Since 1979, the branch of the federal government responsible for this has been the Federal Emergency Management Agency, also known as FEMA. Originally formed under an executive order by President Jimmy Carter, FEMA is tasked with helping Americans before, during, and after a disaster. 

Before an event 

Before a disaster, FEMA helps communities and individuals prepare for an anticipated disaster with regular training, engagement, and education, so state and local officials are prepared to handle the event, evacuate people, and keep the community as safe as possible under difficult conditions. 

This includes actions like knowing the flood risk in your neighborhood and, if your property sits in a FEMA flood zone, having flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is administered by FEMA. The agency also works with local and state planners to consider floodplain management to help reduce the risk of flooding to adjacent communities. 

FEMA provides grants and other programs to help make communities more resilient to natural disasters, as well as offer training and educational tools to local and state emergency managers so everyone is prepared with the latest technology and best practices to respond to extreme weather events. 

During the disaster 

During a disaster, if the damage is significant enough to qualify for federal assistance, a governor or a tribal leader can apply for a Presidential disaster declaration. Once the sitting president approves a disaster declaration, FEMA coordinates with local and state leaders on providing the necessary assistance to support the recovery efforts. 

In some instances, this may require FEMA to utilize the broader efforts of the federal government to support disaster response assistance, like requesting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help with infrastructure assessments. In other cases, state authorities may have the appropriate help on the ground, but they need additional FEMA funds to ensure the work gets done, like overtime pay for local emergency responders and debris cleanup.  

Clean-up and recovery 

After a disaster, FEMA is still available to provide public and private assistance to recover and rebuild. FEMA will often work with local leaders on developing a recovery framework so communities can get the physical help and financial support as fast as possible to return to business as normal. This could be in the form of temporary housing while structures are rebuilt, or making sure communities are reconstructed with techniques that are designed to mitigate future disasters. FEMA also processes flood-insurance claims from homeowners with policies through the National Flood Insurance Program, or NFIP. 

The role of FEMA has evolved since it was first established in 1979. It continues to change as more responsibility has been placed on it, due to an increasing number of natural disasters that have caused significant economic damage in communities across the United States. There is a current push for states to take more accountability for disaster response, with FEMA playing a smaller role and pushing states to play a bigger role in paying for the disaster preparation, response, and recovery. At the moment, state capability to step up and lead in disaster management varies widely, so it is essential that FEMA remains well funded and rebuilds its staff to help all communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from floods and other disasters.  

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Meteorologists, floodplain managers, and the media often use the term “100-year flood” as shorthand for an event that has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year. It does not mean that the event will occur once every 100 years. Let me explain. 

This type of statistical analysis is done by hydrologists — scientists who study the occurrence, distribution, and movement of water. They can predict how frequently a major precipitation event is likely to occur in a specific area.  

Hydrologists need at least 10 years of data to perform a frequency analysis in locations to predict how often a major precipitation event can cause significant flooding. The more historical data available over a longer period, the more accurate the prediction. 

Let’s look at a hypothetical river — the Pretend River — for which a hydrologist gathers historical rainfall patterns and stream data and finds that there is a 1 percent chance of a flood cresting 20 feet above its normal level each year at river mile 4.5.  A flood of that size, at that location on the Pretend River, is determined to be the “100-year flood” for that river.  Our hydrologist also determines that a flood cresting at 23 feet has a 0.5 percent chance of occurring each year, so that size flood is determined to be a “200-year flood,” while a flood cresting at 25 feet has a 0.2 percent chance of occurring each year and is determined to be a “500-year flood,” and so on.   

Just because a 100-year flood occurs doesn’t mean it won’t happen again for another 100 years. The risk of these different-sized events reoccurring remains the same every year, statistically. 

The reason why more “100-year floods” seem to be occurring is that many areas are seeing larger floods more frequently. Let’s say our hydrologist redoes her flood study ten years later and she now finds that there’s actually a 1 percent chance of a flood cresting at 25 feet every year. What was once a “500-year flood” is now a “100-year flood.”   

