Where We Work

Western Rivers Conservancy protects outstanding rivers in the eleven contiguous western states: Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. We have built a record of success in the Pacific Northwest since 1988. Now, we are expanding our work into the interior West and southwest.

We work to protect the integrity of rivers so they can perform their vital functions.

Some of the elements of river systems that we focus on:

Headwaters. We conserve the forested headwater lands that produce abundant supplies of clean water.
Floodplains. We acquire frequently flooded lands that should be restored to natural floodplain vegetation, to act as a "sponge" for floodwaters.
Riparian woodlands and wetlands. The riparian fringe is the critical filter to keep pollutants and soil from entering the river and provides fish and wildlife habitat.
River greenways. Ninety percent of our cities are located on rivers, and river greenways are often the best hope for urban open space.
Estuaries. Where the river meets the ocean is the place of greatest biological productivity.