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- Meet Matt our our Southeast blue trail & hydro guy
- Meet Rebecca president of American Rivers
- Meet Serena our dam removal expert
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Skinny dippers say “remove Condit Dam!”

Posted on May 13, 2008 | Filed Under Dam Removal, Endangered Rivers, Hydropower, Northwest, River Renewal

Amy Kober
Northwest Outreach & Communications Director

Some of you may have seen the ads already — New Belgium beer has ads running in a number of magazines this month featuring the effort to remove the White Salmon River’s Condit Dam. It’s really great that New Belgium is committed to this important river restoration cause.

Let’s just say the photo shoot (back in October) was very COLD. But fun. I guess it’s a good story to tell the the grand kids some day…

Watch the video about the river and the photo shoot (under “playlist” click White Salmon River)

And enjoy Skinny Dip beer this summer!

Shell Shocked

Posted on May 12, 2008 | Filed Under Dam Removal, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, Northwest, Outreach, River Renewal, Stories

Serena McClain, Associate Director of River Renewal
River Renewal, Restoring Rivers

Alison, our ever faithful Herring Warden continues battling the elements, and it turns out also reptilian life, as we find out in her latest report from the field…

Hello from the Herring Warden! If there is any confusion as to what that entails, click here to read more about it. Basically, I make sure the fishways are in good shape and I count a lot of herring. At Plymouth’s Town Brook, we are now at a minimum count of 45,000 fish! I feel very lucky since other runs aren’t doing nearly so well. We are getting a lot of data at Town Brook so that in a few years, after two more dams are removed, we can see the impact of the dam removals on the herring run.

The most dramatic event of my job as a herring warden came only yesterday. I was checking the second fish ladder at Newfield Street, which is quite often blocked by logs, sticks, and other debris. When I looked down into the ladder I saw not a log, but I giant 35 pound snapping turtle. I immediately assumed he was dead because he was being pushed against the grate by the water flow and I wasn’t sure how long he had been there. When I tried to move him I found out that he was not dead. I went to my car, got my waders, and climbed into the fish ladder. By this time I had an audience. I can’t deny that I was scared. The turtle’s head was bigger than my hand. One snap could have cost me a few fingers. In order to avoid losing any limbs, and for good grip since the turtle’s shell was slippery, I got behind the turtle and covered him with my jacket. Somehow I managed to lift the massive reptile against the water flow . One of the on-lookers helped me carry him out of the fish ladder and down to the pond. He was moving around a little but I’m not sure if he’ll recover.

The experience highlighed another bright side to dam removals: giant turtles will not get stuck in fish ladders and frightened young women (who are probably younger than said giant turtles) will not have to ruin perfectly good jackets to pick them up and carry them to safety.

Take care!
-Alison

Keep your eyes peeled here for more reports from Alison and her monitoring work.

Saving the Sound, One Watershed at a Time

Posted on April 21, 2008 | Filed Under Northwest

Darcy Nonemacher
Associate Director of Washington Water Policy

Everyday, I look out my window and see Fishermen’s Terminal, a hub for boats of all types: commercial fishing boats, small cruise ships, and other vessels. The boats docked at Fishermen’s Terminal are floating on freshwater and just around the corner the boats use the Ballard Locks to enter the saltwater of Puget Sound. Yesterday’s Seattle Times published a great piece by William Dietrich on the complex relationship between the health of our freshwater rivers and condition of the Puget Sound. For me, nowhere is the connection between fresh and salt water more apparent than outside my window.

American Rivers is working hard to make sure that rivers and watersheds around Puget Sound are protected and that the critical link between the health of our freshwater and marine ecosystems is not ignored. Currently, the Puget Sound Partnership is putting together information on a number of different issues ranging from freshwater resource management to habitat conservation to water quality. The Partnership recently released draft issue papers that explain the science and policy behind protecting and restoring the Sound. Later this year, the Puget Sound Partnership will release an Action Agenda, which will include a “To Do” list for saving Puget Sound and the watersheds that sustain it by 2020. The public is encouraged to provide feedback and participate in the Action Agenda development process.

NW dam removal update, and the breach of Montana’s Milltown Dam!

Posted on April 3, 2008 | Filed Under Dam Removal, Events, Northwest, River Renewal

Amy Kober
Northwest Outreach & Communications Director

An article I wrote for Open Spaces magazine about dam removal in the Northwest, “Ringing in new life for rivers” is now posted on their web site. Enjoy!

In recent dam removal news, the coffer dam at Montana’s Milltown Dam site was breached last Friday.

Check out the Milltown Dam Cam on the Clark Fork Coalition’s web site. American Whitewater also has a little video about the event.

Six hotspots for protecting the Northwest’s wild rivers

Posted on April 3, 2008 | Filed Under Northwest, River Heritage, Wild and Scenic

Amy Kober
Northwest Outreach & Communications Director

Spring has arrived in Seattle, and in addition to blooming salmonberry and longer days, that means summer river trip planning is underway! Every year our Northwest staff, along with friends, partners and spouses get together for a trip. We had a great time on the Salmon last year. This year we’re heading to the Grande Ronde. (The Salmon and the Ronde are just two of the region’s many Wild and Scenic rivers.)

This year, 2008, is the 40th anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. American Rivers was founded 35 years ago to protect more of our nation’s best, free-flowing rivers as Wild and Scenic, and in this anniversary year we’re rededicating ourselves to saving wild rivers from new dams and other harmful development.