Why is this shift happening? One of the main reasons is global warming, which causes major precipitation events to occur more frequently because global warming causes the atmosphere to hold more moisture, which translates into more extreme rainstorms repeatedly producing record-breaking events. This is increasing the likelihood that a 100-year flood event can happen two years in a row.  

Take Houston, Texas, where the city experienced 500-year floods three years in a row. The first was produced on the Memorial Day holiday in 2015 and 2016, then again by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. 

Researchers from Princeton University published a paper in 2019 that determined 100-year floods could become annual occurrences in New England by the late 21^st century due to increased storm surge, coastal sea level rise, and more frequent tropical storms.  

So the question before us is not will a 100-year storms occur, the question is how can we mitigate the impacts to people, property, and our communities? Learn how protecting and restoring floodplains can help communities adapt to increasing flood risk.  

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A historic floodplain 

When the Yachicumne Yokuts and Miwok Tribes were the primary stewards of this portion of California’s Central Valley, the area had been freshwater wetlands that were naturally designed to flood. When settlers arrived in the mid-1800s, the wetlands were rapidly replaced with agricultural fields, and the river was hemmed in by levees built to protect farms and crops from flooding. Over time, Stockton grew into an urban and diverse community of more than 320,000 people.   

Although they remain the main tool to contain floodwaters, levees in the Central Valley are aging and in need of repairs. If the network of levees remains in its current state, it poses a great flood risk because the levees stand to fail as extreme precipitation threatens the region.  

This is an equity issue. The primarily working-class communities of color living near the levees lack the financial resources, like flood insurance, to recover from the hazards of living in a historic floodplain.  

As climate change increases extreme precipitation events and flooding, 1-in-5 San Joaquin River Delta residents will experience flooding each year, costing the city more than $28 billion in damages and impacting more than 17,000 homes by 2050, according to a study by the state of California. Finding a solution to address this risk is critical. 

Solution: Build a park and return floodplains to their natural state 

The historic wetlands native to the Central Valley were nature’s solution to flooding as the flat lands naturally disbursed excess water whenever the San Joaquin River was inundated. 

Levees that set the river in place didn’t allow it to breathe and flood like it naturally would. American Rivers is working with the city of Stockton, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and community partners to address the aging levees and subsequent flood risk. Through the Van Buskirk Park Revitalization project, the city is working to provide recreational areas, while the Army Corps is leading the effort to enhance the levee system along the San Joaquin River.  

These projects have the unique opportunity to reconnect the river to historic wetlands and reduce flood risk, while providing more access to green recreational spaces, and potentially restore the area to a biodiverse habitat for wildlife. 

The difficult part is the planning. The city has been working since 2021 to plan the park revitalization efforts while coordinating with the Army Corps, community partners, and project partners to plan the levee project at Van Buskirk Park. Meanwhile, the Army Corps is also working to create room for low-impact recreation into the potential setback levee area, as required by the city, as well as the Van Buskirk family, when the land was given to the city.  

What to do with the levees? 

A big question is whether the Army Corps will repair and enhance the full levee where it currently stands or move a portion of the levee at Van Buskirk Park back from the river to create mitigation space that can give the river room to flood.  

Setting back levees produces an environment for fish, birds, and endangered species, while reducing flood risk to the community. 

The city of Stockton approved a master plan for the park revitalization project in 2023, which is when American Rivers joined to facilitate communication between different stakeholders and partake in planning the levee project. Since then, progress has been made to fund and permit the first phase of the park revitalization. The Army Corps is planning to enhance some stretches of the levee along Van Buskirk Park, but it won’t make a final determination on setting back a portion of the levee until 2029. 

Until then, construction for phase one of the city’s revitalization efforts is expected to begin in 2026, and that will include improving and building public amenities, including a community garden, bicycle pump track, splash pad, and other recreational spaces. The public should begin to see the immediate benefits of having more access to outdoor spaces. Although the decision to set back a portion of the levee is still in the air, there is incredible potential for an ecologically diverse, natural floodplain that will better protect the city from catastrophic floods. 

