Protecting Rivers & Your Clean Water
What Happened with WRDA
Eileen Fretz, Flood Policy Director
May 17, 2013 | Water Pollution, Floods & Floodplains, Climate Change
The Senate wrapped up debate on the Water Resources Development Act this week and passed the bill by an overwhelming margin. A vote like this is really no surprise on a bill that has a little bit of something for everyone.
Read more »How are California’s Existing Water Management Issues Impacted by Climate Change?
Fay Augustyn, Intermountain West Blue Trails Manager
May 15, 2013 | Climate Change
Like many states in the western U.S., California struggles with a problem balancing water supplies and demands and climate change is exacerbating these pressures. Almost three-quarters of the state’s available water supply originate in the northern third of the state while 80 percent of water demand is located in the southern two-thirds. The state’s Mediterranean climate with wet winters and dry summers also intensifies this water imbalance.
Read more »April Showers Bring May...
Fay Augustyn, Intermountain West Blue Trails Manager
May 10, 2013 | Climate Change, Floods & Floodplains, Water Supply
Who doesn’t remember the little saying from our childhood, “April showers bring May flowers?” I sure do, but I’m not so sure that the next generation will. My spring memories are full of raincoats and galoshes followed by walking barefoot through flowerbeds full of blooming peonies, irises and roses. This spring however, had a less traditional weather path, with April and May chalk full of blizzards, floods, wildfires, and drought.
Read more »Growing Algal Blooms Pose Public Health Risks
Fay Augustyn, Intermountain West Blue Trails Manager
May 9, 2013 | Climate Change, Water Supply
As we all learned in school, the Great Lakes are an immense source of freshwater. In fact, they are the largest system of freshwater lakes in the entire world and contain nearly one-fifth of the fresh surface water found on earth. They provide drinking water to more than 40 million people, cover an area nearly the size of Oregon, and contain a wide variety of habitats, including wetlands, dunes, and forests, which are home to thousands of plant and animal species.
Read more »Cities and States Are Staying Afloat by Preparing for Rising Seas
Fay Augustyn, Intermountain West Blue Trails Manager
May 2, 2013 | Climate Change, Floods & Floodplains
After what seems like a never-ending winter, there are many things that I’m looking forward to about the approach of summer: sunshine, warm weather, outdoor patio dining, and beach vacations. But for the millions of people who live along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, summer also marks the beginning of hurricane season. Last year, Superstorm Sandy slammed into the northeastern seaboard, destroying lives, homes, and businesses and in the process racking up $50 billion in damage.
Read more »Study Finds 11 Billion Gallons of Sewage Entered Rivers & Bays after Hurricane Sandy
Stacey Detwiler, Associate, Conservation & Government Relations
May 2, 2013 | Climate Change, Stormwater & Sewage, Urban Rivers
More than six months ago, Hurricane Sandy swept through the mid-Atlantic leaving a path of destruction across New York, New Jersey, and surrounding states. With total damage estimates reaching $70 billion, communities across the region are still recovering from its impacts.
Read more »Our New Report on Restoring Healthy Flows in Georgia’s Upper Flint River
Ben Emanuel, Associate Director, Water Supply
April 30, 2013 | Most Endangered Rivers, Climate Change, Water Supply
April has been a busy month at American Rivers, with the release of our annual Most Endangered Rivers® list. As you may have noticed, many of the rivers spotlighted on this year’s list are there because of threats related to water quantity, which is increasingly a concern here in the Southeast. That’s the case for the Georgia’s Flint River, where low flows threaten the river’s health throughout its length from Atlanta to the Florida state line.
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