River restoration

American Rivers advocates for the restoration of rivers and streams that have been damaged by human activity. Primarily, this involves dam removal, culvert replacement, and floodplain restoration. The organization claims to have been directly involved in over 200 dam removals,^[3] providing funding in some cases.^[4] American Rivers also maintains a public database of all known dam removals in the United States since 1912,^[5] and publishes reports on the state of dam removal in the country.^[6]

America's Most Endangered Rivers

Each year since 1984, American Rivers has published a list of "America's Most Endangered Rivers". Three criteria are given for inclusion on the list:^[7]

• The river is of regional or national significance to people and wildlife.
• The river and communities that depend on it are under significant threat.
• The river will face a major decision in the coming year that the public can help influence.

River of the Year

In 2019 American Rivers announced its first "River of the Year". The designation recognizes historically degraded rivers that have made significant progress toward recovery.

National River Cleanup

Started in 1991, the National River Cleanup program promotes volunteer litter cleanup events.^[12][13] As of 2023^[update], American Rivers is a partner of National CleanUp Day.^[14]