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.
###
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.
###
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.”
###
August 25, 2021
Contact: Olivia Dorothy, 217-390-3658
Amy Kober, 503-708-1145
American Rivers filed a Title VI complaint against the Upper Mississippi River Basin Association (UMRBA) on May 26, 2021 because we believe that UMRBA has failed to support communities of color in participating in the development of programs, projects and policies related to flooding along the Mississippi River, particularly surrounding the development of UMRBA’s ‘Keys to the River’ study.
Black, Latino, Indigenous and Hmong communities along the Mississippi River bear the brunt of the worst flood damage, yet UMRBA is not including these communities in the development of solutions. It is essential that UMRBA reforms its approach and creates a more inclusive public participation process for flood management planning. We must put an end to discriminatory practices that fail to engage the very communities who suffer disproportionately from flooding.
UMRBA, which represents the Governors of Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, receives funding from the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers. Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in any program or activity that receives Federal funds or other Federal financial assistance.
Black, Latino, Indigenous and Hmong communities must have a seat at the table to drive equitable, lasting solutions along the Mississippi River. American Rivers will continue to work to ensure that flood management solutions prioritize safety and well-being for all.
###
National Marine Fisheries Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service withdraw Trump-era decision, put salmon and steelhead back on track for recovery in the Lewis River
August 24, 2021
CONTACT:
Eli Asher, Cowlitz Indian Tribe, 360-355-5851
Bill Sharp, The Confederated Bands and Tribes of the Yakama Nation, 509-945-3167
Kessina Lee, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 360-605-9763
Amy Kober, American Rivers, 503-708-1145
(Portland, Oregon) – On July 27, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) (collectively, “Services”) withdrew a Trump-era preliminary determination which, if made final, would have allowed PacifiCorp to continue blocking access to critical salmon habitat in Washington’s Lewis River for the foreseeable future.
The Cowlitz Indian Tribe, the Confederated Bands and Tribes of the Yakama Nation, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), along with American Rivers, Columbia Riverkeeper, and Trout Unlimited warmly welcome the Services’ decision and view it as a critical step to recovering Endangered Species Act-listed fish in the Lewis River, an important tributary to the lower Columbia River.
PacifiCorp (a Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. subsidiary) operates three dams on the North Fork Lewis River. For over 80 years, these dams have blocked fish passage to over 100 miles of quality salmon and steelhead habitat and have destroyed generations of anadromous fish.
In 2004, PacifiCorp promised the Cowlitz Tribe and the Yakama Nation (along with numerous federal and state governments and non-governmental organizations) that it would provide fish passage at each dam to reintroduce salmon and steelhead throughout the upper Lewis River. In exchange, the tribes and others agreed not to oppose the renewal of the dam licenses. In 2008, this Settlement Agreement was officially made part of PacifiCorp’s renewed licenses from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to operate the Lewis River dams for the next 50 years, the maximum term allowed.
Under the Trump administration, PacifiCorp sought to exploit a provision in the Settlement Agreement that would relieve them of their fish passage obligations and instead allow them to pursue habitat restoration projects in the Lewis River watershed above the dams. This process would provide enormous cost savings to the utility, while imposing an incalculable cost to salmon recovery. In 2019, the Services issued a preliminary determination that PacifiCorp did not need to construct fish passage as promised, but instead could pursue these much cheaper habitat restoration projects. This determination came despite strong objections of other signatories to the Settlement Agreement, who subsequently contested the Services’ decision.
In their recent notice of withdrawal, the Services explained that their decision to withdraw the Trump-era policy comes after a thorough reevaluation of the information submitted to them by PacifiCorp. The Services write that “further consideration has identified critical uncertainties” in the evidence used by PacifiCorp to dispute the need for fish passage.
The Services’ return to sound science indicates a brighter future for Lewis River and Columbia River salmon, and honors commitments made to tribes who continue to manage and rely on salmon that are central to their cultural identity.
“The Yakama Nation stands vindicated by the Services’ recent decision to again require passage for endangered fish populations within the Lewis River Basin,” said Yakama Nation Fish and Wildlife Committee Chairman Gerald Lewis. “It remains clear that generations of salmon and other anadromous fish have died at the base of these structures. If PacifiCorp and other hydropower dam operators do not build passage for these fish now, these native fish resources will die. The Yakama Nation will therefore continue to work with PacifiCorp to ensure promises are kept and fish passage is provided so that our People can continue to conduct commercial, ceremonial, cultural, and subsistence fishing within this tributary.”
“The Cowlitz Indian Tribe are the Forever People. Since the beginning of time, we have nurtured our community by stewarding our land and rivers,” said Cowlitz Indian Tribe Chairman David Barnett. “It is our legacy, and we stand ready and eager to collaborate with PacifiCorp and other parties to the settlement on the important work of implementing full fish passage throughout the entire Lewis River.”
The Services have committed to engaging the Licensees and other settlement agreement signatories (including WDFW, the Cowlitz Tribe, Yakama Nation, Trout Unlimited, and American Rivers) to develop the path forward.
“We look forward to working with PacifiCorp on forthcoming efforts to implement fish passage and honor commitments to local communities in a timely manner,” said Kessina Lee, Southwest Regional Director for WDFW. “Providing full fish passage past the dams on the Lewis River will significantly contribute to salmon recovery in the lower Columbia River, and it serves as a beacon of hope and progress for salmon recovery in the Pacific Northwest.”
“We are encouraged by the Services’ return to the stipulations laid out under the 2004 Settlement Agreement,” said Wendy McDermott, Puget Sound-Columbia Basin Director for American Rivers. “By signing the agreement, PacifiCorp committed to building fish passage for the benefit of salmon and steelhead recovery in the Lewis and Columbia rivers. We are eager to see these fish return to their historical habitat and look forward to working with all parties to accomplish this license condition.”
