Photographer David Moskowitz was able to help capture the story through the incredible images seen below.

Of all the signs that something is wrong—the curling leaves of stunted crops, the multiplying mats of river stargrass, the tense expressions of water managers—nothing tells the story of this drought like standing on the dry, hard bed of a drastically receded reservoir. 

Between 1910 and 1933, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation built five reservoirs to harness water for Washington farms and towns in the 6,000-square-mile Yakima Basin. Together, Kachess, Keechelus, Cle Elum, Bumping, and Rimrock store about one million acre-feet of water.  

But not this year.  

By September 2025, capacity was a mere 20%. That’s the lowest level since recordkeeping began at the reservoirs in 1971, marking a historic water shortage.  

There simply wasn’t enough snowpack in the Central Cascades to fill the reservoirs in early 2025, leaving them with just 35% of the water they usually store at that time of year. Additionally, winter and spring rainfall was well below normal in the mountainous catchment in western Yakima County.  

On April 8, this reality led the Washington Department of Ecology to declare that the upper Yakima, lower Yakima, and Naches watersheds had officially crossed into their third consecutive year of a severe drought. 

What happens—or doesn’t happen—with stored water in the upper basin sends huge ripples downstream to the Yakima River and its tributaries.  

Irrigation districts that rely on human-made diversions in the river have been struggling to supply enough water to a $4.5-billion agricultural industry. Junior water rights holders, such as Roza Irrigation District and Kittitas Reclamation District, have strategized on the best ways to ration their reduced allotments—just 40% of the full amount they are generally entitled to—throughout the hot summer months of 2025.  

“We’re running the canals the lowest we ever have,” says Sage Park, policy manager for Roza. “Our growers are facing a very hard time, with bad water supplies on top of bad markets.”  

Some farms have gone out of business, confirms Jim Willard, owner of Willard Farms and Solstice Vineyards near Prosser, when we stop by. But he is hanging on. Willard established his farm in 1952, which means he has weathered the drought years of at least 1977, 1993, 1994, 2001, 2005, and 2015.  

How does the current year compare?  

“It’s another lousy drought,” Willard shrugs. “You know what you’ve got to do, the decisions you’ve got to make to keep the farm viable into the future.” 

“The fish are always in drought,” Joe Blodgett, manager of Yakama Nation Fisheries, says matter-of-factly as soon as we meet at the Wapato Dam on the lower Yakima River.  

The last significant drought in 2015 hit out-migrating juvenile salmon hard. Warm, shallow river water reduced their numbers from 1 million to 200,000. The fishery is still recovering—and now, another major drought. 

Joining Blodgett is his team of engineers and scientists, who are dedicated to restoring habitat, improving fish passage, and growing and releasing hatchery salmon, bull trout, and lamprey to bolster drastically declining numbers. 

The Yakama Nation’s connection to native fish species in the basin traces back thousands of years. The salmon trade was the first economy of the basin, and that link remains critical to the tribe’s identity and cultural and economic survival today.  

A little downstream, a small fishing scaffold protrudes into the river—a reminder of a bygone era long before the dam, and a symbol of the harvestable and sustainable future the Yakama Nation’s 10,000 members envision returning to.  

One day. After the drought breaks. 

Until then, the fisheries team is preparing with an ambitious plan to update the ailing Wapato Dam, built in 1917, and construct modern fish passage to improve survival rates.  

“Each species has a story to tell,” Blodgett says, smiling, as we part ways for today. 

Even in drought, the Yakama Nation and the irrigation districts, conservation organizations, and government agencies that make up the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan collaborate to increase flows of cool river water that fish need to survive.  

Maybe it’s truer to say especially in drought. 

That collaboration is unique in the West. It extends to a multitude of projects, many costing tens of millions of dollars, to modernize aging infrastructure, protect and restore fisheries and river habitat, improve water supply reliability, and store more ground and surface water. 

“This is a terrible drought,” says Brandon Parsons, American Rivers director of river restoration. “But we’d be in a lot worse shape if we hadn’t made years of prior investments in the river. We have to continue to work together and implement projects if we’re going to lessen the impacts of more droughts like this.”  

People in the basin know more frequent and severe droughts are on the horizon. They’re racing to ready the region and keep it habitable in a rapidly changing world. Families, fish and wildlife, business and agriculture—all life depends on the Yakima River’s ability to provide clean, cool, reliable water into the future. 