A model for flood-prone communities  

Both the Lower San Joaquin River Project and the Van Buskirk Revitalization Project complement each other to provide a model for other communities looking for green spaces and flood protection. For the revitalization effort, the city of Stockton completed several community meetings and surveys that led to the Van Buskirk Master Plan and the upcoming construction of Phase 1. As the project and funding progress, the city plans to hold even more meetings to ensure that the master plan holds true to the needs of the community. Upon completion, not only will people have renewed access to the park, but their involvement in park planning will also boost further engagement. Meanwhile, the US Army Corps of Engineers has the potential to create a setback levee that provides space for the San Joaquin River’s natural processes, while strengthening flood protection. These are exactly the kinds of innovative approaches we need if we want to work with our rivers rather than against them. 

More information about the Van Buskirk Park Revitalization project can be found here.

Thank you to all project partners, including the City of Stockton, US Army Corps of Engineers, San Joaquin Flood Area Control Agency, Department of Water Resources, Restore the Delta, and Trust for Public Land. 

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As the river moves through the modified channel, it carves deeper into the valley floor and less frequently spills over its bank. As a result, the local water table has dropped, and riverside trees such as cottonwoods have died, impoverishing this important habitat. Water users on the Ward Ditch at the top of the valley were also struggling with broken-down infrastructure, making it difficult to access and manage water for irrigation. This confluence of challenges created a landscape of opportunity for the Uncompahgre Multi-Benefit Project, which addresses environmental problems along the river and water users’ needs, while also improving water quality and reducing flood risks downstream. 

The Project, managed by American Rivers, took an integrated approach to restoring a one-mile stretch of the river, which included replacing and stabilizing the Ward Ditch diversion, notching a historic berm to reconnect the river to its floodplain, and placing rock structures in the river that both protect against bank erosion and improve fish habitat. Meanwhile, ditch and field improvements make it easier to spread water across the land for agriculture and re-establish native vegetation.

In addition to the direct benefits this project delivers for on-site habitat and landowners, the enhanced ability of the river to spread out on its floodplain, both through the ditch diversion and natural processes, also provides downstream benefits. As the water slows and spreads across the floodplain during high flows, its destructive power to erode banks and damage infrastructure downstream is diminished. The same dynamics enable pollutants and sediment from upstream abandoned mines or potential wildfires to settle out before the river flows into the downstream reservoir.

With construction wrapping up in November 2025, the transformation of this stretch of river and its adjacent floodplain is nearly complete.  Fields of flowers and fresh willow plantings are replacing invasive species and dead cottonwoods, and new pools, sandbars, and riffles are providing instream habitat, complementing other organizations’ work to remediate old mines upstream. As a bonus, when the water level is right, the reach has become an inviting run for skilled whitewater boaters.

The Uncompahgre River Project would not have been possible without the close collaboration of local landowners, the Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership, the support of the Ouray County Board of County Commissioners, and generous grants from the US Bureau of Reclamation, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, and Colorado River District.  American Rivers and our partners are hopeful that this project will inspire other water users downstream to undertake similar projects to keep the momentum going and bring renewed vitality to the entire upper Uncompahgre River and surrounding agricultural lands.

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We lost valued community members.

We lost access to natural spaces we relied on for recharge and connection.

The rivers we loved for fishing, paddling, and sustaining local businesses were left clogged with trash and debris.

Infrastructure like roads, bridges, and dams failed — leaving disconnection and communities at risk.

When I think back to those early days, I remember hearing the same question again and again: “Where can I help?” And the answer was simple, help your neighbors. We formed flush brigades (without running water we hauled non-potable water for flushing toilets), filled each other’s drinking water jugs, and shared hot drinks in my driveway as we organized to make sure that everyone had what they needed most.

Of course, restoring rivers is also my job. In order to be most helpful, I knew we needed to work together with local partners — who in many cases were my neighbors. With MountainTrue and Riverlink we listed the Rivers of Southern Appalachia on America’s Most Endangered Rivers® list to call for the resources we need to recover. Our advocacy centered on making rivers and communities safer — by addressing high-risk dams, removing storm debris, rebuilding stronger water infrastructure, supporting voluntary floodplain buyouts, and ensuring access to federal recovery funds.

