Briefing Series: Resilient and Healthy River Series

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The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing series on river health and resilience challenges facing communities situated along U.S. rivers--from industrial pollution to flooding and drought. The briefings will highlight equitable solutions and policies that deliver multiple mitigation, adaptation, and economic benefits.

The briefings in this series are:   

The Mississippi River

The Tennessee River

The Columbia River

The Colorado River

The Hudson River

The Ohio River

“Small But Mighty” Rivers

 
 
See the video   Check in soon to see the summary
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing that examined the environmental challenges facing the Mississippi River and solutions to address them. Spanning 10 states, the Mississippi plays a key role in tourism, commerce, biodiversity, and recreation in the United States. In particular, the river system moves hundreds of millions of tons of freight each year, serves as a home to hundreds of different fish, mammal, and amphibian species, and supports 1.3 million jobs. However, like many other river systems featured in this briefing series, the Mississippi River and the communities that depend on it face challenges such as nitrate pollution, saltwater intrusion, flooding, and low water levels—many of which are exacerbated by climate change. At this briefing, Mississippi River experts discussed the role of federal policy in advancing strategies to improve both the health and climate resilience of the river system. 
 

Key Takeaways

  • The Mississippi River basin includes 31 U.S. states. One in 12 people on Earth consume commodities transported on the Mississippi River.
  • Challenges for Mississippi River communities include flooding, agriculture runoff, aging infrastructure, low water, disruption to navigation, and sinking lands.
  • Every 100 minutes, the Mississippi River Delta loses a football field of wetlands, one of the highest rates of land loss globally.
  • Success in building resilience in the Mississippi River Delta depends on governance from a science-based planning process, dedicated and protected funding streams, and public trust and support.

 
 
See the video   Check in soon to see the summary

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing about strategies to decrease pollution and increase resilience along the Tennessee River, which winds through Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky. The Tennessee River, one of the most biodiverse rivers in North America, experiences damaging issues ranging from coal ash contamination to chemical pollution from landfills and manufacturing. These issues threaten both water quality and the health and well-being of the many communities in the river’s watershed.

This briefing will explore ongoing efforts to address the impacts of water pollution on environmental justice communities situated along the Tennessee. It will also highlight the importance of effective enforcement of local, state, and federal clean water laws and regulations. Panelists will discuss the role of federal policy-making in  preventing and mitigating pollution in the region, as well as opportunities to support biodiversity and overall river health.

 

Key Takeaways

 

  • The Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Endangered Species Act have all contributed to much cleaner water in the Tennessee River system.
  • Forever chemicals (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)) and microplastics (i.e., plastic pieces that are less than 3/16” in diameter) are still found in high concentrations in the Tennessee River. 
  • Runoff during extreme rain events is a main source of contamination carrying both soil from agricultural fields and pollutants from urban areas into the Tennessee River watershed.
  • There are 263 known fish species in the Tennessee River, and 58 of these species are found only in the Tennessee River. Many of these species help keep the water clean and certain species’ health can be an indicator of broader issues with the river.
  • The Southeast receives little federal funding relative to the freshwater biodiversity of the region—it is home to 30% of threatened and endangered fish, but receives less than one percent of state and federal funding for fish conservation. 

 
 
See the video   Check in soon to see the summary

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing about climate adaptation, resilience, and mitigation strategies in the Columbia River basin. The Columbia, which winds through British Columbia, Oregon, and Washington state, is an important source of food, drinking water, irrigation, recreation, and clean energy for the Pacific Northwest. However, the effects of climate change have created and exacerbated problems like estuarine habitat loss, toxic algal blooms, low water levels, and diminished fish populations, highlighting the importance of finding science-based solutions to these issues. 

This briefing discussed the outcomes of the Uncommon Dialogue, which brought together tribes, national and local government, the hydropower industry, and river conservation stakeholders to identify shared approaches to steward river health and safety while ensuring hydropower operations provide clean, affordable energy. Panelists discussed the role of federal investments in the Columbia River’s resilience and health, including Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding.
 

Check in soon for briefing highlights.

 

 

Wednesday, February 19, 2025 • 2:00 - 3:30 PM EST
Online only
Live webcast will be streamed at eesi.org/livecast

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing highlighting strategies for improving the resilience and restoring the health of the Colorado River and its tributaries. The Colorado River basin serves as an essential source of agricultural, residential, and commercial water for communities and tribes in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and California as well as our neighbors across the border in Mexico. However, the river faces severe water stress, resulting in dwindling reservoirs. This water stress, exacerbated by climate change, threatens to degrade the river and jeopardize the ecosystems dependent on it.

This briefing will focus on the role of federal policy in supporting stakeholders across the West as they address the impacts of drought and water stress through effective water conservation, measurement, and allocation. Panelists will discuss the importance of collaboration between tribes, industry, communities, and local and federal government to restore river vitality and ensure equitable water availability for generations to come.

 

The Hudson River

Date and time to be announced
Online only
Live webcast will be streamed at eesi.org/livecast

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing to spotlight policies and strategies to build a healthier, cleaner Hudson River. As the river spans both rural and hyper-urban areas across New York and part of New Jersey, it requires a wide range of solutions to address issues ranging from flood prevention and invasive species management to pharmaceutical contamination and plastic pollution. 

Given the range of pollutants impacting the Hudson, the steps and strategies being adopted to improve its water quality are instructive for efforts to reduce pollution in rivers across the country. The Hudson River basin’s role in helping supply water to over 19 million people in the New York City metro area underscores the national importance of federal agency involvement in regulating the river’s water quality and supporting its clean-up efforts. The briefing will discuss the future of a fishable and swimmable Hudson River, and how federal policies and practices can help safeguard the river for generations to come. 

 

The Ohio River

Date and time to be announced
Online only
Live webcast will be streamed at eesi.org/livecast

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing discussing how policymakers and community stakeholders can help restore the health of the Ohio River. The Ohio spans Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois, and is considered one of the most heavily polluted rivers in the country due to high levels of industrial discharge. Nitrates, heavy metals, forever chemicals, and the butyl acrylate leaked by the derailed train in New Palestine —all these pollutants continue to jeopardize the Ohio River’s health.

Given the disproportionally frequent location of manufacturing near economically disadvantaged areas, remediating the health of the Ohio River has essential environmental justice implications for the surrounding communities. This briefing will highlight ways that collaboration between federal and state government, industry, and local stakeholders can prevent and mitigate pollution on the Ohio River.

 

“Small But Mighty” Rivers

Date and time to be announced
Online only
Live webcast will be streamed at eesi.org/livecast

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing showcasing four “small but mighty” rivers in the United States and the unique ways their communities are rising to meet environmental and climate challenges. Although much attention is paid to America’s largest rivers, smaller rivers across the country are also excellent case studies in adapting and responding to acute and long-term environmental challenges.

At this briefing, panelists working with communities along these crucial rivers will discuss best practices for river health and resilience. The Eel River in California, designated as Wild and Scenic by federal authorities, has seen its stakeholders push for dam removal to restore river health and safety, while stewards of the Carolinas’ Catawba River are working to limit dangerous runoff from concentrated animal feeding operations. Meanwhile, Vermonters along the Winooski River face flooding challenges that demand resilience strategies, and D.C. is working to limit sewage overflow into the Anacostia River to make it swimmable.

Small and medium-sized rivers like these are the lifeblood of many communities, and federal policymakers can play an essential role in enabling and invigorating local solutions.

 

For more information, contact Dan O'Brien at [email protected] or (202) 662-1880.

 

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