Blog

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

by Erin Kanzig
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

by Hannah Mico
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

by Amy Boal
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

by Brenna Goggin
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

by Katherine Baer
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?

by Erin Kanzig

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

by Jared Hocking
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 ›

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

by Katherine Baer

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 ›

Introducing River Network’s State Policy Hub

by Erin Kanzig
Which states have passed laws regulating the pervasive PFAS that contaminate our drinking water? What does a human right to water resolution include? How are states advancing the removal of lead service lines and reducing the risks of lead exposure from the water coming out of our taps? With support from the Water Foundation, River... Read More ›

Integrating Equity Into Integrated Water Management Planning

by Diana Toledo
Still water of the San Antonio River with banks of yellow and green trees and paths on either side.
The San Antonio River near the Blue Star Complex. Photo by Vanessa Velazquez.

Water is a critical resource. We depend on it for our communities’ health, economies, and environmental and social resilience. But managing our available water resources to meet those diverse needs is a complex exercise. Over the past two decades, Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) has emerged as an approach to navigating these complexities, providing a… Read More ›

Building Strong Champions with Professional Development

by Brenna Goggin

To address today’s water crisis, the national network of water protectors needs strong leaders. That’s why Building Strong Champions is the essence of River Network’s mission. At its core, Building Strong Champions is building the capacity of individuals and organizations. This blog post is the third in our series highlighting this work: professional development, a… Read More ›

EPA Needs to Hear from Us: Fix Clean Water Act Rollbacks!

by April Ingle

After the Dirty Water Rule went into effect in 2020 more than half of the nation’s wetlands and streams lost Clean Water Act protections. Every day the Dirty Water Rule stays in effect streams and wetlands across the country are at risk of destruction and pollution. We need the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to… Read More ›