The Karuk Tribe of California and other groups filed a petition to set minimum flows on the Scott River, which has completely ceased to flow at certain locations during the summer months due to excessive withdrawals by local agricultural users. This request was vehemently opposed by the same water users who have drained the Scott and resist governmental efforts toward a balanced ecosystem…

As might be expected with Republican control of the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee, several Wild and Scenic bills have not moved forward. But each Congress meets for two years, so the deadline to pass these bills is still one year out…

The issues with the poor foundation conditions under the Oroville Dam spillways became apparent as far back as 2005, when Friends of the River led a coalition of environmental organizations in asking FERC to confront these problems…

It had long been the worst of times.

The sand and gravels torn out of the Gold Rush Sierra had raised the Yuba River channel and increased flooding in the Yuba River Basin below…

They were troubled times.

Large parts of the City of Sacramento had nearly flooded. A big urban water district had recently won an ambiguous court decision to divert water from the City’s cherished American River and down the massive federal canal slated to snake down the east side of the San Joaquin Valley to Tulare County…

As a relatively new volunteer with FOR, I decided the best way to get familiar with policy was to jump into the deep end and get involved. I recently had the honor to represent FOR during the Green California - Environmental lobby day at the State Capitol on August 30th…

Friends of the River and the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA), along with a coalition of tribes and environmental organizations submitted a formal protest against the water rights application of the Sites Project Authority for the proposed Sites Reservoir. This protest is part of a legally required process to ensure public concerns are addressed when granting water rights in California…

In addition Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s desire for the federal and state taxpayers to rebuild, expand, and build more infrastructure to supply water to his Congressional District (he is achieving some success there), he wants to help the giant Westlands Water District expand Shasta Reservoir…