Blog

Modernizing Irrigation Infrastructure with Colorado Farmers & Ranchers

Rancher Ben Wolcott filling a black bin with water using a red hose, with mountains and clouds in the background.
Photo by Lauren Harper.

In just six months, three new Project Coordinators, working with Colorado ditch companies and farmers and ranchers, have identified over 50 multi-beneficial projects to implement across the state. These projects will save water across the state, benefiting agricultural producers and the rivers they depend on. River Network supports these Coordinators as part of our continued… Read More

Meet the 2022 Climate Resilience Grantees

As climate change continues to exacerbate existing burdens on communities and present new and unique challenges, River Network is expanding our work to assist local organizations in launching Community-Led Research (CLR) projects and Leadership Development (LD) programs. This year, with support of the Kresge Foundation and the Patagonia Foundation, we have connected with 8 new… Read More

Our Key Issues and the Next Five Years

Resilience. Policy. Agriculture. Drinking water.  What do these terms mean to you? For River Network, they’re the four key issues that are central to addressing the current water crisis in the United States.  In 2018, based on input from the network, we introduced these key issues to focus our collective efforts through our Strategic Plan…. Read More

State of the Network Survey – We Need Your Help!

Do you ever play 20 questions? If so, you’re familiar with questions like “is it bigger than a breadbox,” and “is the person alive?” We’ve spent many family hiking trips using this fun game to make it up a big hill. Surveys also involve a lot of questions and while they don’t always seem as… Read More

National Conference Anchors Equity to the Future of America’s Waters

February 9, 2022 [Boulder, Colorado] – River Rally 2022 will take place at The Capital Hilton in Washington, DC, from June 4-7, 2022. Now in its 24th year, River Rally is the premier national conference for grassroots water advocates and river conservation professionals. Hosted annually by River Network, River Rally provides an inspiring and energy-infused… Read More

Trust Building Support Initiative – Applications Open Now!

Applications due February 28, 2022 River Network and the WaterNow Alliance are working together to provide support for community organizations and water utilities seeking to build trusting relationships as part of their work together toward more equitable and sustainable water and community outcomes. We are seeking applications from interested water utilities and community groups who… Read More

What does the Farm Bill have to do with Water Conservation?

A Quick Intro to Federal Conservation Programs on Agricultural Land  River Network’s newly released plan defining our path forward on healthy rivers in agricultural landscapes identifies several needs and challenges that network members brought up in working with agricultural audiences, including:  Better understanding of funding sources, including federal, state, local and private sources; and how to leverage funding to build capacity and... Read More

Taking the Leap with Partners for Environmental Justice

A row of people stands before a seated audience outside a new building for a ribbon cutting ceremony.

How does a small volunteer-run organization transition into a fully-fledged nonprofit? Partners for Environmental Justice (PEJ) (Raleigh, NC) recently committed to taking this leap, leaning on River Network for support and collaboration. After over a year of work together, addressing both programmatic and organizational development support, we’re reflecting on what makes investments like these successful… Read More

Inclusive River Recreation Outreach Strategies with the Wild & Scenic Rivers Coalition

Photo via CU Maurice River.

Access to and feelings of safety within our nation’s natural areas and waterways is not equitable. As River Network noted and the nation reckoned with following widespread protests in 2020, Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) in America frequently face racism in outdoor spaces, including around and on the rivers and waterways our network… Read More

The Role of Coalitions in Propelling Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Work Forward

Photo courtesy Choose Clean Water.

This blog post was written by Mariah Davis (Choose Clean Water) and Ellen Underwood (Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed). Coalitions, collaboratives, and networks play an integral role in promoting new ideas, building connections, and exploring new avenues for support. As the only national nonprofit whose sole purpose is to connect and strengthen the nationwide… Read More

Authentic Community-Water Utility Partnerships Yield Big Results

Photo courtesy SERI.

In Tucson, Arizona, water is scarce and temperatures can be scorching. As part of the Colorado River Basin, demand for water is outstripping availability, due in part to climate change. Tucson is also getting hotter, especially in “urban heat islands,” which disproportionately affect poorer neighborhoods with fewer trees and more concrete. While many of the… Read More

What’s Inside the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for Water?

Understanding what’s inside a 1,000+ page bill can feel daunting- so we’ve done our best to pull out the details below in a longer-than-usual blog post (!) as well as some thoughts on what’s ahead for implementing River Network’s priorities- clean, safe, affordable drinking water, resilient cities and communities, healthy rivers in agricultural landscapes, and robust… Read More

How 90 High Schoolers Removed Over 1 Ton of Community Litter

Students participating in a Ball Corporation-funded Earth Week clean-up.

Earlier this year, in collaboration with River Network and with support from Ball Corporation, Findlay, Ohio’s Blanchard River Watershed Partnership (BRWP) and the local United Way organized an Earth Week clean-up event opportunity for 90 National Honors Society (NHS) students to collaborate with their community, gain valuable leadership skills and foster a commitment to maintaining a healthy,… Read More

Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Partnership Funding Awards 2021

Photo credit Mónica Pérez, Love in Motion Foundation

For the third consecutive year, River Network is working with the USDA Forest Service (Forest Service) to provide local organizations with funding for their work to steward our many, diverse Wild and Scenic Rivers. These designated segments of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System  flow throughout the country and help protect some of the… Read More

Trash to Action: How Litter Clean Up can Lead to Change

This is a guest blog post by Aaron Dickinson, a Masters of Public Policy student at Duke University who joined River Network this past summer as an intern. How can trash collection and clean up lead to change in a community’s policies or practices? Because River Network supports community engagement through litter collection, trash clean… Read More