Western rivers: Assuring abundance

Climate change, drought and growing populations are taking their toll on Western rivers and watersheds. That's why we're working with farmers, cities and other environmental groups to develop market solutions and other incentives that conserve water and preserve rivers.

Our current strategies

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  Restoring vital riverside habitat

  Vast swaths of California’s Central Valley's riverside habitat have been lost, threatening wildlife like the rare Swainson's Hawk. With 75% of land being privately held, we've reached out to landowners along the Mokelumne River, including winegrowers, to restore the native habitat on which many species depend.
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  Finding flexible solutions

  EDF experts like Jennifer Pitt are transforming the way water is used in the Colorado River Basin by pushing for flexible systems like water banking instead of the outdated "use it or lose it" method. We're also introducing new ways to restore habitat in this region that benefits both wildlife and landowners.
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  Forging ties with Mexico

  Once called the American Nile, the Colorado River now peters out long before it gets to the sea. EDF helped forge a Minute to the treaty between the U.S. and Mexico that re-establishes, on a pilot basis, a modest flow of water in the Colorado's delta, a first step toward the recovery of an ecosystem vital to wildlife and people.