California Region

Hot Creek, a tributary to the Owens River, CA | Jacob Dyste

Hot Creek, CA | Jacob Dyste

In California we are spearheading some of the most innovative solutions to restore and protect our rivers seen anywhere in the country.

Whether it is restoring meadows in the Sierra, which provides water for 65% of Californians, reducing flood risk and restoring rivers in the Central Valley by reconnecting floodplains, removing barriers to salmon migration, or improving dam operations on the Yuba and Bear rivers, our staff is proving that it is possible to keep our rivers healthy while getting communities the water they need.

We are also leading efforts to remove some of the state’s outdated dams. Our skillful negotiations recently helped result in an agreement to remove four dams on the Klamath River – the biggest dam removal and river restoration project ever undertaken.

With global warming shrinking mountain snowpack and bringing more intense floods and droughts, our work to protect California’s rivers and fresh water is more important than ever.