American Rivers has been helping to protect and restore rivers and the ecosystems they support for over fifty years. Their experience and success has helped them secure myriad relationships with state & federal government agencies as well as many like-minded nonprofits. While grants from government often help fund direct restoration efforts, they don't generally allow the organization to pay its staff for preparing the plans, applications, and other necessary administrative work that helps bring these vital projects to fruition. To help bridge this gap, Bently Foundation awarded American Rivers with a $50,000 grant in 2024 to help leverage up to $8.75 million in state and federal grants that will restore six different riverine ecosystems in the alpine headwaters of the Sierra Nevada. These projects will improve the function of rivers in Tuolumne Meadows of Yosemite, Pickel Meadows, the North Yuba watershed, and the South & Middle Forks of the American River... areas covering over 3,000 acres and affecting the waters sources for millions of people in the West.

All photos courtesy of American Rivers. Pictures 1-8 show before & after images of previous projects in Wilson Ranch, Faith Meadows, and Ackerson Meadow. Photos 9-12, by Matt Freitas, and photos 13-15, by Allison Hacker, show the current condition of the project areas this grant will facilitate in: North Yuba Landscape and Tuolumne (X2); Pickel; Sayles; Meiss; & Forni meadows.

Learn more about American Rivers here.