NEWSLETTER l SUMMER 2014
AMERICAN RIVERS
The next generation of river heroes JAMES RIVER, VA
VA DEPT. OF CONSERVATION AND RECREATION
Your support of American Rivers helps our nation’s rivers now and for future generations. We’ve made this newsletter all about tips and tools to help you be a river champion in your community.
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ne of the best ways you can help rivers is to introduce a child to the magic of the outdoors. If we want a future of clean water and healthy rivers, we need to create the next generation of river heroes. And that begins with you. So, spend some time with a child on a river. Have fun and create special memories together. Because the best way to ensure a future of healthy rivers is to raise children who love rivers.
Here are three ways to help kids discover rivers: Explore You don’t have to plan a big wilderness adventure. In fact, the best trips are often simple walks along a neighborhood stream. Riverbanks are natural playgrounds and have everything a child needs to move and play at his or her own pace: balancing on logs, splashing in puddles, finding pretty stones, or searching for wildlife. Tell a story Where does the stream begin? What is that bug doing? Where is that fish going? Rivers provide great
raw material for making up stories that spark a child’s imagination and curiosity. You can also visit your local library for children’s books about nature and rivers. Enjoy the moment We all need beauty, something bigger than ourselves that captures our hearts and minds. Kids and adults alike need places where our spirits are free to soar. Rivers give us all of this. Sometimes just sitting together and watching the light dance on the water is enough. Read on for more ways you can help our rivers!
A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
Some of my favorite summer memories involve time spent on rivers. As a boy, I loved fishing with my grandfather, my dad, and my uncles on the Kentucky River and other eastern Kentucky streams. When my wife and I had children, we enjoyed fishing and floating on Vermont’s White River each summer as our son and daughter grew up. This summer, I have relished opportunities to join a good friend in casting dry flies for native brook trout in Maryland’s mountain streams. Rivers flow through our lives and help create memories that last forever. And that’s why our work at American Rivers is so important. By protecting healthy rivers, restoring damaged rivers, and conserving clean water, our work ensures your family and mine will always have places to fish, paddle, and explore. As a member of American Rivers, you are instrumental in making this vital work happen every day. This newsletter provides tips and tools to help you make an even bigger difference for rivers at home and in your community. Whether it’s introducing a child to the magic of rivers, participating in a river cleanup, or making your home more water-efficient, you have the power to create positive change. If you haven’t yet signed up for our email updates, please visit American Rivers.org/Join and do so today. We’ll keep you posted on additional ways you can take action for rivers. I hope your summer is full of outdoor fun, and all of the beauty, adventure, and peace that rivers provide. Thank you for your commitment to American Rivers. William Robert (Bob) Irvin President PHOTO BY: Krista Schlyer
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www.AmericanRivers.org
River Legacy Scenes like this one are harder and harder to find given all the problems our rivers face. But by setting something aside for the future of American Rivers’ work in your estate plans, your legacy can ensure your grandchildren can enjoy places like this. To learn more, visit AmericanRivers.org/PlannedGiving, send an email to membership@americanrivers.org or call (877) 347-7550. Brown bears fishing for salmon at Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park, Alaska.
COLORADO RIVER, AZ
MIKE FEIBIG
River Rescue Society Please consider joining our special group of supporters who make monthly credit card donations of $10 or more. Your sustaining membership helps us protect and restore America’s precious rivers — and by automatically renewing your membership it also reduces the amount of mail. The River Rescue Society is an easy and rewarding way to give.
www.AmericanRivers.org/Donate
YOUR
LEARN MORE AT www.AmericanRivers.org/YourRegion
SUPPORT
AT WORK
GREAT LAKES n Our newest green roof project at Milwaukee’s Tippecanoe Church not only helps prevent polluted runoff from contaminating the Kinnickinnic River, it also grows healthy food, and is a source of employment for formerly homeless individuals. The roof features vegetable plantings, and is the second agricultural green roof in the city. The 2,000-sq-foot green roof will absorb and filter rainwater, keeping approximately 175,000 gallons of polluted runoff out of the Kinnickinnic River each year. As project manager, American Rivers worked with the church to design the project and secure funding. NORTHWEST n American Rivers and our partners hosted a summer celebration on Washington’s North Fork Nooksack River in June, to highlight the river’s many values and build additional support for river protection. Families enjoyed activities including fly-fishing
workshops, rafting, hikes and a grilled salmon BBQ dinner. The Nooksack River is home to all five species of Pacific salmon and many other fish and wildlife that need wild places to survive. American Rivers is working to secure a Wild and Scenic designation for the Nooksack that would protect this cherished river forever.