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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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But how did American Rivers identify Wilson Ranch as the next meadow restoration project? Our meadow restoration work follows a life cycle that starts with watershed-scale assessment and prioritization to identify impactful restoration opportunities, followed by planning, restoration, and adaptive management of the highest priority meadows. We started this process in the American River watershed in 2016 using the meadow condition scorecard, a rapid assessment tool. This tool was developed by American Rivers, University of California, Davis, and the U.S. Forest Service, to quickly gauge the health of a meadow. Using the scorecard data, a group led by American Rivers identified Wilson Ranch Meadow as a high priority for restoration which then kick-started design and permitting work in 2019, later culminating in a road crossing replacement and full-fill channel restoration in 2023 and 2024, with adaptive management slated for fall 2025.

This meadow in particular serves as a stopover for migratory bird species such as willow flycatcher and provides important habitat for species like the southern long-toed salamander. The restoration phase of the project was completed last September, making this spring and summer the first time we were able to see the impacts on the hydrology of the meadow. The photo below shows flows spreading across the meadow, whereas before they funneled into an incised channel and drained away from the meadow before it could provide support for native plant and animal species. The Wilson Ranch project is now in the adaptive management and post-restoration monitoring phase, where we will continue to measure the effects of restoration and ensure our impact on the ‘fireshed’ moving forward. In September of this year, we will complete adaptive management to prevent erosion and the incision the channel, and will also continue to monitor groundwater levels, vegetation, and soil carbon in the meadow.

Throughout the restoration life cycle of Wilson, California experienced some of its largest and most destructive wildfires in recorded history. It became apparent that the qualities that sustain a healthy meadow for clean water and wildlife, also make them excellent at mitigating the negative impacts of wildfire by capturing sediment and runoff and providing high quality habitat for all life that depends it. Healthy meadows can also serve as natural breaks in fuel that can help prevent the spread of wildfire. With this in mind, American Rivers pivoted from a watershed-scale approach to a ‘fireshed’ based approach for the first time. In coordination with our partners at the Eldorado National Forest at Wilson, we updated our prioritization process to incorporate factors such as burn severity and sediment capture potential and shifted our focus to the Caldor Fire footprint, which burned approximately 167,000 acres of Eldorado National Forest in 2021.

The Wilson Ranch project and our prioritization work in the Caldor Fire footprint speak to the collaborative approach we bring to restoration work, working alongside partners such as Eldorado National Forest and in coalitions such as the Sierra Meadows Partnership and the Healthy Eldorado Landscape Partnership that are larger than the sum of their parts. This is the driving philosophy behind the landscape-scale healing of California’s watersheds, and post-fire recovery and wildfire resilience in an era of a changing climate. And as we wrap up this prioritization process, we are looking forward to tackling new restoration projects that support wildfire recovery and resilience in the Caldor region.

The restoration at Wilson Ranch Meadow was funded by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the California Wildlife Conservation Board, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, all of whom have been ardent supporters of meadows and the wildlife that depend on them for many years.

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1. Take Action: Sign our Clean Water Petition

Investing in clean water security generates a tremendous return on investment for the country. Clean water is not a luxury. It is vital to our future economic growth and essential to the heritage of our communities. Please ask your member of Congress to support this common sense blueprint for keeping America’s rivers safe and our water clean.

2. use our official handbook to organize a river clean up

If this is the first time you are hosting a river cleanup, download this one-stop-shop handbook on how to organize a successful event. It has everything you need — from tips on how to select a cleanup site to engaging your volunteers to securing attention from local media. Organize a river clean up in your community today! 

3. Advocate for rivers through our action center

Be a voice for rivers: Last year, our community sent 30,000+ messages to decision-makers calling on them to take action for healthier rivers and cleaner water. Check out our Action Center and take action today!

4. Learn about the top 10 ways to conserve water at home

There are a few simple things you can do at home — Fix leaks, turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth — to ease the burden on your local water supply and save money in the process. These water-saving measures can have a big impact on water demand in your local community.

5. Share your favorite river!

Leave a comment here and share your favorite river and why you love it. If someone else has mentioned your river or a river you love, share your story with them. We are all connected by our waterways, let’s prove it! 

One small action each day adds up to make a big impact over time. Share this list with your family and friends and revisit these actions when you can. Healthy rivers are for everyone, not just a privileged few. We are in this together, and it will take all of us in this movement to protect rivers and preserve clean water. 

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What is One Water? 

