Across the country and across the political spectrum, communities are demonstrating their desire for, and commitment to, clean water and healthy rivers. One example of this is how voters showed up to support rivers on election day. On November 6, voters overwhelmingly approved multiple ballot measures, buoyed by the American Rivers Action Fund, that support rivers, infrastructure, and parks.
In Texas, citizens passed Proposition 4 with 71% of the vote, authorizing a billion-dollar-a-year fund for water security and stream and floodplain restoration efforts across the state for the next 20 years. This is the largest state-based water ballot initiative in the history of the United States. Partners, including the National Wildlife Federation Action Fund and Texans for Opportunity, were vital to the effort, amplifying the issues with the Texas State Legislature, and to Governor Abbot and communities across the Lone Star State.
“Across the country, when water is on the ballot, water wins. Texans of all political stripes turned out to show they understand the need to fund water projects to sustain communities and wildlife,” says Karla Raettig, Executive Director of the National Wildlife Federation Action Fund.
In Idaho, Boise voters approved a 2-year, $11 million property tax levy that will supply critical funding for clean water, parks and urban trails, and wildfire prevention measures. Boise voters approved the measure with 81% of the vote, illustrating how integral improvements to Boise River habitat, walkable parks, and wildfire protection measures are to the quality of life across the city. The coalition effort was led by Conservation Voters of Idaho, which coordinated a substantial get-out-the-vote campaign, knocking on more than 10,000 doors across the city.
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“Boise is great because of our open space, and the City has received a mandate that we must continue to expand and protect these special places and resources. We’re proud that Boise continues to show up big and united in shared values like protecting our river and open space,” says Alexis Pickering, Executive Director of Conservation Voters of Idaho.
Much of the water that we rely on comes from rivers, which also provide crucial habitat for fish and wildlife. Our economies, farms, and cities depend on river water for growth, and rivers offer unparalleled opportunities for reconnection with nature and with one another.
These wins at the ballot box build on other water funding measures that have passed with broad, bipartisan support, such as Propositions DD and JJ in Colorado, which have raised over $130 million for water conservation and river health projects across the state since 2020.
“Water security is a unifying issue across the political spectrum. No matter where you live or who you vote for, we all need clean water coming out of our kitchen taps, and we all want to be able to take our kids to the local creek to play,” says Heather Taylor-Miesle, Executive Director of the American Rivers Action Fund. “These wins will make life better in Texas and Idaho, and they provide a blueprint for actions other cities and states can take to protect their water wealth.”
