American Rivers
Formation | March 1973[1] |
---|---|
Founded at | Denver, Colorado[1] |
Type | Nonprofit |
Legal status | 501(c)(3) |
Purpose | River protection and restoration |
Headquarters | Washington, D.C.[2] |
Website | americanrivers |
American Riversis a nonprofit environmental advocacy organization focused on protecting and promoting the health ofrivers in the United States.Established in 1973, the group is currently headquartered inWashington, D.C.
Activities
[edit]River restoration
[edit]American Rivers advocates for the restoration of rivers and streams that have been damaged by human activity. Primarily, this involvesdam removal,culvertreplacement, andfloodplain restoration.The organization claims to have been directly involved in over 200 dam removals,[3]providing funding in some cases.[4]American Rivers also maintains a public database of all knowndam removals in the United Statessince 1912,[5]and publishes reports on the state of dam removal in the country.[6]
America's Most Endangered Rivers
[edit]Each year since 1984, American Rivers has published a list of "America's Most Endangered Rivers".Three criteria are given for inclusion on the list:[7]
- The river is of regional or national significance to people and wildlife.
- The river and communities that depend on it are under significant threat.
- The river will face a major decision in the coming year that the public can help influence.
River of the Year
[edit]In 2019 American Rivers announced its first "River of the Year". The designation recognizes historically degraded rivers that have made significant progress toward recovery.
Year | River | Rationale |
---|---|---|
2024 | Klamath River | The removal of the four dams on the lower Klamath following decades of activism by theUn-Dam the Klamathmovement.[8] |
2022 | Neuse River | Decades of pollution mitigation assisted by theClean Water Act,commemorating its 50th anniversary.[9] |
2020 | Delaware River | 75 years of progress in reducing pollution and restoring wildlife.[10] |
2019 | Cuyahoga River | 50 years of progress in restoring the Cuyahoga since it caught fire in 1969.[11] |
National River Cleanup
[edit]Started in 1991, the National River Cleanup program promotes volunteerlitter cleanupevents.[12][13]As of 2023[update],American Rivers is a partner ofNational CleanUp Day.[14]
References
[edit]- ^abIrvin, Wm. Robert (10 May 2013)."American Rivers: Celebrating 40 Years".HuffPost.Retrieved14 August2023.
- ^"Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax"(PDF).American Rivers.Retrieved14 August2023.
- ^"Restoring Damaged Rivers".americanrivers.org.American Rivers.Retrieved21 August2023.
- ^Ehmke, Jim."Oakland dam in Pennsylvania being removed".msn.WIVT Binghamton.Retrieved21 August2023.
- ^"Map of U.S. Dams Removed Since 1912".americanrivers.org.American Rivers.Retrieved21 August2023.
- ^Durrant, Spencer (25 February 2022)."2022 State of Dam Removal in U.S."MidCurrent.Retrieved21 August2023.
- ^Petri, Alexandra E. (11 April 2017)."Top 10 Most Endangered Rivers in the U.S."nationalgeographic.National Geographic. Archived fromthe originalon February 25, 2021.Retrieved14 August2023.
- ^Bruinsma, Sophia (1 March 2024)."Klamath River nominated for 2024 'River of the Year' due to Indigenous leadership".KRCR.Retrieved13 March2024.
- ^Graff, Frank (9 November 2022)."National Conservation Group Names the Neuse 'River of the Year'".PBS North Carolina.Retrieved14 August2023.
- ^Tanenbaum, Michael (15 April 2020)."Delaware River named 2020 River of the Year by national environmental organization".PhillyVoice.Retrieved14 August2023.
- ^Haidet, Ryan (17 April 2019)."Cuyahoga River named America's 'river of the year'".wkyc.Retrieved14 August2023.
- ^Charles River Conservancy (18 April 2022)."The 23rd Earth Day cleanup of the Charles River brings us closer to swimming its waters again".Cambridge Day.Retrieved15 August2023.
- ^"National River Cleanup Organizer's Handbook"(PDF).American Rivers. 2014.Retrieved15 August2023.
- ^"American Rivers".National CleanUp Day.Retrieved15 August2023.