Media Items Archive

Region needs flood protection solutions that prioritize safety, river health

Washington, D.C. – Today, American Rivers named the Big Sunflower and Yazoo Rivers, integral parts of the Mississippi Delta’s ecosystem, among America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2024. These rivers are severely threatened by a proposed agricultural drainage project known as the Yazoo Backwater Pumps that will also perpetuate the Delta’s systemic racial injustices.

“The Yazoo Pumps will not reduce flood risk for residents of the South Delta,” said Kelsey Cruickshank of American Rivers. “Instead of reviving this extraordinarily destructive and expensive boondoggle, local leaders and Congress should invest in more affordable and effective flood risk reduction measures to protect these vulnerable communities.”

In light of the recent Sackett v. EPA decision, as well as the historic cumulative loss of 80 percent of wetlands and native forests in the Lower Mississippi alluvial floodplain, the Yazoo Pumps could impact many tens of thousands of acres of nationally significant wetlands.

After finding it was too environmentally damaging, George W. Bush’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stopped the project in 2008 by issuing a rare veto through the Clean Water Act. In their analysis of the project, the EPA also highlighted the Corps’ failure to consider other flood relief options that would be more effective and cheaper than the pumps. Recently, the Corps has revived the project that would have devastating impacts to this ecologically rich area while perpetuating structural inequities for underserved communities. 

Pumps would make wetlands drier and reduce the number of days fish can swim during crucial spawning seasons. This is especially problematic since aquatic life is already seeing regular die-offs in the area due in part to agriculture and water management decisions.  

The pumps would reinforce historic racial and environmental injustices for some of the nation’s poorest communities, especially for Sharkey and Issaquena Counties, which are 70 percent Black with poverty rates significantly higher than Mississippi’s average and more than triple the national average. The Yazoo Pumps, which will likely cost federal taxpayers more than $1.4 billion, would provide little protection to homes in the sparsely populated area that the pumps are supposed to protect, and could worsen flooding in downstream communities. 

“In this transformational moment, we urge the Administration to demonstrate its conservation, climate, and environmental justice commitments by deploying federal flood relief programs that can protect marginalized communities and birds that depend on the Mississippi Flyway,” said Jill Mastrototaro, Mississippi Policy Director for Audubon Delta. “The Yazoo Pumps must be abandoned once and for all.”

Instead of pursuing this destructive, costly, and ineffective pump proposal, American Rivers and partners are urging EPA and the Corps to drop the pumps project from this and any other Yazoo plan once and for all; advance proven, effective nature-based, non-structural flood solutions to protect people and the environment; and to uphold the 2008 Clean Water Act veto. 

In the heart of the Mississippi Delta, the Big Sunflower River begins in Coahoma County and flows for 250 miles until it reaches the Yazoo River, a tributary of the Mississippi River. According to the EPA, the Big Sunflower supports some of the nation’s “richest wetland and aquatic resources,” including nearly 29 million migrating birds annually. These findings are based on analyses by the National Audubon Society, using data from eBird Status & Trends from Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Partners in Flight Population Estimates Database from Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (2020). Hunting, fishing and nature tourism fuel the state’s annual $3.37 billion-dollar outdoor recreation economy and the river is an area rich in culture and heritage. Many famous blues musicians launched their careers on the banks of the Big Sunflower, including Sam Cooke, Ike Turner, Muddy Waters, 2020 Grammy nominee Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, and more.  

The annual America’s Most Endangered Rivers® report is a list of rivers at a crossroads, where key decisions in the coming months will determine the rivers’ fates. Over the years, the report has helped spur many successes including the removal of outdated dams, the protection of rivers with Wild and Scenic designations, and the prevention of harmful development and pollution.   

Other rivers in the region listed as most endangered in recent years include the Pearl River in 2023 and 2015, Mississippi River in 2022, Turkey Creek in 2021, Big Sunflower in 2020 and 2018, and the Pascagoula in 2016. Threats to those rivers included new dam construction, pollution, wetland and habitat destruction from development projects.

The river’s significance to people and wildlife
The magnitude of the threat to the river and communities, especially in light of climate change and environmental injustice
A decision in the next 12 months that the public can influence

America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2024

#1: Rivers of New Mexico
Threat: Loss of federal clean water protections

#2: Big Sunflower and Yazoo Rivers (MS)
Threat: Yazoo Pumps project threatens wetlands

#3: Duck River (TN)
Threat: Excessive water use

#4: Santa Cruz River (AZ, Mexico)
Threat: Water scarcity, climate change

#5 Little Pee Dee River (NC, SC)
Threat: Harmful development, highway construction