The progress of the past year has been grounded in one clear goal: not just to repair rivers, but to make them more resilient for the future. One major win came through House Bill 1012 that created the new North Carolina Dam Safety Grant Fund with $10 million dedicated to addressing high-hazard dams damaged by Helene. Additional resources flowed to MountainTrue to support storm debris cleanup which created jobs and ensured ongoing reciprocity for our rivers. Another silver lining was when we brought the community together to celebrate at New Belgium Brewing to toast our hard work and take action for the work that’s ahead.

Recovery doesn’t end when the debris is cleared or when the funding comes through for the dam removal. True resilience means preparing for the future knowing that the next storm is on the horizon, focusing on advocacy efforts that will help long term.

 America’s Most Endangered Rivers® calls on communities to spotlight the rivers at a crossroads, where decisions in the next year will shape their future for decades. Nominations are open now and it is a powerful way to keep community safety at the forefront of public attention.

As I mark this anniversary, I feel deep gratitude for the rivers that keep flowing, for the partners who stood shoulder to shoulder in recovery, and for the colleagues who continued to inspire me with their commitment and care. Helene reminded me that resilience is both a collective and personal journey. As we look ahead, I carry the resolve that we can and must build a future where rivers — and the people who depend on them — are ready not just to survive the next storm but to thrive in its aftermath.

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In these 20 years, we have learned a lot about the challenges with levees and the importance of healthy, connected floodplains. Our Senior Director of Floodplain Restoration, Eileen Shader, reflects on these lessons and how state and federal governments can act to prevent that scale of destruction from happening again. 

What can you do to help? 

Take action: Tell states they must step up to make sure they are investing in floodplain management and floodplain reconnection and flood safety, and that that they have the rules and regulations in place to help guide local government and local decisions about where we develop and how we develop in floodplains to keep people and property safe.  

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Unfortunately, we’re watching the results play out in real time.   

We’re still learning the details of how and why the Texas floods were so destructive, but what is clear is that improvements are needed by everyone involved in emergency management- federal agencies, states, local governments, and individuals.  

U.S. disaster management systems are imperfect and in need of repair. Stories of residents being displaced for years after a disaster as they struggle to get reimbursed for damages and rebuild their lives are all too common. Inefficiencies in our bureaucratic systems move remarkably slow and the complexity of navigating agency processes makes even the experts heads spin. Increased efficiencies at the federal level are desperately needed, but states and local communities have always played a key role preparing for disasters – outspending the federal government 2:1 on disaster infrastructure thanks to revenue-backed state and local bonds and barrowing ability.   

With the federal government stepping back from disaster mitigation and recovery it’s essential that states take steps now to fill the gap and help their communities prepare.  

While the future of federal agencies critical to our disaster system, like FEMA, is uncertain, there are clear steps states can take to prepare. 

1. Know Your Risk: Relying on historical data to inform future decision-making is no longer effective. Updates in climate projections, modeling, mapping, and design allow for more informed planning and decision making. Clearly communicating risk to communities, disclosing flood risks, and proactively planning for increased resilience can mitigate the impacts of future events while providing residents the information they need to prepare. 

2. Coordinate Across Agencies: Preparing for and recovering from natural hazards is a shared responsibility across all levels of government and several agencies. States have separate departments for floodplain management, emergency response, natural resources, housing, and human services etc., but all these entities play an important role and need to work together. Establishing a Chief Resilience Officer with the appropriate authority to enact change can be an effective way to coordinate efforts across agencies. There are now over 16 states with this model. 

3. Grow Capacity: Managing any public funding requires people to administer the funds and oversight to ensure statutory requirements are met. One option currently being considered by the Trump administration is passing federal funding directly to the states; however, most states and communities are already understaffed and do not have the capacity to properly administer these funds, especially when federal funding has a high administrative burden with low overhead caps. If this option moves forward, it will be critical that federal funding programs increase the administrative caps and states begin growing their capacity to manage new funding, either from the federal or state government. 

