mexico’s Gila River to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The bill would designate 446 miles of the Gila as Wild and Scenic, forever protecting the river and tributaries from dams and other harmful development. A similar bill was first introduced in May 2020 by Senator Heinrich and former Senator Tom Udall, but the local community has been advocating for the protection of these waterways for nearly a decade.

“We stand with the communities of Southwest New Mexico and Senators Heinrich and Lujan who are seeking to protect the natural heritage of the Gila River,” said Tom Kiernan, president of American Rivers. “The Gila and San Francisco Rivers are among the most ecologically and culturally important unprotected landscapes in the United States.”

In 2019, American Rivers named the Gila America’s Most Endangered River®. “America’s Most Endangered Rivers is a call to action,” Kiernan said. “The local residents of southwestern New Mexico and Americans everywhere responded to that call by urging state and federal decision makers to protect this special river. Now, with the Wild and Scenic legislation re-introduced, the future of the Gila River looks bright. We are grateful to Senator Heinrich and Senator Lujan and former Senator Udall, and to our partners and supporters for their commitment to saving this national treasure.”

Signed into law in 1968, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act is our nation’s strongest tool for protecting healthy, free-flowing rivers. The Act permanently protects a designated river’s free-flowing character, water quality and outstanding values such as scenery, recreation, fisheries and wildlife habitat. A designation honors existing uses of the river and can support a strong outdoor recreation economy. The Gila River designation prohibits involuntary condemnation of private property, and preserves private property rights and water rights, existing irrigation and water delivery operations, grazing permits, public land access, and the ability to restore the health of our rivers and forests.

American Rivers expanded its river protection efforts in fall 2019, launching a new initiative to protect the last, best free-flowing rivers in the Southwest – rivers including the Gila and San Francisco. The program represents a significant new investment in the long-term resilience of rivers in the region.

The Gila River is the last major free-flowing river in New Mexico, supporting healthy riverside forests, cold-water fisheries (including recovering populations of Gila trout) and a remarkable abundance of wildlife. The river flows through the nation’s first wilderness area, established in 1924 under the leadership of conservation pioneer Aldo Leopold who was supervisor of the Carson National Forest. It is also important to indigenous peoples who have lived in southwestern New Mexico for thousands of years. Many cultural sites are located along the Gila River and throughout its watershed.

October 18, 2021

Contact:

Patrick Phelan, Infrastructure Administrator, City of Richmond, CA
(510) 307-8111, patrick_phelan@ci.richmond.ca.us

Sarah Puckett, Director, California Central Valley River Conservation, American Rivers
(415) 203-3766, spuckett@americanrivers.org

Juliana Gonzalez, Executive Director, The Watershed Project
(510) 224-4085, juliana@thewatershedproject.org

City of Richmond, CA – After years of suffering from flooding, the Rollingwood neighborhood is one step closer to getting some relief. The City of Richmond was selected to receive $1,598,844 in funding from California’s Natural Resources Agency Urban Flood Protection Grant Program to reduce the risk of flooding in the Rollingwood neighborhood in the Rheem Creek Watershed.

In 2018, California voters passed the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access for All Act of 2018 (Proposition 68), which directed the Natural Resources Agency to administer a competitive grant program for projects that address flooding in urbanized areas and provide multiple benefits.

For over 20 years, the Rollingwood neighborhood in unincorporated western Contra Costa County has suffered from flooding related to overflows from a stretch of Rheem Creek in the City of Richmond. Due to its location at the boundary of multiple jurisdictions, the Rollingwood reach of Rheem Creek has long been neglected and is choked with invasive vegetation, leading to sediment build up, obstructed channels, and worsening flood conditions.

In 2019, the City of Richmond collaborated with American Rivers, The Watershed Project, Restoration Design Group, and other local partners to address flooding along Rheem Creek. American Rivers received a planning grant from the California State Coastal Conservancy Climate Ready Program to figure out how to solve the problem by working with project partners to complete technical studies, conduct community outreach, and prepare community-supported action plans.