#6 Farmington River (CT, MA)
Threat: Hydro dam

#7: Trinity River (CA)
Threat: Outdated water management

#8: Kobuk River (AK)
Threat: Road construction, mining

#9 Tijuana River (CA, Mexico)
Threat: Pollution

#10: Blackwater River (WV)
Threat: Highway development

About American Rivers
American Rivers is championing a national effort to protect and restore all rivers, from remote mountain streams to urban waterways. Healthy rivers provide people and nature with clean, abundant water and natural habitat. For 50 years, American Rivers staff, supporters, and partners have shared a common belief: Life Depends on Rivers^SM. www.AmericanRivers.org

Annual List spotlights loss of federal protections threatening clean water, agriculture, economy, and heritage

Washington, D.C. – American Rivers today named the Rivers of New Mexico #1 on its annual list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers®, citing a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that left virtually all of the state’s streams and wetlands vulnerable to pollution and harmful development.

The May 2023 Supreme Court ruling in Sackett v. EPA dramatically reduced federal clean water protections for streams and wetlands nationwide–arguably harming New Mexico the most of all the states. This federal action opens the door to devastating pollution and habitat damage, with potential harmful downstream impacts to the Rio Grande, Gila, San Juan, and Pecos rivers.  

“People depend on this water. We have depended on this water for hundreds of years. This is our tradition, this is our culture. We don’t want to be a people that loses its traditions because we haven’t taken the right steps to protect our rivers,” said Vicente Fernandez, acequia mayordomo and community leader. “Our acequia has been a vital part of our community. It provides water for irrigation and watering of animals, so the importance of this river is great. Without this river, we would not be able to survive. It is very important to our culture and our traditional way of life.” 

“Santa Fe’s drinking water depends on strong protections for small streams that feed into the Santa Fe River and the Rio Grande. The Sackett decision has stripped away those protections and our residents are now at risk,” said Anna Hansen, Santa Fe County Commission.

The state’s commitment and proven record of protecting its clean water and remarkable natural resources is more important now than ever. The Sackett court decision scaled back national Clean Water Act safeguards to include protections only for “relatively permanent” streams, and wetlands with a “continuous surface connection” to those streams. This means that streams that only run during the rainy season or for periods of the year after snowmelt– which is very typical in New Mexico – fall outside the Clean Water Act protections. And, in New Mexico, the majority of wetlands have an intermittent surface connection to streams or a groundwater connection, and therefore New Mexico wetlands–which provide important ecological services–are at grave risk. 

In addition, because New Mexico doesn’t have a state surface water permitting program in place yet to ensure its rivers are appropriately protected, clean water advocates in New Mexico have called on the State of New Mexico to develop, fund, and implement a state surface water permitting program to protect at-risk rivers, streams and wetlands that lost federal protections due to the Supreme Court ruling.

“Anyone who lives here knows the importance of protecting our waterways. And our waterways don’t always have water in them, and we know that they only flow some times throughout the year. But that doesn’t mean they are any less deserving of protection,” said Beata Tsosie-Peña, Breath of My Heart Birthplace. “The Southwest is really vulnerable to losing these kinds of protections. Because our watersheds are so precious, any kind of impact to our waterways, whether they are a river system or a pathway into that river system, have to stay protected if we want our communities to stay healthy.” 

New Mexico’s rivers and streams are the lifeblood of the state’s economy, environment, cultural history, and quality of life. In addition to sustaining life for plants and animals, rivers and streams provide a source of clean drinking water for a majority of New Mexico’s population. Clean water from rivers and streams is essential for New Mexico’s acequias, or community ditches, which are integral to New Mexico’s traditions and economy. A large portion of the state’s multi-billion-dollar recreation economy–which includes rafting, fishing, boating, and hunting–is dependent on healthy rivers and clean water.

“My father started our family’s fly fishing business over 40 years ago. Our success as a family and a business is directly tied to clean water,” said Nick Streit, owner, Taos Fly Shop and The Reel Life. “I take people fishing, and for people to have fun they need to catch fish, and fish need clean water and healthy streams. Waste treatment plants, old mining claims, all of these things can devastate a stream if left unchecked.” 

“The Supreme Court ruling flies in the face of established science and ignores the value that small streams and wetlands have to their broader watersheds, communities, and economies, particularly in places with dry climates like New Mexico,” said Matt Rice, Southwest regional director for American Rivers. “The State of New Mexico needs strong public support to ensure we’re able to safeguard these streams and rivers for today’s communities and future generations.”

The annual America’s Most Endangered Rivers® report is a list of rivers at a crossroads, where key decisions in the coming months will determine the rivers’ fates. Over the years, the report has helped spur many successes including the removal of outdated dams, the protection of rivers with Wild and Scenic designations, and the prevention of harmful development and pollution.

