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US nonprofit organization From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
American Rivers is a nonprofit environmental advocacy organization focused on protecting and promoting the health of rivers in the United States. Established in 1973, the group is currently headquartered in Washington, D.C.
Formation | March 1973[1] |
---|---|
Founded at | Denver, Colorado[1] |
Type | Nonprofit |
Legal status | 501(c)(3) |
Purpose | River protection and restoration |
Headquarters | Washington, D.C.[2] |
Website | americanrivers |
American Rivers advocates for the restoration of rivers and streams that have been damaged by human activity. Primarily, this involves dam removal, culvert replacement, and floodplain restoration. The organization claims to have been directly involved in over 200 dam removals,[3] providing funding in some cases.[4] American Rivers also maintains a public database of all known dam removals in the United States since 1912,[5] and publishes reports on the state of dam removal in the country.[6]
Each year since 1984, American Rivers has published a list of "America's Most Endangered Rivers". Three criteria are given for inclusion on the list:[7]
In 2019 American Rivers announced its first "River of the Year". The designation recognizes historically degraded rivers that have made significant progress toward recovery.
Year | River | Rationale |
---|---|---|
2024 | Klamath River | The removal of the four dams on the lower Klamath following decades of activism by the Un-Dam the Klamath movement.[8] |
2022 | Neuse River | Decades of pollution mitigation assisted by the Clean Water Act, commemorating its 50th anniversary.[9] |
2020 | Delaware River | 75 years of progress in reducing pollution and restoring wildlife.[10] |
2019 | Cuyahoga River | 50 years of progress in restoring the Cuyahoga since it caught fire in 1969.[11] |
Started in 1991, the National River Cleanup program promotes volunteer litter cleanup events.[12][13] As of 2023[update], American Rivers is a partner of National CleanUp Day.[14]
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