March 20, 2018 [Boulder, Colorado] – River Rally 2018, the annual gathering of water protectors and conservationists hosted annually by River Network, will take place at the Resort at Squaw Creek in Olympic Valley, California, April 29–May 2, 2018. The Wild & Scenic Rivers Act turns 50 this October, and River Rally 2018 will celebrate… Read More ›
Blog
Wild and Scenic 50th Anniversary Community-Building Grants: Proposals Due 3/30
by Radha Marcum
Is your organization looking to launch initiatives or events that engage community around the 50th anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act? To aid in the planning and execution of anniversary events, River Network is offering financial support to a limited number of grassroots organizations. River Network will provide 2-3 small grants ($3,000 –… Read More ›
Leveraging Our Voices to Protect Clean Water Policies At Risk
by Katherine BaerDuring River Network’s annual conference River Rally (May 2017) the Trump Administration was taking public comment on which environmental regulations it should eliminate. It was perfect timing to ask our nationwide network of community water advocates to let the Administration know that they want regulations to protect people, not polluters. We mailed in hundreds of… Read More ›
‘A River’s Reckoning’ Highlights Unusual Partners, Remarkable Success for Colorado Headwaters
by Nicole SeltzerThe headwaters of the Colorado River in Grand County, Colorado is not the state’s largest river, but its importance as a water source looms large. A litany of federal agencies, regional authorities, local governments, and individual land owners rely on the river to meet both human and wildlife needs. This quiet stretch of mountain stream… Read More ›
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – A 2017 Federal Policy Wrap
by Katherine BaerIt’s felt like a pretty long year – and now with a few days to go until 2018 we thought we’d take a sec to reflect on 2017: The Good – In 2017, it’s been so encouraging to see the immense numbers of people who are engaging with their decision makers about the issues that… Read More ›
Why National Monuments Matter to Our Rivers
by Nicole Silk
Nearly 20 years ago, in the late summer, an unexpected storm sat somewhere over Bears Ears National Monument. I was guiding a trip down the San Juan River with friends and family. We had just returned from a hike up Slickhorn Canyon, one of the creases in the goosenecks that define this section of river,... Read More ›
Junction Function: Community Engagement Done Right
by Paco OllervidesAs River Network’s Great Lakes Leadership Development Manager, I recently had the opportunity to join 66 community members for a two-day event organized by Junction Coalition in Toledo, Ohio. Junction Coalition is in the Swan Creek subwatershed that is part of the greater Maumee river that empties into western Lake Erie. Thanks to a grant… Read More ›
Endurance Run: The Clean Water Act turns 45
by Gayle Killam
I joined River Network almost 20 years ago when the Clean Water Act was celebrating its 25th year, having endured the full-on attack during the mid-90s by Newt Gingrich and House of Representatives and their proposed “Dirty Water Act.” The watershed community was growing in size and strength–thanks in part to River Network’s first decade of work–and it… Read More ›
Times Like This Show Us How Much We Need the EPA
by April IngleAs I see the tremendous devastation caused by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, I am heartbroken for all those who are suffering and I am heartened by all those who are stepping up to help, however they can. The impacted communities have many needs and a lot more support will be required to help them… Read More ›
Local Knowledge: The Key to Restoring Proctor Creek
by Erin WallOriginally posted in the Urban Waters Learning Network blog Growing up in Savannah, GA, I always felt a strong tie to water. There was the Savannah River I would see when I would walk down River Street, the many bike rides to the marsh close to my house, and the countless trips to the beach… Read More ›
River and Water Conservation Organizations’ Role in Disaster Management
by Jorie EmoryNatural disasters are becoming more frequent and severe. Between 1995 and 2015, the United Nations estimated that a staggering 4.1 billion people worldwide were injured, left homeless, or required emergency assistance as a result of weather-related disasters 1. The majority of victims were impacted by flooding, which claims approximately 200 lives each year in the… Read More ›
New Great Lakes Map Shows Organizational Capacity and Threats to Water
by Jorie EmoryRiver Network has worked in the Great Lakes region since 2000, providing valuable capacity building services and exposure to 200 watershed groups. Since 2010, we have used our Organizational Assessment Tool to assess the capacity of individual river and watershed conservation groups in the region. In 2015, thanks to support from the C.S. Mott Foundation,… Read More ›
Water Neutral Growth? Check out Net Blue
by Katherine BaerHere in North Carolina, water levels in streams and rivers are declining. Rapid growth, increased consumptive water use and climate change are all contributing factors that place drinking water supplies at-risk. This mirrors what we found across the Southeast in our report on Protecting and Restoring Flows in this region. Water scarcity now threatens many… Read More ›
Fight the Attempt to Kill the Clean Water Rule
by Katherine BaerThis is a guest post by River Network Board Vice-Chair Rebecca Wodder. In his February address to Congress, President Donald Trump promised clean water for all Americans. Why, then, is his administration intent on dismantling protections that cover a third of the nation’s drinking water? Trump has directed the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S…. Read More ›
Congratulations, 2017 Urban Waters Learning Network Award Winners!
by Diana ToledoThe Urban Waters Learning Network Awards celebrate Learning Network members making significant achievements toward improving their urban waterways and revitalizing the neighborhoods around them. These members embody the spirit and value of the Learning Network and exemplify the Urban Waters Learning Network’s goal of providing peer-to-peer support, solving challenges through collaboration, and sharing. Award… Read More ›