Several New Mexico rivers have been listed in past reports for issues ranging from outdated water management plans to mining and pollution. Most recently, these include the Rio Gallinas (2023), Pecos River (2021), and the Gila River (2019 and 2014).

American Rivers reviews nominations for America’s Most Endangered Rivers® from local groups and individuals across the country, and selects rivers based on three criteria: 

The river’s significance to people and wildlife
The magnitude of the threat to the river and communities, especially in light of climate change and environmental injustice
A decision in the next 12 months that the public can influence

America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2024

#1: Rivers of New Mexico
Threat: Loss of federal clean water protections

#2: Big Sunflower and Yazoo Rivers (MS)
Threat: Yazoo Pumps project threatens wetlands

#3: Duck River (TN)
Threat: Excessive water use

#4: Santa Cruz River (AZ, Mexico)
Threat: Water scarcity, climate change

#5 Little Pee Dee River (NC, SC)
Threat: Harmful development, highway construction

#6 Farmington River (CT, MA)
Threat: Hydro dam

#7: Trinity River (CA)
Threat: Outdated water management

#8: Kobuk River (AK)
Threat: Road construction, mining

#9 Tijuana River (CA, Mexico)
Threat: Pollution

#10: Blackwater River (WV)
Threat: Highway development

List underscores threats to clean water, drinking water

Washington, D.C. – American Rivers released its list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® today, sounding the alarm about threats to clean water and drinking water nationwide.

Number one on the list is the Rivers of New Mexico, threatened by a Supreme Court decision that overturned decades of federal Clean Water Act protections. The court’s May 2023 decision impacts New Mexico more than any other state – leaving roughly 96 percent of New Mexico’s streams vulnerable to pollution, with potential harmful downstream impacts to the Rio Grande, Gila, San Juan, and Pecos rivers.

“All water is connected. We cannot allow pollution anywhere without risk to the rivers we rely on for our drinking water,” said Tom Kiernan, President and CEO of American Rivers. “Our leaders must hold polluters accountable and strengthen the Clean Water Act to safeguard our health and communities.”

The Supreme Court’s Sackett v. EPA ruling stripped federal protections for half the nation’s wetlands and up to 4 million miles of streams – the drinking water sources for 40 million Americans. The threat is particularly acute in New Mexico, despite the state’s commitment and proven record of protecting its clean water and natural resources. This is because the court decision cut protections for streams that only run during the rainy season or for periods of the year after snowmelt– typical in an arid environment.

America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2024 spotlights threats to clean water nationwide, including:

Connecticut’s Farmington River, the drinking water source for nearly 400,000 people, threatened by a hydropower dam causing toxic algae outbreaks
Tennessee’s Duck River, a drinking water source and hotspot for biodiversity, at risk from excessive water withdrawals
California and Mexico’s Tijuana River, choked with pollution causing illness and beach closures
West Virginia’s Blackwater River, where a proposed highway threatens water quality, wildlife, and recreation
California’s Trinity River, a vital source of clean, cold water for the Klamath River, at risk from water diversions

“Before the Clean Water Act, rivers were so polluted that they caught on fire. We must not go backwards,” said Kiernan. “President Biden has proposed policies and funding that represent a real investment in our water, but we need Congress and those in Statehouses across the country to act. Our health and our future are directly linked to our rivers. America’s Most Endangered Rivers is a national call to action to defend the streams and rivers on which all life depends.”

Nationwide, much of our drinking water comes from rivers and streams. Rural and urban areas depend on rivers for clean drinking water, food production, economic vitality, and cultural connection. But the EPA estimates that forty-four percent of waterways in the U.S. are too polluted for fishing or swimming. Freshwater species are going extinct faster than ocean or land species, and rivers are among the most threatened ecosystems on the planet. Climate change is fueling more severe floods and droughts, and unjust policies put the burden of these impacts disproportionately on communities of color and Tribal Nations.

In its 39^th year, America’s Most Endangered Rivers® amplifies the voices of local leaders speaking up for rivers at risk. By generating national attention and mobilizing the public to act, the campaign delivers results for rivers and all of the life they support.

The river’s significance to people and wildlife
The magnitude of the threat to the river and communities, especially in light of climate change and environmental injustice
A decision in the next 12 months that the public can influence

America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2024

#1: Rivers of New Mexico
Threat: Loss of federal clean water protections

#2: Big Sunflower and Yazoo Rivers (MS)
Threat: Yazoo Pumps project threatens wetlands

#3: Duck River (TN)
Threat: Excessive water use

#4: Santa Cruz River (AZ, Mexico)
Threat: Water scarcity, climate change

#5 Little Pee Dee River (NC, SC)
Threat: Harmful development, highway construction

#6 Farmington River (CT, MA)
Threat: Hydro dam

#7: Trinity River (CA)
Threat: Outdated water management

#8: Kobuk River (AK)
Threat: Road construction, mining

#9 Tijuana River (CA, Mexico)
Threat: Pollution

#10: Blackwater River (WV)
Threat: Highway development

Congress must advance critical funding for clean water

Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145

The Biden Administration released its FY2025 budget proposal to Congress which serves as the start of the upcoming fiscal year’s funding process. The budget proposal requests $7.3 trillion and outlines specific priorities for each federal agency and department. In terms of spending, the budget includes $1.67 trillion in discretionary spending with $895 billion for defense programs, and $621 billion for domestic spending.

