Protecting Rivers & Your Clean Water
Infrastructure at the Forefront in Disasters
Stacey Detwiler, Associate, Conservation & Government Relations
November 16, 2012 | Stormwater & Sewage, Water Pollution
It can be easy to forget just how important our water infrastructure can be, until a catastrophic event like Hurricane Sandy comes along and knocks these systems out of commission.
Read more »A Bad Day for Mountaintop Removal is a Good Day for Rivers
Jessie Thomas-Blate, Coordinator, Most Endangered Rivers
November 16, 2012 | Most Endangered Rivers
Mountaintop removal coal mining is one of the most destructive practices as far as its impact on river health. One of the major coal companies in Appalachia has now agreed to stop this harmful practice in exchange for an extension on a requirement to treat selenium during its operations.
Read more »Battles Continue on the St. Croix River
Jessie Thomas-Blate, Coordinator, Most Endangered Rivers
November 14, 2012 | Most Endangered Rivers, Wild and Scenic Rivers
Supporters of the Wild and Scenic St. Croix River in Minnesota are fighting another battle— this time against a gravel mine. A corporation is proposing to operate a gravel mine on the site of a dormant, unreclaimed gravel mine (known as the Zavoral Site). It is located along St. Croix Trail North, a State Scenic Byway.
Read more »Grins and Gratitude on the White Salmon
Elizabeth Tobey, Communications Intern
November 13, 2012 | Dams & Dam Removal
On November 2nd, the new stretch of the White Salmon River through the reservoir section and old dam site, down to the mouth of the Columbia opened to paddlers. And on Sunday the 11th, Wet Planet Whitewater hosted a float to explore and celebrate this stretch.
Read more »Blue Trails Boost Local Economies
Jamie Mierau, Director, River Protection
November 7, 2012 | Blue Trails
Three decades ago, my hometown river, the Saluda near Columbia, South Carolina, was threatened by a proposed hydroelectric dam. Working with dedicated community leaders, I ran canoe trips on the Saluda in an effort to bring attention the harmful project and to highlight the river as a recreational asset. These efforts not only stopped the dam project in its tracks, they also led to the creation of River Runner Outdoor Center, the first full service outfitter center in Columbia, where I met my wife when she came to buy a kayak.
Read more »This Election Matters for Rivers
Jim Bradley, Senior Director of Government Relations
November 5, 2012 | Water Pollution
Americans value clean water and healthy rivers. Clean water consistently ranks as the top environmental concern among American voters, according to Gallup. It doesn’t matter whether you live in a blue state or a red state, or whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican – we all need clean water to drink, and we want healthy rivers where we can swim, fish, and paddle with our children and grandchildren.
Read more »Is there a Connection – Hurricanes and Climate Change?
Fay Augustyn, Conservation Associate
November 2, 2012 | Climate Change
As reports of the devastation from Sandy the “Frankenstorm” continue to come in, and the staggeringly expensive recovery gets under way, I find myself thinking about hurricanes and climate change. While we can’t connect one specific event like Hurricane Sandy to climate change, we can connect the dots to climate change by the increased number and severity of hurricanes and other storms. Climate change may not cause any single storm, but it creates the conditions that fuel more frequent and intense storms.
Read more »