4. Fund Integrated Hazard Mitigation: Preventing a disaster is far more cost-effective than recovering from one. State-integrated hazard mitigation programs are an effective way to reduce risk and create efficient systems tailored to local needs. Programs can utilize state revenue or receive infusions of federal funding, when available, making these programs more resilient to political shifts.
   
   Effective state programs establish overarching goals and guidance but provide flexible funding to support local coordination, planning, implementation, and administration to ensure outcomes are locally driven. Prioritizing nature-based solutions like floodplain restoration, open space preservation, and coastal marsh restoration that provide multiple benefits to a diverse range of partners further strengthens support for these programs and maximizes investments. 

5. Strengthen Land Use and Development Standards: The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) sets minimum standards for land use and development for participating communities. While updates are long overdue to these minimum standards, states can adopt higher standards to reduce risk at any time. As states take on more disaster mitigation and recovery responsibilities, guiding development away from high-risk areas can reduce recovery costs and protect floodplain and wetland ecosystems while safely increasing economic development and meeting other community needs like affordable housing.   

6. Address Infrastructure Vulnerabilities: Our nation’s dam and are aging and many are in poor condition and struggling to keep up with modern storm events. States should establish dam and levee safety programs that fund inspections, maintenance, or removal of these structures when they have outlived their purpose. 

With a new hurricane season upon us and the federal safety net thinning, states have a choice – either wait for the next storm or lead the way on building a safer, more resilient future.  

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In December, an atmospheric river pummeled Northern California, bringing with it heavy rainfall. But if you were in the Rollingwood neighborhood in Western Contra Costa County, you probably didn’t need to bring your rainboots. For two decades, residents had been dealing with flooding as Rheem Creek, which was choked with nonnative vegetation, sediment, trash, and other obstructions, overtopped its banks and spilled out into the streets. Drainage pipes flowed in the opposite direction and homes were flooded and damaged. But this past December, after the construction phase of the project funded by the CA Natural Resources Agency had concluded, Rheem Creek flowed safely and swiftly through the backyards of its neighbors.  

Myself and others from the project team joined the neighborhood on a mild winter day as those who were instrumental to this project were recognized for their hard work and success. It had rained the previous weekend, and it was exciting to see how a weather event that would have flooded the streets before this project was implemented had already drained out of the watershed by the time we arrived. Instead of residents scrambling to protect their homes, we could share a warm, sunny day full of laughter, excitement, and wonderful conversation centered on the Rollingwood community. 

The Rheem Creek Flood Risk Reduction project is a great example of how bringing people together can serve the community, and how urban creek restorations can transform from an idea into a reality. The project site transects numerous residential properties in the City of Richmond, and impacted homes and streets in unincorporated Contra Costa County, so bringing it to life took creativity, cooperation, and input, combining the dedication and leadership of the City of Richmond, Contra Costa County, the expertise and experience of multiple environmental nongovernmental organizations, and the input of the community to create a positive change for a neighborhood that has been dealing with the effects of a changing climate. And the project isn’t a “one and done” effort. We are currently collaborating with our project partners, including a coalition of community members, to monitor and maintain the creek over the next two years and to help the community maintain the creek in the long term.  

And this important work continues elsewhere! American Rivers is looking towards more urban creek restoration across the cities of Northern California, with projects initiated in Sacramento, Brentwood, and Stockton. The work at Rheem Creek is important in its own right, but also serves as a model for how to bring greenspace and all the benefits of flood risk reduction to the communities that need it.  

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Right now, the stakes couldn’t be higher — fires are growing increasingly severe, dangerous floods are threatening communities, drought is putting water, food supplies and our livelihoods at risk, and fish and wildlife are being pushed closer to extinction as their streams dry up.  

Rivers give us so much; they support the web of life from providing our drinking water to watering our crops and so much in between. In an era of climate change, communities with clean, healthy, free-flowing rivers will be the ones that thrive. We must ensure that all communities, not just a privileged few, benefit from healthy rivers now and in the decades to come. 