Key highlights for rivers include funding to protect the Colorado River, prioritizing the restoration of healthy and abundant wild salmon, steelhead, and other native fish populations in the Columbia River Basin, investing in critical water infrastructure, addressing environmental injustices, advancing climate science, and protecting streams and wetlands in light of the Supreme Court’s Sackett v EPA ruling.

In response to the release of President Biden’s FY25 spending proposal, American Rivers issued the following statement from President and CEO, Tom Kiernan:

“Rivers provide the clean water our communities need to thrive, but our nation’s rivers are at risk. The President’s Budget takes these matters seriously. We’re particularly thankful the proposal ensures agencies have the funding they need to succeed in river restoration efforts. These priorities align with our FY25 River Budget which was endorsed by 156 partners including utility and state agency associations, fishing groups, small businesses, rural communities, public health organizations, environmental justice leaders, and more.”

“Communities need action on clean water and solutions in the face of increasing droughts, floods, and wildfires. Today, we turn to Congress to protect and restore rivers by passing a budget on time without delay. Healthy rivers are a direct reflection of communities and the commitments we make together to solve challenges. We applaud the Biden’s Administration commitment to clean rivers and people.”

Specifically, the President’s Budget includes:

$17.8 billion to the Department of Interior to advance western water infrastructure, address severe drought in the Colorado River and more.
More than $200 million for healthy and abundant wild native fish in the Columbia River system through the Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration.
$2.4 billion for State Revolving Funds at EPA to support drinking water and clean water as well as $30 million for a new program that addresses gaps in federal response to water-related infrastructure emergencies.
Nearly $1.5 billion across EPA in support of environmental justice and a new categorical grant program to develop Direct Implementation Tribal Cooperative Agreements to carry out climate programs in Indian Country.

About American Rivers

American Rivers is championing a national effort to protect and restore all rivers, from remote mountain streams to urban waterways. Healthy rivers provide people and nature with clean, abundant water and natural habitat. For 50 years, American Rivers staff, supporters, and partners have shared a common belief: Life Depends on Rivers. For more information, please visit www.AmericanRivers.org 

Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145

Marcus Kahn, 510-679-1899

Washington – American Rivers today announced that Oregon and California’s Klamath River is the 2024 River of the Year, celebrating the biggest dam removal and river restoration in history. American Rivers also announced the recipients of the 2024 River Champion Awards – leaders who have been instrumental in the ongoing restoration of the Klamath. The awardees are: Yurok Tribe, Karuk Tribe, Klamath Justice Coalition, Berkshire Hathaway, State of California, State of Oregon, Klamath River Renewal Corporation, and Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation Group.

The River of the Year honor recognizes significant progress and achievement in improving a river’s health. In recent years American Rivers has awarded this honor to the Cuyahoga, the Delaware, and the Neuse rivers. The annual River Champion Awards recognize leaders who are improving lives and strengthening our nation by advancing collaborative solutions for healthy rivers and clean water.

“On the Klamath, the dams are falling, the water is flowing, and the river is healing,” said Tom Kiernan, President and CEO of American Rivers. “The Klamath is proof that at a time when our politics are polarized and the reality of climate change is daunting, we can overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges and make incredible progress by working together. This is why American Rivers is naming the Klamath the River of the Year for 2024.” 

Indigenous peoples of the Klamath basin have been the caretakers of the Klamath River since time immemorial. Four hydropower dams, built between 1911 and 1962, blocked salmon habitat and devastated the river’s water quality. The plight of the Klamath galvanized national attention in 2002 when an estimated 70 thousand salmon were killed by toxic cyanobacteria growing in the reservoirs behind the dams. Local Indigenous families mobilized following this traumatic event, starting a campaign to remove the dams. The Tribes advocated tirelessly through the federal dam relicensing and subsequent legal proceedings. Ultimately, the Yurok and Karuk Tribes, along with the dam owner Berkshire Hathaway (owner of PacifiCorp), the states of California and Oregon, and conservation organizations signed the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement – the agreement that ultimately led to dam removal.

