Southwest Projects
Playing a lead role in your area through our clean water projects.
America's Most Endangered Rivers: Progress and Success: 2005 - 2009
Updates and success stories on how American Rivers has been able to restore and protect some of our most endangered rivers. These successes include projects that combatted dam construction, toxic water, logging, reservoirs, and pollution.
Colorado River Basin - Protecting the Flows
Until 1998, the Colorado River stretched all the way from its source in the Rockies to Sea of Cortez. Now, it dries up in the Sonoran Desert miles before it reaches the sea. The Colorado River is the lifeline of the west, fueling economies in seven states where people use the river's water for their material sustenance; millions more use the river itself for recreation.
Colorado River Basin Study Overview
In December 2012, the Bureau of Reclamation released the Colorado River Basin Study, a comprehensive look at projected water shortages and outdated water management in a basin that the American west has drawn heavily on for decades.
Connecting Water Conservation Efforts and Instream Flow Protections in the Colorado River Basin
American Rivers is partnering with the Alliance for Water Efficiency and the Environmental Law Institute on a one-year project exploring the links between water efficiency and instream flows in the Colorado River basin.
Verde River Blue Trail
The Verde River is an important tributary to the Colorado River and a unique resource in Arizona. One of the few perennially flowing rivers in the Southwest, the Verde sustains lush riverside forest, a large and diverse wildlife population, and provides critical drinking water to many Central Arizona communities. Aboriginal cultures have been present in the area for thousands of years. Cliff dwellings can still be seen in the rocks above the river.