Our Northwest office just published a short report, outlining our work to designate new Wild and Scenic rivers in six key areas:

Washington –

North Cascades
Volcano Country
Olympic Peninsula

Oregon –

Great rivers of Mount Hood
Wild Rogue and Kalmiopsis
John Day River

Find out more about the rivers we’re working to protect: There’s something special about a wild river (PDF)

You can also view the interactive version.

New report on Washington’s water future

Posted on April 3, 2008 | Filed Under Clean Water, Global Warming, Northwest, Water Conservation, Water Supply, Water for Life

Amy Kober
Northwest Outreach & Communications Director

From my office I can see the peaks of the North Cascades, which in some places are covered with 40 percent above average snowpack. This is good news for the salmon, farmers, fishermen, and boaters who depend on water in our rivers through the summer.

But scientists tell us that with global warming and population growth, drought and water shortages will become more and more common in the coming years, even in the traditionally wet parts of our region.

That’s why we need to change how we think about and manage water. Our new report, Before the well runs dry: water solutions for Washington (PDF), covers the challenges – as well as commonsense solutions.

Solutions proposed in the report include:

Requiring the collection and reporting of basic information essential to smart water management
Securing adequate flow protections to support healthy rivers and streams
Closing loopholes that allow unsustainable water use and infringement of water rights
Requiring and promoting efficient water use
Promoting natural stormwater management
Requiring development to be consistent with a sustainable water supply
Preventing illegal water use

The report was created in partnership with Washington Environmental Council and Washington Rivers Conservancy.

Download the full PDF report or view the interactive report online.

A $1.2 million week

Posted on March 20, 2008 | Filed Under California, Dam Removal, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, Northwest, River Renewal

Serena McClain, Associate Director of River Renewal
River Renewal, Restoring Rivers

Did you ever have a really good week and just want to share it with others?

On Tuesday of last week we learned that we were awarded $700,000 to continue our NOAA Rivergrants program in FY09. Since 2001, we’ve provided both financial and technical assistance to more than 100 restoration projects across the country, and have reunited many communities with healthier rivers and streams.

Then, just three days later, we were awarded $500,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Growing Greener Grant Program to continue our work removing dams and restoring rivers statewide. In close partnership with PA DEP and the PA Fish and Boat Commission, our Free-Flowing Pennsylvania program has assisted in the design and construction of more than 60 dam removals since 2003.

The wonderful thing about having a week this good is that we really will be literally sharing it with others. There are just 11 days left to apply for the latest round of American Rivers Rivergrants funding! Check out our guidelines to figure out if your project might be eligible and download the application without delay!

The Story of One Person Protecting Rivers

Posted on March 19, 2008 | Filed Under Northwest, Stories

Darcy Nonemacher
Associate Director of Washington Water Policy

“Boundaries don’t protect rivers, people do.” - Brad Arrowsmith

As a new River blogger, I think it is appropriate for me to introduce myself: my name is Darcy Nonemacher, and I’m a river rat. For almost as long as I can remember, rivers have both stimulated my imagination and caused me to slow down. Too often, I find myself uptight and worrying about things that ultimately don’t matter and going to a river helps me stay grounded and appreciate the little (and not so little) things.

There is something about a river that makes me feel at home, and I take rivers with me wherever I go in life. As a kid, I spent warm summer days swimming, fishing, and boating on the Swan River in northwestern Montana. In college, I spent three months living in a tent and guiding whitewater trips in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, an amazing experience that challenged me tremendously. When I go hiking, I intuitively choose trails that flank a river so that the stream and I stay close. You never know when you might find a secret swimming spot! To me, rivers are like old friends that are always great to see no matter how much time has passed.

Now that I’m on the American Rivers team, I’m privileged to protect the rivers that I hold dear as well as the rivers I have yet to get to know. Stay tuned for more of my posts on Washington water issues and thanks for reading the River Blog!

Enjoy great wine - and support American Rivers!

Posted on March 17, 2008 | Filed Under Events, Northwest

Amy Kober
Northwest Outreach & Communications Director

American Rivers celebrates its 35th anniversary this month, and what better way to celebrate than toasting you — our supporters — with award-winning wine?

So, it is perfect timing that we are announcing our new partnership with Waterbrook Winery, based in Walla Walla, Washington. Waterbrook is donating a portion of every sale to American Rivers.

Visit www.americanrivers-waterbrook.com to buy wine from our wine shop, or join one of our great wine clubs!

Waterbrook is Walla Walla’s 4th established winery, and is committed to preserving the environment that surrounds it –after all, Walla Walla means “many waters” to the Nez Perce and Walla Walla tribes indigenous to the region.

For those of you in the Seattle area, don’t miss our wine-tasting on April 30! It will be at the Lakeside Events Center on Lake Union - more details coming soon!

A successful event in Seattle!

Posted on March 14, 2008 | Filed Under Events, Northwest

Amy Kober
Northwest Outreach & Communications Director

Last night we held our annual dinner and auction in Seattle, and it was a great success! Thanks to everyone who attended and who generously supported our work. We had a special guest — author, photographer and conservationist Tim Palmer, who gave an inspiring slide show and shared many of his wonderful river stories.

The event highlighted the 40th anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and our efforts to protect the Pratt River - a wild river in Seattle’s backyard.

Here are some photos from the event. For more, see our set in Flickr.

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