###
August 16, 2021
Contact: Matt Rice, 803-422-5244
Amy Kober, 503-708-1145
Denver, CO — Today, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency that oversees Colorado River operations, declared a “Tier 1” water shortage at Lake Mead on the Colorado River, underscoring the severity of the deepening drought and climate crisis across the West. This is the first time in the river’s history that a Tier 1 shortage has been declared.
The declaration will result in reduced water deliveries from the Colorado River to Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico, and will trigger Drought Contingency Plans throughout the Lower Basin. The shortage conditions from the 2019 Drought Contingency Plan will go into effect starting in January 2022, but emergency actions in the Colorado Basin are already underway, as three reservoirs – Flaming Gorge in Wyoming, Blue Mesa in Colorado, and Navajo Reservoir in Colorado/New Mexico – are already releasing water to help slow the rapid decline of water levels in Lake Powell.
Matt Rice, Colorado River Basin Director for American Rivers, made the follow statement:
“While today’s declaration is not a surprise, it is the loudest alarm bell yet. We must start using less water, and we must find ways to do more with less water. The Colorado River is the lifeblood of our region and we must start living within our means. The only way through this crisis is with a strong plan and real leadership throughout the basin.”
“These reductions will hurt, but we must use this moment to double down on lasting solutions including urban and industrial water conservation and re-use, agricultural efficiency, and prioritizing headwaters forest health and restoration. We can support economic, agricultural and community needs, provide certainty for river users, and ensure a healthy future for the Colorado River.”
###
American Rivers statement on bipartisan infrastructure bill
August 10, 2021
Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145
American Rivers applauds the Senate and the Biden Administration for advancing a bipartisan infrastructure bill that makes critical investments for clean water and rivers. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684) includes $55 billion for water infrastructure — the largest investment in clean drinking water and wastewater in our nation’s history. American Rivers urges the House of Representatives to quickly pass this critical infrastructure package which provides essential benefits for communities nationwide.
Notably, H.R. 3684 provides over $43 billion for the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds. This investment will fund lead service line replacement ($15 billion), grants for small and disadvantaged communities ($510 million), sewer overflow and stormwater reuse grants ($1.4 billion), and the Indian Reservation drinking water program ($250 million), as well as studies on advanced clean water technologies and historical distribution of funds to disadvantaged communities.
The bill also includes $1.6 billion for dam removal and dam safety — a necessary down payment for restoring healthy, free-flowing rivers and protecting communities from outdated, dangerous dams. Additionally, there is $753 million for environmental improvements, dam safety, and grid resilience at hydropower dams. Other sizeable investments include $3.5 billion for Flood Mitigation Assistance, $1 billion for Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, $1.5 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers aquatic ecosystem restoration projects.
Western Water Infrastructure would receive $8.3 billion, funding programs related to aging water infrastructure, water storage, water recycling and reuse, the waterSMART program, and drought contingency plans.
While these dollars are a promising start, substantial investment will be needed in the forthcoming reconciliation package. Our 2021 Blueprint for Action outlines the need for $200 billion to improve water infrastructure, $200 billion to modernize flood management, and $100 billion to restore watersheds nationwide.
Tom Kiernan, President of American Rivers, made the following statement:
“This historic investment underscores the importance of clean water and healthy rivers to our nation’s infrastructure and our future. I commend the Senate for the bipartisan cooperation that made this legislation possible.”
“If you are a parent worried about the safety of your child’s drinking water, if you live downstream of an obsolete dam, if you’re a fisherman whose livelihood depends on a healthy river, or a rancher worried about your water supplies, you will benefit from investments in this infrastructure bill. At a time when climate change is impacting our rivers and water in ways that are impossible to ignore, this funding will help protect and strengthen communities nationwide.
“We applaud Senators Carper and Capito for passing S.914, the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act (DWWIA), which served as the foundation for the clean water funding and provisions in H.R. 3684. These funds will begin to address longstanding inequities around access to clean, safe, affordable drinking water in Black, Latino and Indigenous communities. We also recognize Senator Rob Portman for his leadership ensuring the infrastructure bill includes necessary investments in dam removal and dam safety.” ###
August 9, 2021
Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145
Today’s release of the first part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s sixth assessment report – called a “code red for humanity” by the United Nations – details how the impacts of climate change, including floods and drought, are real and will get worse without bold action.
Tom Kiernan, President and CEO of American Rivers, made the following statement:
“Devastating examples of the climate crisis are already playing out on our rivers. We must not only drastically reduce emissions to avoid the worst of climate impacts but also protect and restore rivers to buffer communities from the impacts that are already upon us.
From persistent drought and smaller snowpack reducing river flows across the Southwest, to rising temperatures killing Northwest salmon and increasingly frequent and severe floods in the Midwest and Eastern states, frontline river communities are feeling the pain. Black, Latino and Indigenous communities face disproportionately higher impacts due to centuries of disinvestment and unjust policies and practices.
But just as rivers embody climate threats, they’re also the source of powerful solutions. A healthy river should be a community’s first line of defense against climate impacts, offering clean water supplies, cost-effective flood protection, safe places to recreate and stay cool, sustainable food and connection to culture.
The IPCC report gives the most detailed look yet at how climate change is impacting rivers and the water cycle. Decision makers must use the information in the report to take swift, bold action to prioritize protection and restoration of healthy free-flowing rivers, ensuring frontline communities drive equitable solutions.
Rivers have always been a source of hope and strength. Now, the stakes couldn’t be higher. In an era of climate change, communities with healthy, free-flowing rivers with clean water will be the ones that thrive. We must insist that all communities, and not just a privileged few, benefit from healthy rivers now and in the decades to come.”
###