NORTHEAST n We revitalized another New England stream in July with the removal of the Franconia Paper Company Dam on the Wells River in Groton, Vermont. American Rivers partnered with the Connecticut River Watershed Council and secured funding from Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. to make this river restoration project a success. Removal of this dam opens access to 22 miles of habitat, including six miles of habitat for cold water species like brook trout. We’re working with our partners to plan more dam removal and river restoration projects on this river and others across the region.
FRANCONIA PAPER COMPANY DAM REMOVAL, WELLS RIVER, CT
SOUTHEAST n Years of hard work to improve the health of South Carolina’s Catawba and Wateree rivers have paid off. Last month, we secured an agreement with Duke Energy and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control to improve operations at the Catawba-Wateree hydroelectric project and better protect the river and its imperiled fish and wildlife. The agreement ensures Duke Energy will provide special water releases to benefit endangered sturgeon and other species during spawning, and allow seasonal inundation of the Wateree River floodplain, a natural area without homes or business. These measures will more closely reflect natural conditions, improving the health of this river that supports a $100 million recreation economy.
CATAWBA RIVER, SC
SOUTHWEST n Since naming the Colorado River America’s #1 Most Endangered River of 2013, we have been working hard to improve water management to ensure a healthy river, thriving economy, and sustainable agriculture. With our partners at Western Resource Advocates, we recently released a report titled, “The Hardest Working River in the West: Common-Sense Solutions for a Reliable Water Future for the Colorado River Basin”. The report calculates the water savings of solutions including increased water efficiency on farms and conserving and re-using water in cities, and finds that not only can we fill the basin’s supply-and-demand gap, but we can achieve a water surplus. Learn more at AmericanRivers.org/COsolutions www.AmericanRivers.org
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National River Cleanup
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XSTREAM CLEANUP, MISSISSIPPI RIVER, IA
GREG BOLL
Do you want to share your love of rivers with others in your community? Want to build community pride and celebrate your river? Consider participating in, or organizing, a river cleanup! Since its launch in 1991, National River Cleanup速 has supported individuals and groups interested in removing trash from their local rivers. River cleanups galvanize communities and create cleaner, healthier rivers. And that means more natural beauty, improved wildlife habitat, and better opportunities for recreation. 4
www.AmericanRivers.org
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hanks to National River Cleanup, more than 1.2 million volunteers have participated in thousands of cleanups across the country covering more than 252,694 miles of waterways – more than the average distance from Earth to the moon! These volunteers have removed more than 20.7 million pounds of litter from America’s rivers and streams. That equals more than a pound of trash for every person in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia and Phoenix combined! Thank you to all of our hardworking volunteers!
“When one of the [community improvement] committee members said that someone should do something about all the trash in the river, I was on that bait like a Bass on a spinner. As I arose to my feet, with the Organizer’s Handbook in my hand, I confidently held it FRANK MASTERMAN over my head and proposed that we, yes — we, with the guidance provided in this handbook, could successfully organize and accomplish our first ever river cleanup in our community. Much to my surprise, the idea was well accepted.” Frank Masterman began the Rock River Sweep in 2009. Today, the annual cleanup spans all 285 miles of the Rock River in Wisconsin and Illinois.
CO N T I N U E D O N PAG E 6
Join the more than 1.2 million cleanup volunteers!
JIMMY PASCH
“Cleanups are an amazing chance to engage citizens in protecting and caring for their waterway. Volunteers feel connected to their waterways, and after putting in work to clean a river, beach, or bay, you feel a stronger need to steward it. Removing debris from shorelines also makes clear the connections between our actions on land and the effects on our waters, which is so important to creating a future with clean, drinkable, fishable waters.”
IOWA RIVER CLEANUP
JOHN P. / AWARE
Find a cleanup near you or register your own online. Explore our interactive map to see what cleanups are happening in your community. If you don’t see one, organize your own! Download our Organizer’s Handbook for a step-by-step guide. AmericanRivers.org/Cleanup Thanks to these great National River Cleanup sponsors:
Jimmy Pasch organizes cleanups of the Duwamish River and Puget Sound as part of his work at Puget Soundkeeper Alliance
www.AmericanRivers.org
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CONTIN U E D F R O M PAG E 5
Volunteering at a river cleanup is a great way to meet new friends and restore your local rivers and streams. And if there isn’t a cleanup already happening in your community, consider organizing your own! You can pull together a group of family and friends, or organize a cleanup with your local school, scout group, or faith community. It’s a great way to connect with your neighbors, build community pride, and make a difference for rivers. Our Organizer’s Handbook will help you plan a successful cleanup, offering tips and information for every step of the way. When you register your cleanup
online at AmericanRivers.org/ Cleanup, your cleanup will appear on the national “Find a Cleanup” map, allowing volunteers to find you. We provide free trash bags to all organizers who register their event at least four weeks in advance of the cleanup date. Thanks to our organizers, volunteers and sponsors, last year was the most successful year in the history of National River Cleanup!