Now these plans can become reality. The Natural Resources Agency Urban Flood Protection Grant will provide the City of Richmond funding to implement the project and reduce flooding in Rheem Creek. This requires several steps: preparing construction plans, obtaining agency permits, continuing community outreach and engagement, performing the on-the-ground work, and monitoring. In approximately one year, the City of Richmond will issue a public bid for construction to remove invasive vegetation and excessive sediment, grade a more stable creek channel, repair storm drains, plant native riparian vegetation, and install new fencing and educational signage. The project team will conduct monitoring activities and post-project evaluation. Opportunities for local employment and workforce development will be included in all project activities. Construction is planned for summer 2023.

“Growing up beside Rheem Creek was an opportunity to experience its beauty and wildlife, but also a challenge with yearly flooding. I am grateful that this project will alleviate the floods while healing an important natural space in San Pablo,” said Britney Zaparolli, Rollingwood resident.

“This project would not have been possible without the leadership of the City of Richmond’s Patrick Phelan, a champion for the project from the very beginning. These types of projects aren’t in City job descriptions. They require thinking outside the box, working with local partners, taking risks, and a commitment to improving local creeks and waterways,” said Sarah Puckett with American Rivers. “This project is the kind of solution with multiple benefits for people and nature that we’d like to see more in California and across the nation.”

“The team we have assembled for this project is the direct result of relationships built at the Wildcat-San Pablo Creeks Watershed Council. I am grateful for the expertise of the project partners, and for this funding which will allow us to bring much-needed improvements to the community and the environment,” said Patrick Phelan with the City of Richmond

“The Watershed Project staff, and myself in particular, are excited to see this project advance. We have been aware of the flooding of the Rollingwood neighborhood for over 10 years. I have toured Rheem Creek in the neighborhood with many stakeholders over the years and I am so grateful for the leadership that the City of Richmond has taken to ensure that the creek capacity is finally restored and all jurisdictions are aware of the great benefit this project will bring to the neighborhood,” said Juliana Gonzalez, Executive Director of The Watershed Project.

Rheem Creek flows through a highly urbanized watershed including the City of Richmond, City of San Pablo, and the unincorporated community of Rollingwood, before entering San Pablo Bay. This multi-benefit project will help protect this urban community from flooding as well as increase California’s resilience to intensifying floods due to climate change.

The Rheem Creek project partners acknowledge that all restoration work in the Rheem Creek watershed takes place on occupied Indigenous territory of Chochenyo-speaking Ohlone people, who have continuously lived upon this land since time immemorial.

10/22/21

Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145

Following Senator Patty Murray’s (D-WA) announcement today of a “federal-state process on salmon recovery in the Columbia River Basin and the Pacific Northwest” with Governor Jay Inslee (D-WA), American Rivers called on all Northwest leaders and the Biden Administration to accelerate action including removal of the four dams on the lower Snake River in eastern Washington.

Wendy McDermott, Puget Sound-Columbia Basin Director of American Rivers, made the following statement:

“Extinction is staring us in the face. It’s now or never for meaningful action to recover the Columbia and Snake basin’s iconic wild salmon and steelhead runs and invest in the region’s future. We welcome Sen. Murray and Gov. Inslee’s statements and we urge them and all Northwest leaders to go further. We must heed the calls of Northwest Tribes for immediate investment and action toward a comprehensive solution that includes restoring a free-flowing lower Snake River. Anything short of that fails Tribes, salmon-dependent communities and economies, and this river that is the lifeblood of our region.”

“We named the Snake River America’s Most Endangered River® of 2021 because decisions made this year will determine the river’s fate. Senator Murray and Governor Inslee’s leadership is critical to advancing the solutions needed to restore abundant salmon and honor treaties and commitments to Tribes, while ensuring equitable, low-carbon energy, vibrant agriculture and a strong regional economy. Now is the time for Northwest leaders and the Biden Administration to seize the short window of opportunity during the temporary pause in litigation and embrace the need for a free flowing lower Snake River, address longstanding injustice, and set the region on a path toward a stronger future.”

