Resources and Publications
Running Dry: Challenges and Opportunities in Restoring Healthy Flows in Georgia’s Upper Flint River Basin
ISSUES: Climate Change, Water Supply, Urban Rivers
Georgia’s upper Flint River is a river running dry. While rivers and streams in arid parts of the United States often dry up seasonally, the Southeast has historically been known as a water-rich area with plentiful rainfall, lush landscapes, and perennial streams and rivers. The upper Flint supports recreation, fisheries, local economies, and threatened and endangered species that all depend on healthy and reliable flows which are becoming increasingly rare. This report examines low-flow problems in the river basin and points the way toward solutions to these multi-faceted problems. The Flint’s are the same challenges facing rivers in many urbanizing areas and in regions facing increasing water quantity stress, and finding solutions to these challenges will only grow more important in the future.
Staying Green: Joint Reports on Operations and Maintenance of Green Infrastructure in the Chesapeake Bay
ISSUES: Climate Change, Stormwater & Sewage, Water Pollution, Water Supply, Urban Rivers
As more communities move towards adopting green infrastructure as a cost-effective approach to manage polluted runoff, it is critical that local governments address barriers to operations and maintenance. Despite the benefits of green infrastructure, operations and maintenance has been repeatedly raised as a technical barrier to adoption of green infrastructure and remains a concern for many local governments in the Chesapeake Bay region and across the country. American Rivers and Green for All collaborated on two reports; one to identify significant barriers to operations and maintenance and recommend strategies to address them and a second report to assess the landscape of career opportunities for workers with applicable skills to conduct operations and maintenance of green infrastructure practices.
Getting Climate Smart
ISSUES: Climate Change, Floods & Floodplains, Stormwater & Sewage, Urban Rivers
This guide provides information for state governments, water managers and other stakeholders to use in preparing for the consequences of hotter temperatures, more variable and volatile precipitation events, and rising seas. By undertaking climate preparedness planning, states can better manage the impacts of climate change and protect the well-being of residents, communities, the economy and natural resources.
Permitting Green Infrastructure: A Guide to Improving Municipal Stormwater Permits and Protecting Water Quality
ISSUES: Climate Change, Stormwater & Sewage, Water Pollution
Municipal stormwater continues to be one of the biggest sources of water pollution across the nation. Addressing this problem will require real improvements to the Clean Water Act permits that regulate stormwater. This report provides a survey of several, new generation stormwater permits that take strong steps to keep stormwater from running into our streams, lakes and rivers. These permits succeed by establishing a preference for green infrastructure as the best way to manage stormwater. The report documents several approaches that states have adopted to increase the use of green infrastructure, and provides clear examples of how motivated watershed advocates can provide information and support to permit writers.
Weathering Change
ISSUES: Water Pollution, Floods & Floodplains, Climate Change, Water Supply, Stormwater & Sewage
Many federal policies still encourage the same backward-looking water management approaches that didn’t work in the past and are even less suited to the future. These ten reforms are some of the best ways we can change outdated federal policies and embrace a forward-looking approach to water management. They represent proactive steps Congress and the Executive Branch can take to address climate change.
Natural Defenses: Safeguarding Communities from Floods
ISSUES: Water Pollution, Floods & Floodplains, Climate Change
“Natural Defenses: Safeguarding Communities from Floods” calls on Congress and the Administration to adopt a 21st century approach to flood management. In a changing climate, our nation is in dire need of national flood risk management policies that protect and restore the nation’s natural defenses – our wetlands, rivers, floodplains, and upland areas.
Putting Green to Work: Economic Recovery Investments for Clean and Reliable Water
ISSUES: Water Pollution, Stormwater & Sewage, Climate Change
American Rivers new report evaluates the groundbreaking water infrastructure investment in green infrastructure pioneered under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) that provided $1.2 billion for green infrastructure, water and energy efficiency, and environmental innovation. Our report highlights how states have been using their allotment of federal dollars. Nearly 30 percent of state water infrastructure dollars went to green strategies -- well over and above what was mandated by the Act. We highlight innovative examples of how communities have used these funds and make recommendations for how these funds should be used and improved in the future to ensure clean and reliable water.
Natural Security: How Sustainable Water Strategies are Preparing Communities for a Changing Climate
ISSUES: Climate Change, Water Supply
The impacts of global warming will hit rivers and river communities first and worst, in the form of increased droughts, floods, and waterborne diseases. Along with decreasing global warming pollution, protecting and restoring rivers must be part of the solution. Healthy rivers boost community safety and security, building resilience against these impacts and helping communities thrive in the face of a changing climate. American Rivers is shining a national spotlight on how global warming is threatening river health, clean water, and water supplies, and we are promoting 21st century green infrastructure solutions that protect communities and enhance health, safety and quality of life.
Hidden Reservoir: Why Water Efficiency is the Best Solution for the Southeast
ISSUES: Water Supply, Climate Change
This report makes the case that water efficiency is the best source of affordable water and must be the backbone of water supply planning. Hidden Reservoir outlines nine cost-effective policies proven to secure substantial water supply for communities and their rivers. It also includes examples of successful programs and policies that highlight how water efficiency can work in the Southeast now.
Unnatural Disasters, Natural Solutions: Lessons from the Flooding of New Orleans
ISSUES: Climate Change, Floods & Floodplains, Water Supply
This report discusses the failings of structural flood protection as seen in the case of New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina. It makes the case for natural flood protection via eight case studies, where communities have chosen to protect themselves by protecting and restoring nature's own capacity to reduce the size and power of floods, and by simply moving out of harm's way.