“The 2024 River Champion Awards spotlight the power of Indigenous leadership, grassroots advocacy, and collaboration. Rivers and waters across the country face many challenges. We must carry forward the lessons from the Klamath, and the examples set by these leaders, to protect and restore rivers nationwide,” Kiernan said.

Dam removal on the Klamath River began in the fall with demolition of Copco 2 Dam. Decommissioning of the remaining three dams and drawdown of the rivers began last month. Restoration of the river, streams, and lands impacted by the former reservoirs is being led by restoration contractor RES and the Yurok Tribe. Planting of more than a billion seeds in the lands exposed by drawdown has already begun.

The benefits of river restoration will be far-reaching for all who live along the river. The Tribes who have cared for and depended on the Klamath since time immemorial will see vital aspects of their cultures restored. The river’s water quality will improve as the stagnant reservoirs choked with toxic cyanobacteria disappear. Salmon will once again have access to hundreds of miles of habitat so they can multiply and thrive, supporting other species from bears and eagles to orca whales and people.

The River of the Year honor is generously supported by Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Perkins Coie, and RES, the nation’s largest nature-based solutions company.

2024 River Champion Awards:

Yurok Tribe

On the coast, the Yurok Tribe’s ancestral territory stretches from the Little River in Humboldt County to Damnation Creek in Del Norte County. The tribe’s territory extends for 44 miles up the Klamath River to its confluence with the Trinity River. The Klamath and Trinity rivers are the lifeline of Yurok people, as the rivers provide the majority of the food supply including ney-puy (salmon), Kaa-ka (sturgeon), and kwor-ror (candlefish). Today, the tribe is the largest in California with more than 6,400 enrolled members. The Yurok Tribe was a signatory to the Amended Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement, which ultimately led to dam removal. The Yurok Tribe has played a pivotal role in every single aspect of Klamath River Dam Removal and restoration efforts. The Yurok Fisheries Department and Yurok Tribe Construction Corporation are all at the forefront of these projects. The Yurok Fisheries Department collected a substantial volume of the approximately 20 billion native seeds that will be used to restore the 2,000-acre reservoir reach in between the four dams. Yurok Fisheries crews, RES and many project partners are now hand-sowing the seeds throughout the empty reservoirs. The Yurok Tribe is working on large-scale river restoration projects in other parts of California too. Informed by Traditional Ecological Knowledge and western science, the Yurok Fisheries Department and Yurok Tribe Construction Corporation transform severely degraded aquatic ecosystems into highly productive habitat for salmon as well as many other native fish and wildlife species. The Yurok Tribe has completed numerous projects on the Klamath and Sacramento Rivers and many smaller streams.

Karuk Tribe

The Karuk Tribe lives in its ancestral homelands along the middle part of the Klamath River, between Weitchpec and Seiad, California. The Karuk Tribe was a signatory to the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement, which ultimately led to dam removal. As Karuk Tribal Chairman Russell “Buster” Attebery stated in a video shared by KRRC, “Having the dams come out and having the almost 400 miles of salmon spawning grounds, and better water quality, is going to be imperative to life along the Klamath River. I was born and raised along the Klamath River and the fish, the river, and the clean water provides a perfect way of life. We are looking forward to the opportunity to have clean water again, and spawning grounds so our children can again experience the opportunities to fish and provide a food source for their families. It will be a great benefit to everyone who lives along the Klamath River.”

Klamath Justice Coalition 

The Klamath Justice Coalition was founded by grassroots Indigenous leaders more than two decades ago. They created what is now known as the “Un-dam the Klamath Campaign”. The refrain “Undam the Klamath, bring the salmon home” was heard from fishing boats on the river all the way to Berkshire Hathaway’s shareholder meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. As one of the co-founders Molli Myers (Karuk) states, “this was a movement of the people”. 

Berkshire Hathaway 

Berkshire Hathaway is the parent company of PacifiCorp, which owned and operated the four Klamath River dams. In 2020, Berkshire Hathaway played a pivotal role in securing the final dam removal accord: the company agreed to transfer operating licenses of the dams to the states of Oregon and California, and the Klamath River Renewal Corporation. Berkshire also agreed to share the burden of any cost overruns. 

States of Oregon and California 

Bipartisan support was key to success on the Klamath: elected leaders from both parties saw the value of a restored Klamath River, with California Governor Schwarzenegger and Oregon Governor Kulongoski signing the original agreement to remove the dams in 2010. A decade later, California Governor Newsom and Oregon Governor Brown took a vital step, joining the Klamath River Renewal Corporation as a co-licensee, allowing PacifiCorp to relinquish the operating license for the dams. California Proposition 1 water bond funds combined with PacifiCorp ratepayer funds to make the project possible. Never before has a state contributed this much funding to a dam removal project. 