One Water is a holistic strategy for managing all water resources—surface water, groundwater, stormwater, and wastewater—as a single, interconnected system. This approach emphasizes collaboration among stakeholders, sustainable infrastructure, and equitable water access. Integrated Water Management (IWM) is the set of practices that turn One Water principles into action, balancing environmental sustainability, economic growth, and public health. 

North Carolina’s Neuse and Cape Fear Rivers: Where and what to know 

Stretching nearly 6,000 square miles, the Neuse River Basin connects North Carolina’s fast-growing Piedmont region to the state’s Coastal Plain before emptying into Pamlico Sound, a vital local fishery that supports both livelihoods and recreation. However, the basin is under pressure from nutrient pollution, algal blooms, and increased sedimentation—threats that endanger water quality and aquatic life. 

The Upper Neuse River Basin, home to Falls Lake, supplies drinking water to much of the Raleigh metropolitan area but faces challenges from stormwater runoff, urban expansion, and nutrient overload. Without proactive management, these pressures could compromise the region’s ability to provide clean, reliable water for residents. 

Similarly, the Jordan Lake watershed, primarily fed by the Haw River, is a crucial water resource for central North Carolina before flowing into the Cape Fear River and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean. Yet, Jordan Lake struggles with excess nutrients, stormwater pollution, and sedimentation, making it imperative to adopt collaborative water management strategies to maintain its role as both a regional water supply and an ecological treasure. 

American Rivers: Driving Nationwide Change 

American Rivers is a national leader in promoting One Water strategies. In North Carolina, we are championing policies that support green infrastructure, equitable water access, and climate resilience. By integrating science-based solutions and forward-thinking policy changes into regional water management efforts, American Rivers strengthens initiatives like JLOW and UNRBA, ensuring that communities throughout the Neuse and Cape Fear watersheds benefit from sustainable, collaborative water resource management. 

JLOW exemplifies the One Water approach by bringing together local governments, industries, conservation groups, and residents to implement cost-effective, mutually beneficial water solutions. These efforts include climate-resilient infrastructure projects, stormwater management innovations, and ecosystem restoration initiatives. By fostering collaboration across jurisdictions, JLOW helps secure the region’s water future while positively impacting downstream communities, including those in the Cape Fear River Basin.

Similarly, UNRBA applies One Water strategies to address critical water challenges in the Upper Neuse River Basin. Through data-driven decision-making and multi-stakeholder partnerships, the association works to reduce nutrient pollution and mitigate stormwater impacts through an innovative joint investment-based compliance strategy that funds water quality projects with community benefits. 

By embracing the One Water approach, North Carolina’s water leaders are creating a model for other regions across the country. These efforts not only safeguard vital water resources but also strengthen communities and economies. 

One Water holds the key to solving our most pressing water challenges. By fostering collaboration and breaking down traditional management silos, we can ensure abundant, clean water for generations to come—one watershed at a time. 

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1. What are wetlands? 

A wetland is a low-lying area of land that is saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally. You can’t really talk about wetlands without streams. Small streams and wetlands are where a multitude of our rivers and lakes originate from. Some are so small they don’t even show up on a map yet these headwaters heavily influence the character and quality of things downstream. 

2. Why are wetlands important? 

Wetlands play a vital role in improving water quality, controlling floods, providing habitat, and supporting the overall health and function of the ecosystem. Consider this: 

• Wetlands are the first line of defense for communities facing severe weather.  
• Coastal wetlands physically slow down storms by impeding their path to land and minimize their full force. 
• Freshwater wetlands and headwater streams inland act as sponges, absorbing significant amounts of rainwater and runoff before flooding can occur. 

3. Why is it important to prioritize restoring and protecting wetlands?  

Ensure access to clean water 

Healthy wetlands and streams are critical to healthy downstream rivers, lakes, and estuaries. These headwaters have proven especially important because of their significant capacity to store and transform nutrients, specifically nitrogen and phosphorus. Without wetlands absorbing these nutrients, downstream waters would receive elevated amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus that cause nasty algal blooms and low oxygen levels in downstream waters. Protecting and restoring wetlands ensures wildlife and humans who depend on rivers for clean, safe drinking water continue to thrive. 

Mitigate Climate Change 

The effects of climate change will continue exacerbating extreme weather events, such as fires in California, hurricanes in the Southeast, and drought across the country. Draining wetlands, drying up streams, and paving over floodplains have destroyed the habitats fish, birds, and wildlife need to nest, feed, reproduce, and thrive. Protecting and restoring rivers and their headwaters is the best defense against climate change. 

