The River Blog

(07/28/10) | Filed Under: Clean Water , Restoring Rivers , Water Supply , Stormwater & Sewage by Eileen Fretz

The Gulf oil spill brought to light the impact that disasters like this have on the lands and waters that belong to all Americans. We rely on the government to make sure the oil and gas companies are acting responsibly because when things go wrong our communities and ecosystems both suffer.

(07/27/10) | Filed Under: Clean Water , National River Cleanup , Restoring Rivers by Jessie Muhm

(07/26/10) | Filed Under: Clean Water , Blue Trails by Molly McCluskey

 Where would Philadelphians, and Americans, be without the Schuylkill River? It was here, along the banks, that the American and Industrial Revolutions began, and a country forged, grew and evolved.  The Schuylkill River National and State Heritage area is a prime example of connecting people with our national and natural heritage, providing recreation, drinking water and quality of life to the watershed’s 3.2 million residents.

(07/26/10) | Filed Under: Clean Water , Protecting Rivers by Matt Rice

U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar: “We will never again turn our backs to rivers.” Last week I had the opportunity to go back to my home state of Colorado to participate in several listening sessions for the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative.

(07/26/10) | Filed Under: Clean Water , Most Endangered Rivers , Protecting Rivers by Jessie Thomas-Blate

Our hard working Congressmen are at it again!  Last week, Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Congressman Rush Holt (D-NJ) and Congressman Joe Sestak (D-PA) announced that the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies approved $1 million for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct a cumulative impact study on water withdrawals from hydraulic fracturing of Marcellus Shale natural gas wells in the Delaware River Basin.

(07/23/10) | Filed Under: Greening Water Infrastructure , Clean Water , Stormwater & Sewage by Stacey Detwiler

Last week, Senator Cardin introduced the STOPS Runoff Act (S. 3602) that will reduce polluted stormwater runoff from federally funded highway and road projects. Roads are a major source of polluted stormwater runoff because rainwater that falls is unable to infiltrate these hard surfaces and soak into the ground.

(07/20/10) | Filed Under: Floods & Floodplains , Restoring Rivers by Shana Udvardy

With the House expected to vote this week on a bill (HR 1264, the “Multiple Peril Insurance Act of 2009”) to expand the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to include coverage for windstorms, we hope you will join us in asking Congress to oppose this legislation that would increase incentives to develop and redevelop many dangerous, high-risk and environmentally-sensitive areas, give citizens a false sense of security, and cost U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars.

(07/20/10) | Filed Under: Clean Water , Most Endangered Rivers , Protecting Rivers by Jessie Thomas-Blate

You never know what is going to happen next in the Marcellus Shale!  You may recall that we listed the Upper Delaware and Monongahela Rivers on our list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers this year, due to the threat of natural gas extraction.  One of the actions we are asking for is passage of the FRAC Act, which would require full disclosure of the chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing process. 

(07/20/10) | Filed Under: National River Cleanup , Restoring Rivers by Ginny H. Crake

Last Friday, July 16th, 2010, I had the great pleasure of participating in a river cleanup on the Great Miami River in Dayton, Ohio. It was an opportunity for us to get volunteers out on the river – not only to clean up the trash, but to help them make the connection between a healthy river and a healthy community. 

(07/16/10) | Filed Under: Clean Water , Greening Water Infrastructure , Stormwater & Sewage by Katherine Baer

The “streamscape” of my childhood memories is one of fallen log bridges, hidden treasure, and secret trails. Although my local creek was hardly pristine, it was bordered by woods and filled with fish and tadpoles, a place where my friends and I spent many hours exploring, mapping, and making our own.