Klamath River Renewal Corporation 

The Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) is a nonprofit organization formed by signatories of the amended Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement, to take ownership and oversee removal of the four hydroelectric dams on the river. Managing the biggest dam removal and river restoration project in history is no small feat. KRRC’s team has prioritized safety, community engagement, and helping the people of the basin take steps toward a shared, sustainable future. 

Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation Group 

Ridges to Riffles is advancing Indigenous-led restoration efforts on the Klamath and other rivers. R2R works in partnership with Indigenous Peoples to advance their cultural and natural resource interests through legal and policy advocacy. In partnership with the Yurok Tribe, R2R is working on Klamath dam removal, habitat restoration, instream flows, and personhood rights for the Klamath River. 

About American Rivers

Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145

Resources:

Map of dam removals
Summary of dam removals from 2023 with case studies
Register for Feb 21 webinar in 2023 dam removal successes

Communities in 25 states saw important progress for river health, clean water, and public safety in 2023 thanks to the removal of 80 outdated, unsafe, and uneconomical dams, American Rivers announced today. The dam removals reconnected more than 1,160 miles of rivers, improving river habitats for fish and wildlife.

Among the portfolio of projects in 2023 was the initiation of the largest dam removal and river restoration project in history on the Klamath River in Oregon and California, with the removal of Copco 2 Dam. Restoration of the Klamath is the result of decades of advocacy by local community members and leadership from the Karuk, Yurok, and other tribes. Dam removal will restore salmon runs, improve water quality, and revitalize cultural connections and food sovereignty. Three additional dams are being removed on the Klamath in 2024.

Dam removal is a proven tool and a critical strategy for restoring river health, improving public safety, revitalizing fish and wildlife populations, safeguarding cultural values, and reconnecting communities to their rivers. While there are typically short-term impacts to the ecosystems, rivers and their plants, fish, and wildlife rebound quickly after a dam is removed. River restoration also benefits the economy: every $1 million invested in restoring watersheds generates 16 jobs and up to $2.5 million in economic benefits.

As a nationwide leader in river restoration, American Rivers tracks dam removal trends and maintains a national dam removal database. A total of 2,119 dams have been removed in the U.S. since 1912.

In 2023, the states leading in dam removal were:

Pennsylvania (15 removals)
Oregon (9 removals)
Massachusetts (6 removals)

Many dams in the U.S. are no longer serving the purpose for which they were constructed and/or are deteriorating and in need of significant repairs. Dilapidated dams pose safety hazards and threaten the resilience of human and natural communities. This year, the National Low Head Dam Inventory Task Force, in partnership with the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership, catalogued hundreds of thousands of dams, bringing the national total to more than 531,000 dams. American Rivers is building a movement to remove 30,000 dams by 2050, in partnership with communities, Tribal Nations, and state and federal agencies, to ensure that rivers can continue to sustain life.

“Removing a dam is the fastest way to bring a river back to life,” said Tom Kiernan, President and CEO of American Rivers. “From the Arkansas River to the St. Croix , from the Naches to the Monatiquot, communities are enjoying the benefits of healthier rivers, including cleaner water, more abundant wildlife, and improved public safety. But we have much more work to do to remove the thousands of obsolete dams that are harming rivers and holding communities back from their full potential.”

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided a needed infusion of funds for dam removals in 2023, with at least 18 projects utilizing these funds. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service have already allocated the first round of IIJA funding toward the removal of at least 54 dams. While this is a good first step, these agencies have received more than six times as many proposals as they have been able to fund. NOAA and the USFWS alone have received more than $6.2B in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act/Inflation Reduction Act funding requests for dam removal, fish passage, and habitat restoration. Significant dedicated funding on federal and state levels is critical to address the aging infrastructure crisis in this country. The demand is too great to ignore any longer.

Dams harm rivers in many ways. They block migrating fish and prevent the movement of sediment and other natural building blocks of habitat. Dams can impact water quality, and some dams pose serious public safety hazards. The reservoirs behind dams are a source of methane emissions, a greenhouse gas 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide. As they age, dams can be liabilities that put communities in harm’s way of catastrophic flooding and other risks.

American Rivers is gathering interested parties into a National Dam Removal Community of Practice to share knowledge, support practitioners, and further collaboration across the country. A webinar on February 21 will spotlight success stories from projects completed in 2023.

About American Rivers

American Rivers is championing a national effort to protect and restore all rivers, from remote mountain streams to urban waterways. Healthy rivers provide people and nature with clean, abundant water and natural habitat. For 50 years, American Rivers staff, supporters, and partners have shared a common belief: Life Depends on Rivers. For more information, please visit AmericanRivers.org

Contact:
Jaime Sigaran, 240-593-3433
Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145

Washington, DC – American Rivers today released its annual community-driven budget and appropriations report, the River Budget: National Priorities for Healthy Rivers and Clean Water of Fiscal Year 2025, outlining key programs and opportunities for federal spending. The report is endorsed by 156 partners including utility and state agency associations, fishing groups, small businesses, rural communities, public health organizations, environmental justice leaders, and more.