Protect habitats and biodiversity 

Small streams and wetlands offer an enormous array of habitat for plant, animal, and microbial life. These small freshwater systems provide shelter, food, and protection from predators as well as spawning sites and nursery areas for fish. In fact, many species depend on small streams and wetlands at some point in their life history. Amphibians such as frogs and salamanders rely heavily on these aquatic systems for some part of their life cycle. While fish such as trout require these cool, small streams for both habitat and spawning sites. 

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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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Congress recognized the challenges these rivers face, and the intrinsic reliance that communities have on their rivers, and took action in 2022 by allocating $4 billion in the Inflation Reduction Act to the Bureau of Reclamation to mitigate the impacts of drought in the Colorado River Basin and other western river basins that experiencing serious disruption and future risk from drought (including the Rio Grande). These federal investments are essential in helping communities manage limited water supplies as well as the increasing threat from wildfires and other natural disasters exacerbated by hotter and drier conditions.

Last week, the Bureau of Reclamation announced over $388 million in funding to support projects in the Upper Colorado River Basin states and over $29 million in the Upper Rio Grande. This infusion of funding will support an array of projects that benefit communities, agriculture, and the environment and represent the type of holistic approach that prioritizes and recognizes the importance of a healthy river system in mitigating the impacts of drought and other natural hazard risks. 

In the Colorado River Basin, over $388 million was allocated to over 40 projects in the Upper Basin States of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming through their “Bucket 2 – Ecosystem Restoration” funding. This funding will support projects to restore struggling rivers, streams, forests, and wetlands, mitigating the impacts of drought. 

Additionally, Reclamation also announced more than $29 million to mitigate the impacts of drought by supporting water conservation and habitat restoration efforts in the headwaters of the Rio Grande. This investment will ensure greater drought resilience and water security for Colorado’s San Luis Valley and northern New Mexico communities, while significantly enhancing the quality of fish and wildlife habitat in the region. 

American Rivers is proud to work closely with a number of applicants on securing these funds including Mesa County Conservation District’s proposal to improve drought resilience on conserved lands by implementing various ecological restoration strategies, like the wetland restoration and floodplain reconnection to reduce sediment and enhance water quality, while promoting habitat restoration for at-risk species like the yellow-billed cuckoo and Gunnison sage-grouse, improving watershed resiliency and aquatic connectivity on the Gunnison and Grand Mesa National Forests and the Colorado River Water Conservation District’s proposal to permanently protect the Shoshone Water Rights in the Upper Colorado River Basin to ensure a reliable water supply for ecosystem, agricultural, municipal, and recreational uses.  We were also excited to support many other applications in the Upper Basin.  In the Upper Rio Grande, projects in Colorado’s San Luis Valley such as the Teacup Restoration Project will support healthy rivers and wetlands while also improving water management and agricultural resilience. In New Mexico, we are pleased to support projects that mitigate erosion and sedimentation, improve downstream water supply and quality, restore wet meadows, and improve soil health, among other projects. 

These investments demonstrate Reclamation’s commitment to mitigating drought and are an excellent first step in acknowledging the importance of healthy rivers, streams, and wetlands in addressing the ongoing water crises in the West. To ensure long-term resilience and sustainability of the Colorado and Rio Grande Basins, durable investments are vital to fully address the challenges these regions are facing today, and will be for the foreseeable future.

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Today, many are rightly focused on the urgent need to protect themselves and their communities, and follow the guidance of emergency personnel who are putting their lives on the line to manage a dangerous and deadly situation. For those of us who are humbly embracing the gift of having time and space to think about recovery after this crisis, there are some truths on which we can ground ourselves to be more effective partners in helping the people and places we love.

We must acknowledge the reality of our situation, focus on facts, and not be misled by fiction. The climate crisis continues to deepen its impact on all people, regardless of identity, wealth, or geography. Today, parts of southern California are experiencing their driest winter season in the past 150 years. These exceptionally dry conditions are happening at the same time as extreme and prolonged winds, creating optimal conditions for catastrophic fires in our communities. Sadly, these kinds of disastrous fires are likely to become even more common as the effects of climate change become more severe.

