River Voices: August 2025
Welcome to the August 2025 edition of River Voices. This month we’re sharing the impacts and successes of the inaugural National State Revolving Fund Cohort. Plus, premium membership is available (new or renewals) for 20% off! Get yours now to be eligible for Rally discounts next year!
River Network members are the reason we exist. As the world has become more uncertain throughout 2025, our programs have steadfastly provided supportive structures to members across the country, including through an intimate, in-depth SRF State Advocates Forum cohort.
Read all about the cohort’s impact and success to meet passionate network members who are making change and be reminded why supporting River Network has a ripple effect: bringing people together in an inclusive movement to ensure abundant clean water for all people and nature to thrive.
Hosting convenings such as these and delivering information to our communities are instrumental in our continued fight for water affordability and water justice. We are grateful for the work you do to share communities’ work, expertise, and genius, lifting stories, struggles, and triumphs.”
– Norrel Hemphill, Legal and Public Policy Manager at We the People of Detroit
We are thrilled to welcome Tricia Cortez as a Junior Flow Funder!
Tricia joined the Rio Grande International Study Center in May 2010 where she currently serves as executive director of Laredo’s only environmental nonprofit organization. Tricia has led advocacy efforts on a local and national level involving the border wall, ethylene oxide, and single use plastics and is committed to coalition building and grassroots organizing. Tricia will select recipients this fall.
Members are the lifeblood of the network, and the whole reason River Network exists! If you benefit from our work, join or renew your premium membership today! If you renew before August 31, you’ll save 20% on membership rates AND get a discount on River Rally registration next spring. Show your support for us and the nationwide network of water, justice, and river protectors – connecting us all has never been more important!
Thank you to all who joined our State Policy Showcase on Aquatic Litter & Extended Producer Responsibility in July! We heard from from Dr. Anja Brandon, Plastics Policy Director at Ocean Conservancy and Nicole Portley, Materials Management PRO Program Plan Lead, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality about California and Oregon state policies on EPR.
If you missed the session, you can watch the recording or access additional resources.
Our congratulations to Brenda Coley and Julia Blatt!!
After years of visionary leadership at Milwaukee Water Commons and in the nationwide water movement, Brenda Coley has announced her plans to retire at the end of this year. Her leadership has shaped the environmental justice movement in Milwaukee and far beyond. MWC remains committed to the co-executive director model: please take a look at their position posting to learn more, and be sure to listen to Brenda and co-ED Kirsten Shead’s “At the Water Table” interview from last year.
Julia Blatt, a River Network board member since 2018, has announced she will be moving on from her position as the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance’s executive director at the end of this year as well. Julia’s dedication to rivers and passionate support for River Network has been an inspiration!
A Love Letter to the Helpers: C.O.L.I.A. Honors the Heart of Hill Country, Texas (from Teresa Davis, former RN staff and Flow Funder)
In the aftermath of severe flooding across the Texas Hill Country—impacting communities from Kerrville to Llano—our team at Communities Of Love In Action (C.O.L.I.A.) set out with a clear purpose: to witness, to assess, and to act. We went into the Hill Country determined not to allow the history of storms and flooding disasters to repeat itself. But what we encountered there shifted us in ways we did not expect.
Instead of desperation, we found coordination. Instead of chaos, compassion. In county after county, from local churches to volunteer stations, we witnessed the very best of humanity. Neighbors helping neighbors. Strangers becoming kin. Veterans, students, faith groups, ranchers, and retirees—folks from every walk of life—rolling up their sleeves. We witnessed first responders braving difficult terrain, not for praise but from purpose. We witnessed volunteers who had driven across the states to serve. And with every encounter, we saw something quietly extraordinary: a collective refusal to let disaster define these communities.
Yes, the damage was real—but so was the unity. And in that unity, we found something more powerful than any headline could capture: a living, breathing testament to what “Humanity” is made of. Grit, grace, and a deep, unshakable love for one another.
To the selfless men and women who showed up in the flood’s aftermath, thank you. You reminded us that resilience is not just measured in what’s rebuilt, but in how we rebuild—together. You are the quiet heroes of this story, and through your care, courage, and commitment, you’ve written a chapter of hope that deserves to be shared far and wide.
We went to Hill Country expecting to lead and fill-in the gaps—but we left having learned. Humbled. Grateful. Proud to be Texans. And even more proud to have stood among you.
Teresa Davis, Founder
Communities Of Love In Action, C.O.L.I.A.
Join a Training Series in Our Online Learning Platform
Our Online Learning Platform offers cohort style, hybrid training courses (a mix of synchronous, interactive training and self-paced content) as well as entirely self-paced trainings to help grow and strengthen network members. Current topics include building trust with water utilities, the Clean Water Act, State Revolving Funds, and more.
U.S. WASH Technical Assistance Conversation Series
September – January
The Vessel Collective’s Technical Assistance Coordination Working Group launched a new series in July. These monthly virtual sessions will spotlight key themes across the technical, financial, and managerial dimensions of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) assistance in the United States. Designed as spaces for peer learning, connection, and insight-sharing, these conversations are also a vital step in informing a national WASH sector needs report.
Complete the WASH TA Sessions interest form to give input and join.
Partners in Community Forestry Conference
November 19-20, 2025
Join the Arbor Day Foundation and get a first look at the sessions, speakers, and events that will shape this year’s gathering of urban forestry professionals, community leaders, and advocates from across the country. Whether you’re passionate about innovation in tree planting, creative partnerships, or the latest research in urban forestry, there’s something for everyone.
National Voter Registration Day
September 16
With critical state and local elections happening across the country, this year’s National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) is more important than ever. These elections will shape policies on education, public safety, healthcare, and more—yet many eligible voters remain unregistered. A nonpartisan civic holiday, NVRD is a nationwide movement that engages thousands of organizations to help register voters and spread awareness.
What We’re Reading
- 🎧 Texas Bets $20 Million on Water (waterloop)
- 🌱 Reclaiming Native Truth Report (Reclaiming Native Truth)
- 💧 White Mesa Uranium Mill (Grand Canyon Trust)
- 🖱️ Surviving Occupation in a Climate-Changed West Bank (Atmos)
- 🎥 Protecting the Mighty Mississippi (PBS)
- 📊 Data Centers in Michigan and Wisconsin (RE-AMP research for Wisconsin Green Muslims and Michigan Green Muslims)
- 📄 From Congress to Disadvantaged Communities: An Analysis of federal water infrastructure investments distributed to Alabama through state revolving funds (Environmental Research Letters, co-authored by network members at Alabama Rivers Alliance!!)
- 📙 Building a Common Voice for Healthy Stream and River Systems in the West: Messaging Handbook (NRDC and Metropolitan Group, with contributions from River Network’s Brian Murphy who served on the advisory group!)
- 🫂 Authentic Partnerships for Water and Climate Justice (Milwaukee Water Commons and We the People of Detroit)