As lawmakers reach a bipartisan agreement for FY24 funding, we continue to urge Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) to complete their work of ensuring our government remains open and responsive to the American people. With the second session of the 118th Congress underway, Congress must promptly finish passing a full year appropriation for FY24 then focus its attention on passing a spending bill ahead of the September 30, 2024, funding deadline for the start of fiscal year 2025. Last week, the White House Office of Management and Budget announced the Presidents FY25 budget proposal will be released on March 11, just three days after the current funding deadline is set to expire. The President is also scheduled to give the State of the Union address on March 7.

“While we continue to urge Congress to pass a final funding package for FY24, we must now look forward to the FY25 appropriations process to push for meaningful wins for healthy rivers as part of the spending bill packages this session. Investing in rivers is money well spent. Healthy rivers create jobs, improve access to clean water and recreation, and protect people from climate impacts including floods and drought. Congressional leadership is greatly needed to champion innovative and equitable investments for healthy rivers and clean water,” said Tom Kiernan, President and CEO of American Rivers.

Each year, the House and Senate start work on a budget resolution which, if adopted, kicks off a series of separate bills funding various federal agencies, programs, and activities. It is Congress’s job, as part of its primary constitutional responsibilities, to fund the operations of the federal government. Communities rely on these programs for healthy rivers and clean water.

The River Budget includes priorities in five key categories:

Promote climate-smart agriculture

$950 million – Agricultural Conservation Easement Program
$2 billion – Conservation Stewardship Program
$5 billion – Environmental Quality Incentives Program
$1.8 billion – Regional Conservation Partnership Program
$750 million – Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program – Subsidies and Grants

Protect watersheds

$7.5 million – Wild and Scenic Rivers Program
$100 million – Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program
$15 million – Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance
$93 million for the Chesapeake Bay Program

$450 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
$57 million for the Puget Sound Program
$15.5 million for the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund
$150 million for WaterSMART Grants

Improve flood management

$2 billion – Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Program
$40 million – Engineering with Nature
$20 million – Flood Plain Management Services
$15 million – National Flood Risk Management Program
$700 million – Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Program
$221 million – Flood Plain Management and Flood Mapping
$200 million – Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations Program

Enhance water infrastructure

$7.6 billion each for the Clean Water SRF and Drinking Water SRF
$225 million for the Low Income Household Water Assistance Pilot Program
$280 million for the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grants Program

Remove and rehabilitate dams

$100 million – Community-based Restoration Program
$20 million – High Hazard Potential Dam Safety Grant Program
$92 million – National Dam Safety Program

$30 million – National Fish Passage Program

The River Budget is a tool to voice the interests and needs of river communities and allies by recommending to Administration and Congress funding priorities and levels for programs that create clean rivers and water nationwide.

About American Rivers

American Rivers is championing a national effort to protect and restore all rivers, from remote mountain streams to urban waterways. Healthy rivers provide people and nature with clean, abundant water and natural habitat. For 50 years, American Rivers staff, supporters, and partners have shared a common belief: Life Depends on Rivers℠. Learn more at www.americanrivers.org

Unsafe dams are “ticking time bombs” putting communities at risk

Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145

Andrew Fisk: 413-407-6484

A partial dam break on Connecticut’s Yantic River is threatening a downstream community with potentially life-threatening flooding. Authorities have issued a flash flood warning and are evacuating the area. The dam is rated as a high hazard potential by the state’s dam safety office.

The incident is an example of the growing threat of dam failures to communities nationwide, as infrastructure is aging and climate change is fueling more severe flooding.

Andrew Fisk, Northeast Regional Director for American Rivers, made the following statement:

“Dam failures can be disastrous and put lives at risk. This is a wake-up call. Increasingly frequent and severe flooding is straining infrastructure in the Northeast and nationwide. In order to protect communities, we must improve the safety and performance of dams.”

“Tens of thousands of dams across our country are old and obsolete. The American Society of Civil Engineers gives the nation’s dams a D grade in its report card on the nation’s infrastructure. One of the most cost-effective ways to deal with outdated, unsafe dams is to remove them.”

“We support the efforts of the community and the Connecticut Dam Safety Program to manage this emergency. American Rivers has advocated in past years to strengthen the dam safety program and get them the resources they need to keep Connecticut’s dams safe.”

