By ANN RICHARDS A love of rivers united them, but it was an invitation from Phil LaLena to meet in Colorado that brought 33 "river runners," conservationists, cinematographers and environmentalists together to found American Rivers in 1973. Now a nationally recognized conservation organization with 65,000 members dedicated to protecting and restoring healthy rivers, the nonprofit is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year.
When first created in Denver, the organization was known as the American Rivers Conservation Council -- or ARC, like Noah, recalled LaLena. In 1987, the name was shortened to American Rivers. Although he cannot name a specific reason for calling together the meeting that led to its birth, the enactment of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act in 1968 and the continuous loss of free-flowing rivers and wilderness areas contributed to the need for an organization specifically devoted to the nation's endangered waterways. Another catalyst was the dam construction activities of the Army Corps of Engineers, LaLena said.
"It was just the time to do it."
Colorado was a logical place to hold the meeting, he continued.
A life-long river-runner who rafted down the Colorado last year at the age of 79, LaLena downplays his role in creating American Rivers, noting that it took the efforts of multiple individuals to "get the darned thing organized.
"We had the space and the equipment we needed right there in Denver, and it was convenient for a lot of the commercial and amateur boatman and outfitters who ran rivers in Colorado and Utah.
"I guess you could say I was the chairman, or facilitator -- or maybe it was just that I could shout louder than anyone else and maintain order to keep the show going," he said of the Denver gathering.
"A lot of good people showed up in Denver. Jerry Mallett, who organized the meeting with me, was working for the Wilderness Society at the time and knew some movers and shakers in the environmental community," LaLena said. "It's a good thing he had Washington connections, because most of us didn't think politically. We didn't want to become activists, we just wanted to protect rivers -- our base motivation was selfish."
Among those gathered in Denver was Brent Blackwelder, who then was working for the Environmental Policy Institute and now is president of Friends of the Earth, headquartered in Washington, DC.
"Blackwelder was always behind us, pushing. If we wandered, he'd keep us on point. Brent and a couple of the others stayed on in Denver for a couple of days and put together a working organization. We all pledged some money and eventually, we hired a young guy (Bill Painter) to run the office."
In its early years, the organization had a specific focus on increasing the number of rivers protected by the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, according to LaLena. It also worked to prevent construction of new dams.
"Dams -- they were a big threat," he said. "Every year, there were more and more legal restrictions. Every year, bit by bit, we were losing the rivers."
Today, American Rivers has broadened its mission to address a wide variety of issues and is the nation’s leading organization standing up for healthy rivers so communities can thrive. The organization is staffed by 60 employees working in eight offices across the U.S., with its national headquarters in Washington, DC. One recent success is the removal of the 100-year-old Marmot Dam on Oregon’s Sandy River, which has restored the river’s health, salmon and steelhead, and recreation opportunities for local communities. American Rivers is also known for its America’s Most Endangered Rivers™ report, which highlights threats and solutions and inspires action on selected rivers every year.
American Rivers staff work in collaboration with grassroots river and watershed groups, as well as with a variety of conservation organizations, sporting and recreational groups and federal, state and tribal agencies concerned with health of rivers nationwide.
With climate change bringing more intense floods and droughts, protecting and restoring rivers and clean water is more important than ever, according to Rebecca Wodder, president of American Rivers. In this anniversary year, the organization has refined its strategic vision, looking out over the next 35 years. At once bold and simple, says Wodder, the organization’s vision for the future is that rivers are healthy and protected. And, she added, that healthy rivers provide resilience to every human and natural community so they can thrive in the face of the climate crisis.
Since 1987, the Mott Foundation has provided more than $3 million in grant support to American Rivers. In recent years, Mott funding has enabled the organization to participate in the hydropower relicensing process in the Great Lakes region and the southeastern U.S. Through this process, American Rivers promotes changes in the way hydropower dams are operated to ensure increased fish passage, adequate in-stream flows, improved water quality, and similar benefits for freshwater ecosystems.
LaLena is pleased by the longevity and accomplishments of American Rivers but, he says there's much work left to do. Protecting rivers is the first step; managing them for the future is just as critical.
"I still feel we need more action on western rivers," he said.
He remains passionate about rivers, but refuses to romanticize the reasons for his great affection for them or the decision to do something to protect them.
"We could see what would happen if we didn't act," he said of the Denver meeting to discuss the state of the country's rivers. "The idea of the meeting -- and American Rivers -- had been cooking for a long time."
"It was an opportunity to do something worthwhile."