To address some frequently asked questions about extreme weather and how it affects our nation’s rivers and your clean water, we put together some important information to know: 

How can healthy rivers help prevent catastrophic fire damage? 

Protecting and restoring rivers and their watersheds, including forests and headwater meadows, can both decrease the risk of catastrophic fire, and help ensure clean, reliable water supplies. 

• In a healthy watershed, rain can soak into the ground and replenish groundwater supplies. 

• We can manage fuels (excess vegetation) in a way that is sensitive to river health and fragile ecosystems.  

• Fuels management over less than 10% of a watershed can have a significant impact on water supply while simultaneously reducing wildfire risk. 

How does protecting a river ensure clean, safe, reliable water? 

Most of our drinking water comes from rivers. Healthy rivers and watersheds work as a natural filtration system, cleaning and storing water for nearby communities. 

• Pollution and habitat destruction through harmful logging, mining, agriculture or other irresponsible development contaminates water supplies with sediment and toxins. This can increase water treatment costs (and the cost of your water bill) and in extreme cases, impact public health.  

• Smart stewardship of public lands is critical to safeguarding clean, reliable water supplies. Forest Service lands are the largest source of municipal water supply in the nation, serving over 60 million people in 3,400 communities in 33 States. Major U.S. cities including Los Angeles, Portland, Denver, and Atlanta rely on water from Forest Service lands. 

How can restoring and reconnecting a floodplain protect homes and businesses? 

Floodplains (the low-lying areas along a river) are an integral part of healthy rivers, and the first line of defense when it comes to safeguarding a community from flood damage.  

• When the water level rises in a flood, that water needs somewhere to go. This is why a river needs room to move across its floodplain. It’s also why we should build smart, and keep homes and businesses out of harm’s way. 

• A floodplain can act as a sponge: when a flooding river can move into its floodplain, the water can slow down, get absorbed into the ground, and prevent damage to homes and businesses.  

• Paving over floodplains and walling off the river with levees can make flood damage worse in downstream communities. 

How helpful are dams? 

While dams can provide water storage and hydropower, they can also take a significant toll on a river’s health. Many dams are useful, but some are destructive. We must evaluate dams on an individual basis and weigh their costs and benefits when determining how to manage them, and whether to keep them in place or remove them. 

• When it comes to preparing for increasing floods, drought, and fires, different communities will have different needs. There is no “one size fits all” solution. Many communities depend on a balance of traditional infrastructure (such as dams) and natural approaches (such as river restoration). Protecting and restoring free-flowing rivers is always a smart strategy.  

• Building a dam doesn’t create “new” water, it simply stores the water that’s available. As drought shrinks reservoirs across the country, we need to increase water conservation and watershed protection to help secure our water supplies. 

• There are already hundreds of thousands of dams across our country. We must optimize the operations of existing dams, and remove the ones that no longer make sense. 

• Reservoirs also lose a significant amount of water each year through evaporation – in some regions up to 15% of the water is lost each year to evaporation. 

How can removing a dam improve public safety? 

Outdated, unsafe dams can fail, with devastating consequences to downstream communities. Dams can also harm water quality, and can be drowning hazards. 

• Flood protection: Floodwaters can overwhelm aging dams and cause them to fail, taking lives and destroying property as has recently happened. Many dams have exceeded their design life and require costly maintenance or upgrades to remain safe. Taking down an unsafe dam eliminates the risk of catastrophic failure and can improve flood protection. 

• Clean water: Dams can encourage the growth of toxic algae, by slowing and warming the water. Toxic algae harms water quality and can be lethal to wildlife and pets. Dam removal can restore a river’s flow and water quality, and help eliminate this public health risk without removing the potential of the river as a drinking water source for local communities. 

• Drowning risk: Low-head dams can create a recirculating hydraulic at the base of the dam. These hydraulics can trap and drown and drown swimmers, boaters, and anglers who get too close. There have been more than 1,400 fatalities at low-head dams across the U.S. 

