Blog

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 ›

Reflecting on World Day of Social Justice

by Grace Fullmer
For me, the term social justice brings up a few concepts: fairness, equality, well-being, rights, opportunity, community. The United Nations notes, “social development and social justice are indispensable for the achievement and maintenance of peace and security with and among nations…” In honoring the work that has already been done in the name of social... Read More ›

Water Policies for 30×30: The America the Beautiful for All Coalition 2024 Policy Agenda

by Katherine Baer
Photo by Vanessa Velazquez.

Over the last two years, River Network has served on the Steering Committee of the America the Beautiful for All Coalition. This ambitious and extraordinary coalition brings together land, freshwater, and ocean advocates to conserve 30% of lands, waters, and oceans by 2030 centered on equity with twin goals to: Conserve, connect and restore at… Read More ›

Changing Narratives in Milwaukee with Water Infrastructure Dollars

by Amy Boal
Milwaukee Water Commons 2022 We are Water Event brings neighbors from around the city to the shore of Lake Michigan to celebrate their shared relationship with water. (Photo credit - Joe Brusky.)
We often talk about: what is the wraparound community benefit of these programs? And how is it changing that narrative of segregation in Milwaukee?” -Joe Fitzgerald, Policy and Advocacy Manager with Milwaukee Water Commons Learn about our federal funding support. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has global recognition as a water-centric city, however depending on where you live,... Read More ›

Help Ensure Lead Free, Safe Drinking Water for All!

by Shelby Cline
Almost 50 years ago, Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) giving a mandate to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to keep our drinking water safe. Congress banned the installation of lead pipes to deliver drinking water in 1986 because it recognized the dangers of lead exposure. However, millions across the country still have... Read More ›

Network Success Born from Online Learning

by Erin Kanzig
Shelby Cline and Colleen Walters contributed to this piece. We've found the SRF Advocacy Training Series and Toolkit to be extremely useful and have even directed more of our staff members to complete the training to learn more about our current SRF advocacy priorities. I actually keep the SRF Advocacy Toolkit up on my computer... Read More ›