River Voices: August 2022
Welcome to the August 2022 edition of River Voices. This month, join us on the Wild & Scenic River system, with a visit to Oregon’s Umpqua Watershed, and meet the 2022 Wild & Scenic Rivers Stewardship Partnership grantees. We also have expert guidance on data visualization in a guest blog from Princeton Hydro. Plus, an update on the next River Rally!
Over the past four years, River Network and the United States Forest Service (USFS) have offered funding opportunities to organizations working on USFS administered Wild and Scenic Rivers and surrounding lands. River Network’s Brenna Goggin joined one of these organizations – Umpqua Watersheds – last month for River Appreciation Day, taking in the beauty of the landscape, the impacts of the funding, and the ongoing effects of the Archie Creek Fire.
“Underlying their stories was a sense of pride—pride in where they live, pride for how the community came together during the wildfire and, most of all, pride for how they will continue to push forward their efforts to restore and protect the mighty Umpqua.”
-Brenna Goggin, on conversations with River Appreciation Day participants
Mark your calendar for the next River Rally, which will take place in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in the summer of 2024!
After careful consideration from the River Network staff and board, we have decided that shifting the next River Rally to 2024 is not only necessary but essential if we are to create a River Rally that serves and involves you, our network, in the best possible way. We can’t wait to see what we create together!
“We’ve always been about education. That’s one of our pillars as a community-based nonprofit, the whole idea of being able to share knowledge and expand knowledge to make sure that the community is able to converse and understand.”
Arthur Johnson, CEO of New Orleans’ Center for Sustainable Engagement & Development is featured in the Washington Post! Meet this climate justice leader, a 2022 River Hero, and Flow Funder.
For the fourth year, River Network is excited to work 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. In Katherine Baer’s recent blog post, meet Chattooga Conservancy, Curry Watersheds Partnership, Flathead Rivers Alliance, Friends of the Verde River, Kern River Conservancy, Tuolumne River Trust, and Wild Alabama and read about the innovative stewardship projects they’re working on.
Science Corner: Data Visualization Tips and Tricks for Water Quality Monitoring
August is National Water Quality Month, and data visualization is an important tool for communicating science, including water quality, to a broader audience. Whether you are a volunteer community scientist or a professional aquatic ecologist, there are many free tools and low-cost programs that you can use to link the scientific data to actions that can improve water quality. As monitoring season wraps up, let Princeton Hydro walk you through the process with some tips and tricks on how to communicate your results most effectively.
River Network seeks an experienced fundraising professional to join our dynamic Philanthropy & Communications team. The primary role of this position is to increase unrestricted current and future support for River Network, thereby allowing River Network more ability and responsiveness in fulfilling its efforts to advance clean water and healthy rivers for all. At the same time, we have been exploring the tenets of Trust-Based Philanthropy through the creation of River Network’s Climate Justice Flow Fund Circle. The Philanthropy Director will help steward the current Flow Fund model and have room for innovation and collaboration to continue to democratize philanthropy at River Network and beyond.
Is your river facing a decision in the coming year that will impact its fate? America’s Most Endangered Rivers® is the most influential national campaign to galvanize public action and secure victories for rivers, clean water and communities. American Rivers is now accepting nominations for their 2023 report from interested groups throughout the United States. American Rivers would especially like to highlight rivers where communities are impacted by environmental justice concerns. The 10 rivers selected as America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2023 will be spotlighted in a report released on April 18, 2023. If you have questions about the (or have trouble with the nomination form), please contact Simone Sampson at ssampson@americanrivers.org.
West Coast E42 for Environmental Educators
Center for Diversity and the Environment’s program will grow a diverse and inclusive regional (WA, OR and CA) network and community of leaders who have the knowledge, support, and agency to bring about more equitable and culturally expansive environmental education field.
AWWA’s Transformative Water Leadership Academy (TWLA)
Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap Community Initiative
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA-RD) are partnering on this new initiative to jointly leverage technical assistance resources to help historically underserved communities identify, and pursue, federal funding opportunities to address their wastewater needs.
- Webinar Recording: “History of racism and the effect on black participation rates in water-based outdoor recreation.” River Management Society’s July 2022 webinar explored some of the historic and contemporary causes of the disproportionately lower rates of participation from Black people and people of color in water-sports and discussed potential solutions as well as strategies to overcome obstacles to solutions. Watch the recording.
- Webinar Recording: “Expanding Frontline Communities’ Access to Federal Funding” In this recording of WaterNow Alliance’s webinar, hear from panelists from River Network, PolicyLink, and Pacific Institute. Watch the recording.
- New Report: Addressing PFAS Contamination in the Huron River Watershed. Huron River Watershed Council’s (HRWC) new report includes recommended practices for regional conservation organizations based on their experience in their watershed. We were honored to have HRWC’s Dan Brown present it at 2022 River Rally 2022 in DC!
