American Rivers and River Network call for ban on water shut-offs and restoration of water services for the duration of the coronavirus public health emergency, investment in critical water infrastructure March 27, 2020 Contact: Destinee Henton, American Rivers, 216-400-8572 Sheyda Esnaashari, River Network, 612-512-4591 Read the policy statement As the coronavirus pandemic threatens communities nationwide, American… Read More ›
Blog
Equitable Water Infrastructure in the COVID-19 Crisis
by Katherine Baer
With the COVID-19 pandemic front of mind, protecting public health is the priority. This includes our newest lingo, social distancing, as well as lots of really good handwashing. But – what if you don’t have running water in your house? How do you wash your hands and stay healthy? (Note that COVID-19 has NOT been… Read More ›
Working to Be the Change We Seek: Our Ongoing EDI Journey
by Nicole SilkBe the change you wish to see in the world." The phrase above intermingles with the images, smells, and sounds in my memories of growing up in the Bay Area of the 1970s – the Black power fist, the peace sign, rainbows and tie-dye, tear gas, and every kind of music. Pride of identity was... Read More ›
What the New Dirty Water Rule Means for Your Watershed
by April Ingle
On January 23, 2020, the Trump Administration finalized their “Dirty Water Rule” (officially known as the Navigable Waters Protection Rule). If allowed to go forward, this rule will significantly reduce the number of waterways protected by the Clean Water Act. Many consider it “the largest rollback of the Clean Water Act since the modern law… Read More ›
Empowering Environmental Water Transactions Across the Network
by Nicole Seltzer
In October 2019, River Network convened our fourth annual Environmental Water Transactions Network gathering in Flagstaff, Arizona. Though we are neither an expert on environmental water transactions (EWTs), nor do we implement them, this annual meeting is an opportunity to flex our expertise in bringing together practitioners to share learning and leveraging the “power of... Read More ›
Budding Seeds of Stewardship
by Kevin Jeffery
Reflections by Inaugural River Network Emerging Leader Award Recipient, Kevin Jeffery Winning the Emerging Leader award in 2019 was an amazing experience, and a positive reinforcement of all the hard work Blue Index took to administer. Being acknowledged by your peers, especially those in water advocacy, is very special and I, as the Blue Index... Read More ›
River Hero Spotlight: Amanda Pitzer Continues a Legacy
by Carly SchmidtMusic while you're reading: The Way Things Are from West Virginia Serenade by Keith & Joan Pitzer Listen here. Ten years ago, we lost a remarkable person and a powerhouse in the water protector community. Keith Pitzer, executive director of Friends of the Cheat, was awarded the River Hero award posthumously in 2010. Keith believed in River... Read More ›
Listening to the Echoes: Two Decades of Clean Water Act Training
by Gayle KillamIn 2018, I was sitting in a Clean Water Act workshop session at River Rally in Olympic Valley, CA, led by Judy Petersen, Executive Director of Kentucky Waterways Alliance (KWA). Judy and I have worked together for many years, and not very far into the session, I recognized the slides she was using: they were... Read More ›
2019 Water Policy Review: Looking Back and What Lies Ahead
by April Ingle
Many people, myself included, like to start the new year off by evaluating the previous year and setting goals for the next. When I was asked to write a 2019 year-in-review summary of water policy wins and losses, I’ll admit I thought it was going to be a grim undertaking. As I look closer, there’s… Read More ›
The Safe Drinking Water Act: 45 Years of Protection, But More Action Needed
by Katherine Baer
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) is the federal law that regulates drinking water provided by public water systems. Originally passed by Congress in 1974, and marking its 45th anniversary today, the law represented a major step forward in creating uniform drinking water standards across the country as well as providing a system of oversight... Read More ›
Centering Equity: River Network’s Drinking Water Guide
by Sheyda Esnaashari
Water Equity: What Does It Mean? The US Water Alliance defines water equity as the point at which “all communities have access to safe, clean, affordable drinking water and wastewater services; are resilient in the face of floods, drought, and other climate risks; have a role in decision-making processes related to water management in their... Read More ›
¡Guía de Agua Potable – En Español!
by Diana Toledo
Click here to read this story in English. Mi trabajo en el ámbito de la conservación siempre se ha inspirado en la intersección del agua y las personas: la conservación y la comunidad. Una experiencia clave que marcó mi carrera y que me llevó a unirme al movimiento de protección del agua fue la que... Read More ›
Drinking Water Guide – In Spanish!
by Diana ToledoPresione aqui para leer este articulo en Español. My work on water has always been inspired by the intersection of water and people – conservation and community. The catalyst for joining the water movement was my experience living in Moncion, Dominican Republic in the mid-1990s and witnessing the direct impact of a dam that caused… Read More ›
Water and Equity in Latinx Communities: Ixchel’s Approach
by Diana Toledo
The communities of Cicero (population 83,000) and Berwyn (population 56,000), two western Chicago suburbs, are majority Latinx – 90% and 63% respectively – and low-income. They are also both the focus of Ixchel, a grassroots organization whose mission is to, “cultivate grassroots leaders to dismantle structural racism for racial equity in education and environmental justice… Read More ›
State and Tribal Ability to Protect Clean Water Under Threat – Comment Now
by Katherine BaerRecently, the state of Minnesota denied a permit for a Canadian oil pipeline planned to cross the state. The state environmental agency, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), denied the permit because they needed more information to determine if the proposed 340-mile pipeline would meet state water quality standards. Specifically, MPCA was seeking information on... Read More ›
