America’s Most Endangered Rivers® Frequently Asked Questions
What is America’s Most Endangered Rivers®?
America’s Most Endangered Rivers® is one of the best-known and longest-lived annual campaigns in the environmental movement. Each year since 1984, local river advocates have teamed up with American Rivers to use the campaign to influence key decisions, consistently scoring victories for rivers and the communities through which they flow. The report spotlights ten rivers every year, drawing widespread media attention and mobilizing public action.
We will release America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2027 on Tuesday, April 13, 2027.
When are nominations for the 2027 report due?
Thursday, October 1, 2026
When will nominators be notified if their river is included in the 2027 report?
February 2027
How do I nominate a river?
To submit a nomination, please either:
1.) Fill out and submit the online nomination form (preferred method) or
2.) Download and email THIS FORM to cdominguez@americanrivers.org.
All nominations must be received by Thursday, October 1, 2026. LEARN MORE…
You can find past reports here
What criteria will my nomination be evaluated upon?
American Rivers considers three criteria when determining the list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers:
- The significance of the river to people, wildlife, and nature.
- The magnitude of the threat to the river and its communities.
- The presence of an upcoming (June 2027 to February 2028) local, state, or federal policy decision that will impact the river’s fate. (This is the most important selection criterion. If there is no near-term decision point, please do not nominate the river.)
What partners can expect from American Rivers:
The main benefit of being listed in America’s Most Endangered Rivers® is an opportunity to secure additional visibility for your river and to galvanize public action around the critical decision point. *From January to May 2027, partners can expect:
- Kickoff call and regular meetings to provide information about the process and needs
- Content creation support
- Each river will have a dedicated report page, press release, action alert, and social media toolkit
- Outreach to regional and national media
- Project management for the report listing: Ongoing communication, updates, and general support from American Rivers’ Project Manager (Chantel Dominguez, Director of Conservation Partnerships)
- American Rivers staff liaison assigned to support your specific river listing
*From June 2027 to February 2028, American Rivers’ engagement on each of the rivers is carried out on a case-by-case basis and will depend on staffing capacity and regional priorities. From March 2028 onward, American Rivers will shift its attention to the 2028 America’s Most Endangered Rivers® report.
Who should be listed as the lead nominating group?
This is the group (or individual) taking primary responsibility for compilation and review of materials and coordinating other activities associated with the listing. This point of contact should be prepared to spend time developing information for the report and outreach and coordinating other partners as appropriate and necessary, should the river be selected.
What work will the lead nominating group (and/or supporting groups) be expected to do if the river is included in the campaign?
- Approximately 5-10 hours per week from February – April (please note this is an estimate and may depend on your specific river listing and requirements)
- Collaboration in crafting the communications strategy for your river
- Participation in required virtual meetings and kickoff calls (at least 3, but no more than 5 mandatory)
- Photos and video production (7-10 high resolution photos and video content)
- Writing and editing contributions (support and/or lead the creation of approximately 2-3 pages of written information about your river listing)
- Availability to answer clarifying questions about your river, threat, decision point, etc.
- Outreach to local media outlets
- Timely correspondence, feedback, and general responsiveness
- Participation in brief post-feedback survey
If I have other questions, who should I contact?
Please reach out to Chantel Dominguez at cdominguez@americanrivers.org with any questions. All NOMINATIONS should be submitted through the online submission form or emailed to Chantel by Thursday, October 1, 2026..
America's Most Endangered Rivers® Nomination Process
Nominations due October 1, 2026
ABOUT AMERICA’S MOST ENDANGERED RIVERS® CAMPAIGN
The America’s Most Endangered Rivers® report is one of the best-known and longest-lived annual reports in the environmental movement.