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That’s why we need a responsible national energy strategy that is considerate of our water resources. Responsible energy development means meeting the needs of people without damaging the environment that our health and water wealth depend on.  

No matter who you are or where you live, we all need clean, safe, reliable drinking water. Most of our country’s water comes from rivers. Public opinion research shows that Republican, Democrat, and Independent voters of all ages and races overwhelmingly support protections for clean water.  Clean water is a basic need, a human right, and a nonpartisan issue we can all agree on. 

The details and implementation of these executive orders will matter as we pursue the dual goals of energy and water security. 

We cannot return to days where polluters were allowed to devastate rural and urban communities and their natural resources. But these executive orders eliminate efforts to safeguard communities from environmental harm, putting their drinking water at risk.  

In addition to protecting Americans from pollution, we also need to help families and businesses prepare for increasingly extreme weather. As Asheville, North Carolina and other communities in the Southeast continue to recover from Hurricane Helene, and thousands in Los Angeles are without homes following recent catastrophic fires, we should be bolstering policies to fight climate change and working to strengthen communities in the face of severe floods, droughts, and fires.  

Declaring a National Energy Emergency executive order:  

• Directs agencies to use their authorities under the National Emergencies Act (“NEA”) to speed the development of fossil fuels on federal lands and elsewhere. Using the NEA authorities, agencies may use emergency regulations and waivers under the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act and eminent domain to fast-track energy projects, including hazardous materials, pipelines, fossil fuels extraction, and hydropower dams, lessening protections for free-flowing rivers risking increased watershed impairment from leaks, spills, and industrial accidents while further exacerbating the climate crisis.  

Unleashing American Energy executive order:  

• Establishes the policy of the United States “to encourage energy exploration and production on Federal lands and waters.” Under this order, agencies are tasked with identifying “burdensome regulations” and implementing action plans to address these burdens. In many cases, regulations that may slow down project development also serve to protect communities from the impacts of energy development. Fast-tracking permitting for oil, natural gas, coal, hydropower, biofuels, critical minerals, and/or nuclear energy can leave public health and environmental protections behind. This order also undoes appliance efficiency policies. Securing enough water quantity is a significant problem for many communities, particularly in the West, and this new policy could further deplete rivers of their waters.  

Putting America First In International Environmental Agreements executive order: 

• Withdraws the United States from the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The 2015 Paris Agreement is a voluntary global climate accord agreed to by almost all countries to progressively reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change impacts water quality, water quantity and severity of catastrophic floods, droughts, and fires. 

Rescinding of Executive Order 14030 Climate-Related Financial Risk   

• Revokes the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS). The FFRMS was developed to improve the resilience of communities and federal assets from flooding. It addressed flood risk and limited flood damages by focusing on the protection and restoration of wetlands in addition to the recognition of an expanded floodplain at risk of future flooding. Without the FFRMS in place, communities nationwide will be less prepared and more vulnerable to hazardous weather. 

Rescinding of Executive Order 14094 Modernizing Regulatory Review  

• Will reduce opportunities for public participation in regulations and meetings with decision-makers, particularly for underserved communities.  

Rescinding of Executive Order 14096, Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All  

• Eliminates the government-wide approach to environmental justice and equitable access to nature for all communities. 

Executive orders impacting specific rivers: 

• Certain executive orders have a direct impact on individual rivers, including the San Joaquin, Sacramento, Rio Grande and the rivers of Alaska. In California, agencies are directed to route more water out of the rivers. In the Rio Grande, border wall construction could impact water flow and flooding. In Alaska, thousands of miles of rivers in the Tongass National Forest could lose protections. 

Water is a shared resource, and all life depends on healthy rivers. For more than 50 years, American Rivers has been successful in bringing people together for river and water solutions. We remain committed to working with our elected leaders to ensure that this shared resource is protected. American Rivers and our affiliate, the American Rivers Action Fund have a blueprint for the Trump administration and Congress, which includes proactive steps to protect clean water and rivers. 

Read the blueprint and voice your support. 

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