Blog

New Resource: Federal Response Overview Post-Climate Disaster

by Campbell Simmons
Federal Response and Monetary Assistance Post-Major Disaster Declaration President Joe Biden declared Hurricane Milton a major disaster in Florida and Hurricane Helene a major disaster in Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Florida. While this designation opens up federal assistance to survivors of these disasters, understanding the types of assistance available can be challenging,... Read More ›

Connecting Leaders and Creating Community, Across Generations

by Brenna Goggin
Climate Corps cohort members gather outside for a group photo. Everyone is smiling, standing on the grass by the water.
Climate Corps members during an in-person retreat.
As new generations step into leadership roles at river, water, and justice organizations across the country, how is the movement changing? A few days into 2024, 18 Executive Directors joined a zoom call with River Network’s Leadership Development staff. Cozied up across the country, we discussed how the generational make up of staff is shifting... Read More ›

Apply for Thriving Community Grants

by Dina Abdulhadi

The EPA’s Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program aims to make it easier for small, community-based organizations—particularly those with low capacity or resources—and other eligible subrecipients to access federal funding for projects that identify, document, address, and respond to conditions related to environmental and/or climate issues. Interested applicants should apply through the program for their geographic region,… Read More ›

Emergency Response Resources to Drinking Water Quality Post-Flooding

by Erin Kanzig
Hurricane Helene has wrecked havoc in several southeastern states, and Hurricane Milton is barreling towards Florida. These latest climate disasters have left a devastating trail of destruction, leaving many communities without power, cell service, and running water. Our hearts go out to all those affected, including our River Network staff in Asheville, North Carolina, and... Read More ›

Empowering Floodplain Management

by Brian Murphy
As the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in the southeastern states reminds us, the need for effective floodplain management is more urgent than ever. A healthy floodplain should serve as a sponge, absorbing floodwaters to support essential hydraulic and ecological functions. Historically, floodplain management has focused on controlling rivers within rigid channels. While this control is... Read More ›

Water is Fundamental: Source Water Protection Week 2024

by Erin Kanzig
Amy Boal, our Communications Director, has this view of Lefthand Water District’s Spurgeon Treatment Plant from her back porch, a daily reminder of her source waters and how they get to her tap.
This week, River Network recognizes and highlights Source Water Protection Week (September 29 -October 5) alongside other water-focused nonprofits, water utilities and associations, and government. When I sat down to write this blog, I was reflecting on national polling about water challenges in our country, which showed that voters are most concerned about pollution of... Read More ›

Announcing Rooting Resilience Local and State Government Grantees

by Stephanie Heidbreder
Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve, 2007. Photo courtesy Amy Boal, RN Staff, who grew up in Hillsboro.
River Network’s Rooting Resilience Program will provide funding and technical assistance to projects that build resilience and enhance communities’ abilities to plan and carry out forestry projects. Funding for these projects is provided by the Urban and Community Forestry Program of the Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The first round... Read More ›

Introducing a New Equitable Development Toolkit

by Grace Fullmer
Across the country, neighborhoods that are majority Black, Indigenous, people of color, and low-income are disproportionately facing the worst and most extreme climate-related impacts. Following decades of discriminatory policies and practices – including intentional underinvestment in critical services, resources, and infrastructure – there is a clear need for green improvements in these communities to mitigate... Read More ›

Applications Open for Our Latest SRF Cohort (And You’ll Be Paid!)

by Erin Kanzig

Calling all water justice-oriented community based organizations! Are you looking to understand and influence how and where State Revolving Funds (SRFs) are distributed in your state? The SRF State Advocates Forum is seeking individuals from community-based organizations to participate in a 9-month (November 2024 – July 2025) national cohort to strategically engage in water infrastructure… Read More ›

River Rally 2024 Recap

by Carly Schmidt
Kicking off River Rally 2024 at the Blue Bridge in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The 25th River Rally brought the network together on the banks of the Grand River in Grand Rapids, Michigan; the traditional territory of the Anishinabek, including the Odawa, Ojibwa, and Bodéwadmi peoples. Together, we built community and shared knowledge, building bridges across distance and difference to connect and inspire the network. This year, 414 of... Read More ›

Letting Rivers Flow for People and Nature

by Chelsea Silva
As part of the 7th Environmental Flows Workshop, Walker Basin Conservancy led a tour of Walker Basin, including a stop at Walker Lake where participants learned from Chairwoman Andrea Martinez about restoration priorities for the Walker River Paiute Tribe.
Forty people disembark from a charter bus outside Reno, Nevada, and step out to a sunny, clear day and an expansive lake in the Great Basin desert that holds stories of trials and tribulations. The travelers were on a field trip as part of River Network’s seventh Environmental Flows Workshop, a gathering of environmental flow... Read More ›

Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program: Sunset or Sunrise?

by Shelby Cline
This post, written by Shelby Cline, is the fifth blog post we’ve published about the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP). The program was first funded through COVID-19 legislation in the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA, December 2020) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA, 2021). For additional background information on this program, check out our... Read More ›

Introducing the River Rally Story Lounge!

by Amy Boal

The first-ever River Rally Story Lounge will be the go-to conference space for deep, interactive story sharing: a new platform to amplify successes from across the national network of water, justice, and river advocates. One of the most inspiring and energizing aspects of each River Rally is connecting with peers in the water space and… Read More ›

Scaling Up Local Capacity for Multi-Benefit Watershed Projects

by Chelsea Silva
What kinds of support do small, rural organizations need to lead multi-benefit watershed projects? It varies, but the need for additional capacity support to lead these projects is huge, and River Network and our partners in Colorado are coordinating to deliver that support. What Are Multi-Benefit Projects? These are river/watershed protection, conservation, and enhancement projects... Read More ›

$2 Billion Available Now to Advance Equitable Climate Resilience and Pollution

by Campbell Simmons
A flooded park with trees and swing sets, set against the Houston, Texas skyline.

Across the network community-based groups are organizing to address pollution and build resilience to climate change in their communities. Now, through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) the EPA has launched the groundbreaking Community Change Grants Program investing an unprecedented $2 billion in environmental and climate justice activities to benefit “disadvantaged communities.” It will fund projects… Read More ›