2014 is shaping up to be even bigger and better. Here’s your chance to be a part of it! Find a cleanup near you or organize your own at AmericanRivers.org/ Cleanup
National River Cleanup 2013 at a glance: n
515 registered cleanups
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104,110 volunteers nationwide
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4.2 million pounds of trash removed from America’s waterways
Partnerships that work! IOWA RIVER CLEANUP, IA
WINOOSKI RIVER CLEANUP, VT
American Rivers is proud to continue our 8-year partnership with National River Cleanup sponsor Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. (Keurig). Last year, 457 Keurig employees cleaned local rivers in Vermont, Massachusetts, Tennessee, California, and Washington, removing 506 tires and 35,446 lbs. of trash! You’re invited to join upcoming Keurig community cleanups in September in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York City.
Find out how you can join these cleanups at
www.AmericanRivers.org/Keurig 6
www.AmericanRivers.org
SHELLY C.
“Partnering with American Rivers for our community river cleanups not only gives volunteers a chance to make an immediate positive impact on the Charles River, but also builds a dedicated base of Charles River Stewards who understand the issues impacting the river and help us advocate for effective ALEXANDRA ASH solutions.” Alexandra Ash is organizer of the 15th Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup, sponsored by the Charles River Watershed Association
Not quite fish and ducks… American Rivers asked cleanup organizers to share their interesting finds. Here’s a sampling of the trash and treasures volunteers have found: n 53 empty cans of Vienna Sausage and one unopened can n 18” T-Rex n Mannequin n Class ring (found and returned to owner) n Wedding dress n Full size (6 foot) carved statue
of a bear with a fishing pole n Rusted car with key in door lock n Uncashed 5-figure check n 1 birthday cake still in its unopened box
A big thank you to the thousands of volunteers who remove such trashy treasures and help our rivers!
River Ambassadors If you are a river-loving business and would like to merge your local efforts with our nationwide effort to protect and preserve the rivers people enjoy, please become a River Ambassador. Welcome to some of our newest Ambassador Members!
Silver Sponsor River Ambassador Members Live Water Properties The Wildland Trekking Company River Ambassador Members All Star Rafting The Fly Shop HomeAdvisor Mohr Separations Research, Inc.
CLEANUP PHOTO BY KELLY STETTNER
Other Ways to Help Rivers You can make a difference for rivers and clean water at home, and in your community. Here are some ways to help!
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Dispose of chemicals properly at a hazardous waste drop off center – don’t pour them on the ground, into the sewer, or down the drain.
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In the yard, use mulch to keep moisture from leaving the soil and minimize the need to water
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Plant a rain garden to absorb and filter runoff (AmericanRivers. org/RainGardens)
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Avoid using pesticides or herbicides on your yard and garden — the chemicals can contaminate groundwater and streams, and can also hurt kids and pets.
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Use rain barrels to catch and store rainwater for use in your yard and garden. See American Rivers.org/RainBarrels
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Save water and money by choosing efficient showerheads, dishwashers, and other appliances. Look for the WaterSense label. Fix dripping faucets and running toilets. A leaky faucet that drips at a rate of one drop per second can waste up to 2,700 gallons a year.
For links to more information about each of these tips, go to AmericanRivers.org/SaveWater www.AmericanRivers.org
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1101 14th Street, NW, Suite 1400 Washington, DC 20005 877-347-7550 www.AmericanRivers.org
Facebook.com/AmericanRivers @AmericanRivers
About American Rivers American Rivers protects wild rivers, restores damaged rivers, and conserves clean water for people and nature. Since 1973, American Rivers has protected and restored more than 150,000 miles of rivers through advocacy efforts, on-the-ground projects, and an annual America’s Most Endangered RiversŽ campaign. Headquartered in Washington, DC, American Rivers has offices across the country and more than 200,000 members, supporters, and volunteers.
To receive your newsletter electronically, go to AmericanRivers.org/newsletter
Cert no. XXX-XXX-XXXX
Printed with vegetable inks on paper that is 55% recycled and contains 30% post-consumer recycled fiber.
We need water, water needs us. More than 85,000 volunteers cleaned more than 3 million pounds of trash out of our What upstream, rivers happens and streams last year.in small streams
and wetlands, affects downstream rivers, lakes, and beaches where we swim and fish. Yet today, these critical upstream waters are no longer fully protected by the Clean Water Act. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers are working to restore protections and reduce uncertainty by improving existing safeguards. Tell the EPA and the Army Corps that you support these efforts to better protect clean water.
Find a cleanup near you or organize your own at Take action at AmericanRivers.org/CleanWaterRule www.AmericanRivers.org/Cleanup FRITZ RUN, PA
NICHOLAS A. TONELLI