Running Rivers Campaign

About this grant

This grant will provide continued support to American Rivers’ Running Rivers Campaign, for its participation in hydropower relicensing processes in the Great Lakes and Southeast. With more than 50 hydropower dam licenses under review in the next decade, the relicensing process provides invaluable opportunities to protect and restore rivers through changes in operation of hydropower dams, with minor reduction in total power production.Multiyear funding will enable American Rivers to monitor the implementation of licenses in the Great Lakes; participate in relicensing processes of 24 Great Lakes projects and several in the Southeast; build the capacity of partner groups; work to reform relicensing rules at the national and state levels; educate the public and policymakers about the importance of river restoration; and complete a final external examination of its relicensing work in the two regions.Accomplishments during the past two years included working with New York Rivers United (NYRU) on a Niagara River relicensing; collaborating with NYRU and the Natural Heritage Institute to reach a settlement agreement on a St. Lawrence River relicensing; and partnering with the Tennessee Clean Water Network and other conservation organizations on a relicensing in eastern Tennessee.