Press Release

Washington, DC – As rising Mississippi floodwaters threaten people and property and the US Army Corps of Engineers has exploded a levee to protect Cairo, Ill., the public needs credible information about why rivers flood and what we can do to lessen the effects of flooding in the future.

Andrew Fahlund, senior vice president of conservation for American Rivers, is available for media interviews. American Rivers is the nation's leading voice fighting for healthy rivers, and is at the forefront of 21st century solutions that protect people and property from floods.

Andrew Fahlund can provide information and commentary on:

• How and why rivers flood
• The extreme nature and cause of recent floods
• How to help protect the millions of Americans who live in floodplains and in harm’s way
• Recommendations on how to change outdated policies 
• The effect of climate change on the nation’s rivers and floodplains and how to adapt to variations in weather patterns 
• How we can improve public safety by restoring healthy rivers, wetlands, and floodplains

Andrew Fahlund directs American Rivers’ national advocacy efforts. He joined American Rivers in 1997, focusing on broad-scale reform of dams and advocating for changes to their operations as well as selective removal. He has served on several governmental advisory groups, testified before the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives as well as numerous federal agencies, and participated in various policy forums and negotiations addressing water policy in the United States. He speaks frequently to the media and is expert at relating technical information in language suitable for a broad audience. He is an authoritative voice on flooding, clean water, dams, water infrastructure, river restoration, and wild river protection.

###

American Rivers is the leading organization working to protect and restore the nation’s rivers and streams. Rivers connect us to each other, nature, and future generations. Since 1973, American Rivers has fought to preserve these connections, helping protect and restore more than 150,000 miles of rivers through advocacy efforts, on-the-ground projects, and the annual release of America’s Most Endangered Rivers®.

Headquartered in Washington, DC, American Rivers has offices across the country and more than 100,000 supporters, members, and volunteers nationwide. Visit www.americanrivers.org, www.facebook.com/americanrivers and www.twitter.com/americanrivers.