Today’s news follows yesterday’s announcement from a coalition of fishing and conservation groups including American Rivers, with three federal agencies, the State of Oregon and the Nez Perce Tribe asking a judge to pause until next summer litigation challenging the latest federal plan for hydropower operations on the Snake and Columbia Rivers. The parties have committed to work together to develop and implement a comprehensive, long-term solution to benefit endangered salmon and steelhead and that could resolve the long-running litigation over Columbia and Snake River dam operations. The proposed stay will last until July 31, 2022.

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September 29, 2021

Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145

American Rivers announced today that Kelly Catlett has been selected to lead the organization’s hydropower program. Catlett brings nearly 20 years of experience in hydropower policy, dam relicensing, and coalition building.

As Hydropower Reform Program Director, Catlett will direct American Rivers’ efforts to support healthy, free-flowing rivers by reforming hydropower dam operations, protect rivers from new hydropower projects and engage in opportunities to restore and reconnect rivers. Catlett will work in close partnership with the Hydropower Reform Coalition to advocate for improved federal policy and engage in hydropower relicensing efforts to secure better outcomes for rivers and the people who depend on them.

“Few things have a greater impact on a river than a hydropower dam,” said Tom Kiernan, President of American Rivers. “Kelly has the expertise and experience to lead our efforts to ensure that every hydropower dam meets the highest standards for environmental health and justice and to accelerate the restoration of healthy, free-flowing rivers nationwide. We are thrilled she is joining our team.”

Most recently, Catlett served as associate western states director for the Hydropower Reform Coalition. Before that, she led hydropower reform and policy advocacy efforts at the California Hydropower Reform Coalition, Defenders of Wildlife and Friends of the River. She attended the University of California at Davis and received her Juris Doctor from the California Western School of Law.

“Hydropower reform is a powerful tool to protect and restore rivers. I have had the privilege to work most of my career in hydropower licensing and I have seen firsthand the positive change this tool can achieve on rivers all over the country,” said Kelly Catlett. “I believe passionately in both the mission of American Rivers and in hydropower reform and I look forward to helping American Rivers protect and restore the rivers that connect us all.”

September 3, 2021

Contact: Amy Kober, akober@americanrivers.org, 503-708-1145

Hurricane Ida’s heavy winds and rain brought destruction to the Gulf Coast on August 29 and days later, communities across the Northeast were devastated by flooding in the hurricane’s path. Dozens of people lost their lives in the floodwaters. Three thousand people in Johnstown, Pennsylvania had to evacuate Wednesday due to the threat of failure at Wilmore Dam on the Little Conemaugh River.

Brian Graber, senior director of river restoration at American Rivers, made the following statement:

“It is heartbreaking to see the damage from Hurricane Ida and our thoughts are with everyone who has been impacted by the flooding.

We must protect communities in the face of increasingly severe floods fueled by climate change. Hurricane Ida is yet another wake-up call. We urgently need solutions that are equitable, nature-based, and resilient in the face of climate change.

Congress has an opportunity in the infrastructure bill and reconciliation package to take important steps to protect public safety. This includes giving rivers and floodways more room to keep people out of harm’s way and improving urban stormwater management. It also includes investing in dam safety and dam removal to improve public safety and enhance the ability of rivers to carry and absorb floodwaters. Many aging dams are ticking time bombs, and dam failure can cause tremendous loss to life and property.

We urge Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Schumer to make investment in dam safety, river restoration and water infrastructure a top priority in the infrastructure and reconciliation efforts.”Flooding, dam scare underscore need for investment in water infrastructure, dam safety, river restorationWe urge Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Schumer to make investment in dam safety, river restoration and water infrastructure a top priority in the infrastructure and reconciliation efforts.”

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