“Congress must act to reauthorize the National Dam Safety Program which supports state dam safety agencies. The program’s authorization expired on September 30, leaving thousands of high-risk dams across the country vulnerable to failure. Aging dams are ticking time bombs. We must help communities invest in necessary repairs and, where appropriate, dam removal and river restoration.”

About American Rivers

Statement by Tom Kiernan, President and CEO of American Rivers

Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145

The effort to restore a free-flowing Klamath River is taking a major step forward this week. The three remaining dams are being decommissioned and the drawdown of the reservoirs is beginning. Removal of the first dam, Copco 2, was completed this fall. The Klamath is the largest dam removal and river restoration project in history. It will have far-reaching benefits for the river’s tribes, water quality, salmon, and communities up and down the river.

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

“This is a historic moment for the Klamath River. The water is flowing and the river can finally begin healing. A new chapter for the Klamath, its people, and salmon is beginning.”

“At a time when our politics are polarized and the reality of climate change is daunting, the Klamath presents an important lesson: we can overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges and make incredible progress by working together.”

“This success is thanks to the leadership of Tribal Nations and the collaboration of communities along the river. We applaud the decades of effort and bipartisan support that made this moment possible.”

“We celebrate today, and recommit ourselves to the ongoing work of restoration on the Klamath, and on rivers nationwide. Our nation is facing an urgent freshwater crisis. Accelerating the removal of outdated, harmful dams is vital to protecting community health and safety, addressing longstanding injustices, and protecting the rivers on which all life depends.”

Contact: Kayeloni Scott | kscott@americanrivers.org | 208.790.1815

Today’s announcement from the Biden Administration details a package of commitments to the Northwest, representing a critical step towards restoring the Snake River and saving the basin’s salmon and steelhead from extinction in a manner that ensures communities thrive in the transition. Past decisions have endangered keystone species and created services that communities came to rely upon. These commitments illustrate the dedication to building a stronger, more resilient region.

American Rivers applauds this path toward reciprocity for rivers, salmon, and all that depend on them. Just as Representative Mike Simpson (R-ID) outlined through his Columbia Basin Initiative, the lower four Snake River dams cannot be removed without first replacing the transportation, energy, and irrigation services they provide. This settlement package establishes a foundation for doing just that and puts us on a course toward restoring a healthy, free-flowing lower Snake River.

“The only way we will get to success is if we start working together to solve each other’s problems,” said Tom Kiernan, President and CEO of American Rivers. “We applaud the Biden Administration, the Six-Sovereigns¹, and all other parties for coming together in an historic agreement to advance solutions for the Northwest salmon and people. American Rivers will continue to stand with our partners and Tribal Nations across the Northwest to advocate for restoration of the Snake River, ensuring the survival of salmon and steelhead, and upholding Tribal Treaty Rights.”

1. The Six Sovereigns include Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, Confederated Tribes of the Yakama Nation, Nez Perce Tribe, State of Oregon, and State of Washington.

Additional Resources:
White House Fact Sheet

Brent Blackwelder was a lifelong advocate for environmental protection and a true champion for rivers. As one of the founders of American Rivers, and our first board chair, he built the foundation for our organization’s 50 years of success.

In the early days of American Rivers, Brent fought the construction of massive dams, advocating for economic sensibility and conservation. In the late 1970s and early ‘80s, he organized the annual National Dam Fighters Conference, drawing advocates from across the country. As Brent described it, “We had to move fast or we would lose our best rivers. It was the golden age of dam building and we needed to fight back.”

For example, in 1975 on North Carolina’s New River, Brent was instrumental in stopping a dam and reservoir that would have swallowed farmland and devastated river health. Brent and colleagues not only killed the dam, they also succeeded in securing Wild and Scenic designation for the river. This precedent-setting success proved river conservationists could beat harmful water projects and score big wins on a national level.

Brent later served for many years as President of Friends of the Earth. He testified before Congress more than 100 times on environmental issues and was instrumental in instituting reforms to make the World Bank more conscious of environmental concerns.

All of us at American Rivers are grateful for Brent’s vision and leadership. His legacy lives on in the many rivers he protected that remain clean and free-flowing, and in the diverse and powerful movement of river advocates that continues to grow across our country.

About American Rivers

Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145

California Senator Dianne Feinstein, the longest-serving female senator in history, has died at age 90. Tom Kiernan, President and CEO of American Rivers, made the following statement:

“Dianne Feinstein was a champion for rivers. She was at the center of western water decisions since her first day in the Senate. She was the sponsor of the 21st Century Dams Act, which aims to provide billions in funding for dam removal and river restoration, and she supported many other pieces of river and dam safety legislation. We are grateful for her leadership and will honor her memory as we continue to fight for clean water and healthy, free-flowing rivers in California and nationwide.”

– Tom Kiernan, President and CEO, American Rivers

About American Rivers