Why Our Funds Are Important

The most common barrier to successful river restoration is funding for follow-up monitoring and maintenance.

Without dedicated resources for ongoing care and stewardship, rivers and streams risk having the natural wildlife habitat gained during restoration significantly degrade. Forever Our Rivers stewardship grants leverage and safeguard the time, money and effort—literally millions of dollars and hundreds of work crews—expended on the initial phases of restoration.

Our priorities also include improved water quality and quantity. Protecting wetlands is one way we achieve this. Wetlands are often called the kidneys of watersheds, as they purify water by removing sediments and pollutants.

By restoring wetlands, melting snow and water slowly spreads across the landscape, reducing downstream flooding and enhancing the integrity of the ecosystem. Wetlands provide homes, food and water to hundreds of species of all sizes: from beavers and elk to butterflies and trout. 

Our funding greatly impacts you as well. Not only do you use water for drinking, brushing your teeth, cooking and more, but a growing body of research confirms that spending time in nature provides robust benefits. An antidote for stress, recreating along rivers and streams can lower blood pressure and hormone levels, enhance immune system function and improve self-esteem. It’s important to keep rivers flowing for your sake too.