Our Mission
Friends of the River protects and restores California rivers by influencing public policy and inspiring citizen action.
Our Values
FOR believes that healthy rivers are critical to a climate resilient water future in California. The solutions must be:
Equitable: Healthy rivers are free-flowing and the heart of biodiverse ecosystems essential to human livelihood, a sustainable economy and a climate resilient water future for all.
Timely: The climate crisis is here, which requires urgent action to defend and advocate for California’s rivers as the lifeblood of the state.
Practical: People can save rivers, and to save rivers we must defend rivers from threats and protect them by offering resilient water solutions that are designed for climate change.
Nature-Based: Resilient water solutions for rivers are sustainable, equitable and collaborative, which means prioritizing natural working systems, water reuse, and large-scale water conservation.
About Us
Friends of the River (FOR) is dedicated to preserving and restoring California's rivers, streams, and their watersheds as well as advocating for sustainable water management.
Friends of the River was founded in 1973 during the struggle to save the Stanislaus River from New Melones Dam. Following that campaign, we grew to become California's statewide river conservation organization.
Friends of the River is nationally recognized as an authority on the adverse impacts of dams on rivers and ecosystems and is the most effective grassroots organization working on behalf of rivers. We have led successful campaigns for the permanent protection of many outstanding California rivers and streams - including the Kings, Kern, Merced, Tuolumne, upper Klamath, West Walker, East Carson, Sisquoc, and Big Sur Rivers, as well as Sespe Creek and Cache Creek. Friends of the River has 3,500 members, 7 staff, and a 10 member Board of Directors.
Friends of the River has helped create many watershed-based citizens' groups, among them Friends of the Trinity River, Friends of the Kern River, the South Yuba River Citizens League, the Tuolumne River Preservation Trust and the Stanislaus River Council. We also coordinate or participate in several major statewide and national campaigns and coalitions, including The American River Coalition, Restore the Delta, The California Hydropower Reform Coalition, Beyond Searsville Dam, and The Environmental Water Caucus.
