We all need clean water—whether that’s for drinking, washing, swimming, or fishing. Without access to abundant, clean water, we can’t grow food, trust the water that comes out of our … Read more
streams
Two Years After Sackett: Still Wading Through Muddy Waters
As music pioneer Fela Kuti once audaciously sang—water no get enemy (water has no enemy). This is a proverb from the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria that sums up a universal … Read more
Restoring Natural Processes
Aquatic restoration, using techniques that mimic natural processes such as beaver damming, is one way local practitioners are working together to restore riverscapes and bring back a spring blanket of … Read more
New Freshwater Challenge to Restore and Protect Our Waters
During Earth Week, the White House announced a bold new national goal to protect, restore, and reconnect eight million acres of wetlands and 100,000 miles of our nation’s rivers and … Read more
For Clean Water and Flood Protection, We Need to Protect Wetlands and Streams
In November of 2023, the Fifth National Climate Assessment was issued and it has more troubling news for our nation’s waters. The Assessment concludes that “[c]limate change will continue to … Read more
Clean Water Under Threat at Supreme Court
On October 3, 2022, the Supreme Court will hear a case that could remove longstanding protections for roughly half the nation’s streams and wetlands. Sackett v. EPA — an already … Read more
Beavers, Trout, and a Changing Climate
Driving through the lush forests of America’s Pacific Northwest, you might spot this bumper sticker: “Beaver taught salmon how to jump.” Beavers may seem magical, especially when their engineering feats … Read more
Five Wetland Species Jeopardized by Clean Water Act Rollback
We all live downstream. And the only way to have safe water downstream is by protecting water upstream at its source. Despite this, the Trump Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) … Read more
The Best Dam Water Engineers
Beavers may be our most important partner in protecting and restoring western streams and watersheds. By building temporary dams on small streams, beavers slow down rainwater runoff and snowmelt. This … Read more
Protecting Water for Wildlife
In the late summer, western rivers get “skinny”–depleted by longstanding diversions for irrigation and municipal demands, and exacerbated by changes in mountain snowpack and warmer temperatures due to climate change. … Read more
