The Del Puerto Water District has certified the environmental impact report for its proposed 82,000-acre-foot dam, clearing a major hurdle for the controversial project. But the fight is far from over, with additional environmental analysis, federal water rights approvals, and a billion-dollar price tag still standing between Del Puerto Canyon and a new reservoir.

The Eel River won an important victory this summer when FERC rejected a Southern California water district’s late attempt to intervene in a dam removal proceeding. But the fight isn’t over: the district is trying again, and FERC’s next decision could shape how much influence outside interests have over the future of the Eel River. 

A new push to claim virtually all of the Tuolumne River’s unappropriated water has irrigation districts and Rep. Tom McClintock eyeing bigger dams, new reservoirs, and expanded water storage. With major projects and river protections on the line, the Tuolumne’s advocates have their work cut out for them, and the fight is just getting started.

California’s new Water Plan calls for an astonishing 9 million acre-feet of additional water storage or “new” water, raising questions about the cost, feasibility, and impacts of trying to squeeze more water from already overallocated rivers.

Action Alert! Much is at stake right now for California’s rivers. A final decision on Sites Reservoir, the largest reservoir proposed in California in decades, is on the horizon, and we need your voice now more than ever. Taking action is simple: send a short email and tell decision-makers to protect our rivers.

California’s Bay-Delta and the rivers that sustain it are facing another round of weakened protections. Read on to learn what’s at stake and how you can speak up to Governor Newsom, Attorney General Bonta, and the State Water Board to protect California’s rivers and Bay-Delta.

Friends of the River joined Tribal, environmental, fishing and Delta advocates at the State Capitol to stand up for the Bay-Delta and the rivers that sustain it. Advocates urged legislators to protect river flows, strengthen Tribal participation in water decisions, and oppose policies that could further strain California’s already overallocated rivers.

After nearly a decade of work, Friends of the River and our partners helped win important new protections for the San Joaquin River through the Clean Water Act. The victory shows what is possible when states have the authority to put meaningful conditions on projects that affect our rivers, and why that authority is worth defending.

Despite the steep decline of the white sturgeon population in the Bay-Delta estuary, the California Department of Fish & Wildlife is dragging its heels in moving forward to protect this imperiled native species. So, Friends of the River and three other groups sued in August to force the state to take steps toward listing as required under the state Endangered Species Act. 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is preparing to study a proposed 12-foot expansion of Pine Flat Reservoir, a project that could add 124,000 acre-feet of storage on the Kings River. But raising the dam could come at a steep cost to the river’s beaches, camps and takeout, while putting another stretch of the Kings River landscape under water.

The Southern San Joaquin Valley’s groundwater overdraft has reached a point where major reductions in water use may be unavoidable. But balancing the region’s groundwater budget shouldn’t mean draining already overallocated rivers, and sustainable solutions will require using less water, changing crops and finding less water-intensive uses for farmland.

The Del Puerto Water District has released its final environmental impact report for the proposed Del Puerto Canyon Dam and scheduled a hearing to consider certifying it. But certification is not the end of the road: major environmental reviews, federal approvals and a potential water rights proceeding still stand between the proposed $750 million dam and construction.

For decades, massive reservoirs like Lake Mead and Lake Powell allowed Colorado River water users to postpone the hard choices of living within the river’s limits. Now, as reservoir levels fall and water cuts loom, the West faces a reckoning: there simply isn’t enough Colorado River water to satisfy everyone’s demands.

Anderson Dam on Coyote Creek is facing a massive seismic retrofit with a price tag of $2.8 billion and counting. The project is a costly reminder that owning and maintaining a dam comes with enormous financial and environmental responsibilities.

Robert “Bob” Center devoted his life to understanding, enjoying, and protecting California’s rivers. As a former Executive Director of Friends of the River, engineer, river runner, and fierce advocate, Bob brought uncommon rigor and determination to the fight for healthy rivers and the communities and wildlife that depend on them.

Whittier Narrows Dam is a reminder of the hidden cost of building communities on Southern California's alluvial fans and relying on massive infrastructure to control nature. This personal reflection from Ron Stork, explores how decades of flood management have reshaped our rivers and why maintaining those systems comes with a billion-dollar price tag.

Every river visit is an opportunity to make a difference. Small actions, like respecting wildlife, wearing a life jacket, and leaving no trace, add up to healthier rivers for people and wildlife alike. Check out our 10 simple tips for protecting rivers during your next visit.

In a dramatic move on June 29, the Supreme Court overturned non-partisan independent federal regulatory governance and handed the keys over to the Trump Administration.

When a project only works by weakening protections for rivers and wildlife, it's worth asking whether it should move forward at all. A new draft permit for Sites Reservoir exposes the project's growing environmental and economic challenges.

After losing more than 90% of their ancestral homeland to Shasta Dam, the Winnemem Wintu Tribe is fighting to protect what remains. Discover what's at stake and why Californians are standing together to stop the dam raise.