Fish, Animal and Plant Diversity

Healthy rivers are vital to the health and future of all life on our planet, not just humans. Whether it’s endangered Chinook salmon in the Pacific Northwest or the manatees of Florida, saving these vanishing species means we must save our rivers.

Countless other more common species, from kingfishers and ouzels, to otters and beavers, spend most of their lives on or in rivers, and simply could not exist without them.

No single species can stand alone. All of the living parts of river ecosystems are intertwined, from the smallest algae to the osprey or bald eagles that fish from the sky.

Of course, we are part of that ecosystem, too, and our fate depends on healthy rivers, just as countless other species do.

That's why thousands of organizations are hard at work on protecting rivers and the web of life that depends on them. Find out how River Network is helping through our Protection and Restoration program.