We must also acknowledge our power to put solutions in place that will help people and communities right now and lessen the long-term impacts of climate change. Extreme fires not only threaten our homes and lives, but also the thing survivors need to live: clean, safe water for people and the environment. Fortunately, as we adapt to our ever-changing world, we know what we need to do:

We need to invest in water infrastructure for community safety. Healthy rivers are unmatched when it comes to providing clean, healthy water for people and nature, along with many other benefits. We know that the places in which we live are as much a part of our water infrastructure as the pipes that carry water to our homes. Stewarding rivers and the surrounding landscape through wildfire management – as opposed to suppression – is key to protecting our communities. Wildfire management does not only reduce the intensity of uncontrolled fires. It protects the land and rivers where water flows and the dams, pipes, and homes where water goes. Californians have already taken a critical step to make this work possible. Nearly 60% of voters approved $10 billion in state funds to pay for climate resilient solutions. These solutions include: drought, flood, and water supply projects; protecting communities from wildfire; and restoring and protecting natural areas.

Now, we can ensure those public funds can be accessed by continuing our support for the people and places who need them most. Whether through the largest dam-removal project in history or the largest meadow restoration in the headwaters of one of California’s most pristine drinking water sources, private-public partnerships have yielded unprecedented success in California to restore rivers and the clean, healthy water they provide for people and nature. We’ve done it before; we will do it again. Most importantly, we will do it together.

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These terms may be unfamiliar. In the Yuba River watershed, we are using these methods alongside our partners to manage the forests of the Sierra Nevada and create climate resilience, enhance public safety, and most relevantly to the name and mission of American Rivers, protect river health by reducing wildfire risk. The Hoyt-Purdon Prescribed Fire and Fuel Reduction Project will treat 570 acres within a 918-acre project area along the South Yuba River at a strategic location between the river and surrounding local rural communities. The project will use a combination of the approaches described above to reduce the risk of wildfire and increase forest and watershed resilience. The essential design will reduce the horizontal and vertical continuity of fuels (e.g. make it so fire can’t carry along the ground horizontally or get into the tops of trees vertically) to make it easier to fight a fire should it occur. The project is also designed to protect ecological function and sensitive species.  

At first glance, it might seem confusing that a river-centric nonprofit is involved in forest management and wildfire mitigation, but the impacts of catastrophic wildfire extend beyond the immediate physical destruction of ecosystems and property, and the release of smoke, having severe consequences for the headwaters of California’s rivers. High-severity fires burn vegetation and can even burns soils, preventing regrowth. This lack of vegetation eliminates cover and shade, which raises water temperatures for aquatic species and leads to less dissolved oxygen in the water, a key parameter for healthy aquatic ecosystems. Loss of vegetative cover also prevents precipitation from infiltrating the soil and leads to erosion, releasing sediment downstream and impacting key life-cycle processes such as spawning. On a community level, excessive sediment can disrupt the operations of key infrastructure such as water treatment plants and hydropower production, and if a fire is severe enough, erosion can even reduce the capacity of reservoirs downstream as they receive sediment and debris post-fire.  

Fire has always been a part of the ecology of California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range, whether naturally ignited burns that arise from events like lightning strikes, or the prescribed burns by the Tribes that have lived in, cultivated, and stewarded the watershed since time immemorial. But a pattern of Euro-American fire-suppression that began in the 19^th century has allowed fuels to build to dangerous levels across the range, putting communities and watersheds at risk from catastrophic high-severity wildfire. This is true of current conditions along the South Yuba River. The Hoyt-Purdon Project aims to address this by first implementing hand and mechanical thinning (i.e. mastication) to reduce vegetation to levels that allow for the safe reintroduction of fire. The project will then implement initial prescribed burning, with a plan to reburn the project area at regular intervals to maintain lower fire risk conditions. As temperatures climb with a changing climate, leading to hotter and drier summers and increasingly risky fire conditions, this work is more important than ever and needs to be scaled. 

American Rivers is working to pursue integrated forest and watershed restoration in the California headwaters, recognizing the important role the surrounding landscape plays in protecting and maintaining downstream rivers. The Hoyt-Purdon Project will provide wildfire risk reduction at a strategic location between the South Yuba Canyon and adjacent communities including Nevada City and Grass Valley, thereby protecting both communities and the forested ecosystems that the South Yuba River needs to thrive. American Rivers and partners initiated project activities in spring 2024 and have completed significant hand and mechanical thinning. We plan to conduct initial prescribed burning in fall/winter 2024/2025. 

This project and wildfire risk reduction and mitigation across the headwaters of the Sierra Nevada is only possible through strong collaboration. For this project, we are working with three different private landowners, and the project team includes Terra Fuego Resources Foundation, Open Canopy LLC and Stillwater Sciences, with funding from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Bella Vista Foundation to restore a healthy fire regime to the Yuba River Canyon. Watch the video below to learn more about wildfire risk reduction and the projected impacts on the landscape!  

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