A look back at 1970s California reveals a familiar story: ambitious plans to dam and divert rivers colliding with environmental limits and economic reality. In this reflection, Friends of the River’s Senior Policy staffer Ron Stork shows how past debates—and decades-old warnings—still echo in today’s fights over rivers, climate, and California’s water future.

A new draft permit adds stronger protections—but the Sites Reservoir project still threatens river flows, water quality, and wildlife. This update breaks down what’s improved, what’s at risk, and why the fight isn’t over.

A historic March heat wave triggered one of the fastest snowpack declines ever recorded in California—accelerating runoff, shrinking water supplies, and putting rivers at serious risk. In this deep dive, FOR’s River Restoration Hydrologist, Greg Reis breaks down what happened, why it matters, and how current water management is failing to protect rivers in a warming climate.

Dams and reservoirs are a hidden source of powerful greenhouse gas emissions—and California isn’t even counting them. Friends of the River is calling on state regulators to close this gap, and you can help by signing our petition to hold dam operators accountable.

Last month, Friends of the River staff traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for stronger protections for California’s rivers—meeting with members of Congress and joining a nationwide coalition working to expand Wild & Scenic River designations.

BREAKING NEWS: This week, President Trump announced his intent to deploy ICE to cool Shasta reservoir. The reason? Salmon need that cold water to survive.

A catastrophic penstock failure at the Colgate Powerhouse caused major damage, stranded workers, and disrupted flows to the North Yuba River. Repairs could take years, with reduced water releases, lost power generation, and a federal investigation underway.

Federal funding is prioritizing repairs to sinking Central Valley canals over new dams, while still advancing plans to raise Shasta Dam—raising concerns for the protected McCloud River.

Friends of the River welcomes three new team members to the crew. Vivian Helliwell and Andy Colonna join as North Coast Policy Associates, and Carolyn Hart comes on as Development & Accounting Assistant, strengthening our work to protect rivers across California.

Outdated flood control manuals for major Sacramento Valley dams are being updated with modern forecasting, reshaping how reservoirs balance flood safety and water supply.

Californians turned out in large numbers to oppose the Newsom Administration’s backroom water agreements, asking the State to adopt stronger flow requirements to reverse the collapse of fish and wildlife populations in the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary. FOR staff gave powerful presentations…

Valley agricultural movers and shakers ask the President to finish the federal environmental review and move the illegal Shasta Dam raise forward while bean counters quietly shake their heads…

DWR’s planners revel in telling the California Water Commission about the big changes coming to the California Water Plan. Will it be a return to the bad old days? They say so, but will reality intervene?

Responding to a January comment deadline, FOR and our partners provide reasons why this proposed $1.1 billion dam on Del Puerto Creek makes no sense from an economic, water supply, or environmental prospective.

Here’s the latest regarding the state of dam proposals within California. A lot will sound familiar, but the stories are not all finished, nor all happy ones…

California’s wild and scenic river champions are at it again: Senator Alex Padilla and Representatives Jared Huffman, Salud Carbajal, and Judy Chu have reintroduced legislation to protect nearly 700 miles of rivers and hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands. Though these bills have been introduced before, their return signals unwavering determination to secure lasting protections for California’s rivers.

For decades, the Kern River has run dry through Bakersfield due to upstream diversions, but a historic lawsuit to restore flows has reached the California Supreme Court and could determine whether long-standing legal protections for rivers will be upheld. This critical case could help bring life back to the Kern River and set a powerful precedent for river protection across California.

One of the original founders of Friends of the River, Rob Caughlan was a driving force in the fight to protect the Stanislaus River and helped build the organization into a lasting voice for California’s rivers. A lifelong activist known for his optimism and leadership, Rob’s legacy continues to inspire the river protection movement—read Jerry Meral’s tribute to his friend and extraordinary advocate.

Ron Stork reflects on the passing of Rep. Doug LaMalfa, a powerful Northern California lawmaker and staunch opponent of environmental protections.

Fish Over People — Friends of the River is fighting back against Executive Order 14181, which would weaken environmental protections and push more water exports at the expense of rivers, fish, and communities.