The Latest Breaking News from American Rivers

In 2020, the US removed 69 dams, reconnecting 624 miles of rivers and restoring habitat for salmon, steelhead and native fish species

Across the United States, some rivers are beginning to flow through places where dams once stood. In 2020, 69 dams were removed across 23 states, reopening hundreds of miles of waterways that had been blocked for decades. Some structures had outlived the purpose for which they were built, while others…

The Times of India · Sep 4

In 2020, American Rivers removed the Middle Fork Nooksack dam after 50 years of blocking fish in Washington. 2 years later, the river reopened 16 miles of habitat for Chinook salmon and trout

Middle Fork Nooksack salmon habitat: A dam built in 1961 was removed in 2020, restoring river access. This action reopened sixteen miles of vital habitat for salmon and trout. The Nooksack Tribe and Lummi Nation advocated for this important fish passage. The City of Bellingham maintained its water supply by…

The Economic Times · Sep 3

In 1982, a California cheese maker donated thousands of acres from his dairy ranch; 44 years later crews removed his old cattle levees and reconnected the San Joaquin River to 220 acres of floodplain

For over 70 years, a section of California’s San Joaquin River was cut off from the land it once naturally fed. Old levees, not built to hold back a river but to hold cattle, had quietly changed the landscape. Then in 2026 crews started to undo that history. Great Valley…

The Times of India · Aug 21

The great Mississippi tops list of most endangered rivers amid fears over Trump rollbacks

Cuts to disaster agency and deregulation of fossil fuels, plus rise of water-guzzling datacentres, highlighted in new report

The Guardian - US · Apr 16, 2025

Flush with federal funds, dam removal advocates seize opportunity to open up rivers, restore habitat

An infusion of hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal infrastructure law is helping expedite efforts to remove dams around the country

The Independent UK · Aug 7, 2024

First Thing: Fears Iran’s attack on Israel has shifted focus from Gaza aid effort

About 27 children have died of hunger and malnutrition, raising concerns many more will suffer lifelong effects. Plus, dozens of potential Trump trial jurors excused

The Guardian - UK · Apr 16, 2024

New Mexico’s rivers are most threatened waterways in US, report finds

Supreme court ruling left more than 90% of state’s surface waters with no pollution protections, since they don’t run continuously

The Guardian - US · Apr 16, 2024

Colorado River snaking through Grand Canyon most endangered US waterway – report

Unique ecosystem on the brink of collapse due to climate crisis and mismanagement, says conservation group American Rivers

The Guardian - US · Apr 18, 2023

Spring brings commerce, concerns for states along Mississippi River

DUBUQUE, Iowa — As Old Man River slowly awakens from its winter slumber, eagles work the edges of the opening channels and marina docks groan as the slow current wrestles the ice. Anglers — and an occasional whitetail deer — tread cautiously on the big river.

Tribune News Service · Apr 4, 2023

US to demolish four dams in river restoration effort

Decision by regulators comes after years of advocacy by Native American tribes and environmentalists.

Al Jazeera · Nov 17, 2022