Rivers Uniting 

Success

Communities

es of Community Partners of the American Heritage Rivers Initiative
protect. restore. revive. sustain. preserve. protect. restore. revive. sustain. preser ve.

Woonasquatucket River -

Groundbreaking for the

Riverside Mills project to

restore greenspace and stimulate investment along the

Woonasquatucket River in

Rhode Island.

Upper Mississippi River -

Family bicycle outing on the

Old Chain of Rocks Bridge.

Photo: Courtesy of Trailnet.

Upper SusquehannaLackawanna Rivers -

Measuring real-time water

quality in the Susquehanna

River. This equipment facilitates environmental assessment and cleanup strategies

in the watershed. Photo:

Courtesy of Kurt Salonick,

sponsored by the Rural GIS

USDA program.

Detroit River - Over 1.2

million people flock to Detroit’s

waterfront to celebrate the

Detroit Red Wings as the 2002

Stanley Cup champions. In

total, 17 greenways projects

have been or are being constructed along the Detroit

River. Photo: Courtesy of the

Southeast Michigan Council

of Governments.
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Throughout the communities of our nation, residents take great pride in the places they call home.

Residents of river communities recognize that it

makes good economic sense to preserve, restore,

and protect the natural and cultural assets of the

rivers that run through their hills, towns and

cities, fields and forests, swamps and bogs, and

eventually settle into tidal waters. Communities

are working tirelessly to sustain the quality and

integrity of our nation’s rivers for both present and

future generations. The American Heritage Rivers

(AHR) Initiative is a creative, community-based

program that is truly making a difference by fostering community pride, improving quality of life, and

strengthening economies. Indeed, both business

and community leaders are championing the tenets

of stewardship and revitalization because they

help attract and retain the next generation and

help achieve competitive advantage. Further, championing stewardship and revitalization helps keep

a community vibrant—a healthy place to live,

looking to the future, connected to the past, and

maintaining a strong sense of community pride

and responsibility.

Rio Grande - Volunteers

do much of the restoration

work at Rio Bosque Wetlands

Park in El Paso, Texas. Photo:

Courtesy of the University of

Texas at El Paso.

Potomac River - A group

of students from Forest Park

High School examining an

electric vehicle at a recent

Founder's Day celebration at

Prince William Forest Park.

Hanalei Heritage River -

Hanalei community participates in riparian restoration

using native Hawaiian

plants. Photo: Courtesy of

Adam Asquith.

Connecticut River -

Massachusetts and

Connecticut community leaders gathered to create a vision

for growth and conservation

in the Connecticut River

Valley. Photo: Courtesy of

Whitty Sanford, Connecticut

River Watershed Council.

Rivers Uniting Communities

Successes of Community Partners of the American Heritage

Rivers Initiative
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Rivers Uniting Communities

Successes of Community Partners of the American Heritage Rivers Initiative

The AHR Initiative is working because it is locallydriven; helps build local capacity; fosters partnerships

among communities, government, and business; is

responsive, efficient, and effective; ensures balanced

and continuous economic, environmental, and

social/cultural progress; delivers results; attracts

resources; encourages a watershed perspective; and

enjoys nonpartisan support. Community and

business partners have attributed the success of

the AHR Initiative to the following factors:

■ White House backing;

■ High-level agency access;

■ Intergovernmental focus (not in one agency 

or department);

■ Broad focus that addresses all three “legs of the

stool” (i.e., environmental stewardship, economic

development, and historic/cultural preservation);

■ Secretariat with dedicated resources for coordination and communication; and

■ Federal agency accountability.

Community partners have seen first-hand the

benefits of the AHR Initiative. Indeed, the initiative

has been a catalyst for many projects and achievements. Examples of accomplishments include:

■ Providing improved access – communities that

lacked effective access to federal agencies are

now being heard through the assistance of

River Navigators, federally-supported liaisons

for each designated river.

■ Leveraging federal investment – AHR has

returned 10:1 on federal investment.

■ Fostering and communicating a community vision

for local river systems – AHR, through its River

Navigators, has been very effective in sharing

each river’s community vision to provide

strategic direction to federal and state programs.

■ Building broad-based partnerships – AHR has

been extremely successful in building strong

institutional structures that have helped communities reach agreement on priorities and

that have communicated these priorities locally,

regionally, and nationally.

■ Achieving a balanced approach among economy,

environment, and society – communities are

ensuring that consideration is given to economic,

environmental, and societal concerns in decision-making processes.

■ Adding value to community projects – through a

process of clarifying roles and responsibilities,

the federal government has been able to focus

its resources to help make community projects

a reality.

■ Sharing information – local communities and

federal agencies now have a steady, reliable stream

of information assisting them to accomplish

their missions.

■ Fostering flexibility – through direct participation in local AHR institutional structures, the

federal government has been able to enter into

partnerships and cooperative agreements with

their community partners that have proven

effective in delivering federal assistance.

■ Creating efficiencies – because of the spirit of

cooperation that exists in the AHR Initiative,

accessing federal and state programs has been

more efficient in achieving results for communities, and communities are learning to use

federal agency processes more effectively, some

for the first time, thus avoiding delays and

frustrations in obtaining federal assistance.

The AHR Initiative is an excellent example of a

community-driven effort that is achieving substantial results. AHR communities have enthusiastically embraced the federal government’s desire

to assist them in restoring their rivers, preserving

their economies, and celebrating their history and

cultures. Communities have invested considerable

time, effort, and resources to make this initiative

a success. This nonpartisan initiative is poised to

achieve even greater success as a result of the

foundation that has been laid. Further, it has laid

the groundwork and developed an infrastructure,

thereby cultivating the next generation of Americans

to care for our nation’s rivers and strengthen the

American Heritage Rivers: Local partnerships working to create vibrant river 

communities—healthy places to live, that

are looking to the future, connected to

the past, and maintaining a strong sense

of community pride and stewardship.
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communities and economies that rely on them.

The problems associated with restoring American

Heritage Rivers can be resolved more cost-effectively through strong partnerships between federal

and state governments, tribes, and local communities and businesses that pool resources from all

sources—as embodied in the AHR Initiative. 

Community partners have called for strengthening, sustaining, and even expanding the initiative

based on the success that it has achieved. To date,

the AHR Initiative has achieved substantial success,

including helping to leverage $250 million in

funding for natural resource and environmental

protection, economic revitalization, and historic

and cultural preservation. Summaries of accomplishments for each American Heritage River follow.

Again, the AHR Initiative has returned no less

than 10:1 on federal investment. The AHR

Initiative has proven that our great nation can

indeed balance and achieve progress in all three

areas—environment, economy, and history/culture.

Annual Report 2002

American Heritage Rivers

To date, the AHR Initiative has achieved

substantial success, including helping to

leverage $250 million in funding for

natural resource and environmental 

protection, economic revitalization, and

historic and cultural preservation.

Community Partners

Recommend That:

■ The Administration ensure the continuation

and enhancement of the existing framework of interagency cooperation identified

in Executive Order 13061 by:

– Continuing the Interagency Committee

at the Under Secretary level and an

Interagency Task Force to champion

goals of the Initiative; 

– Allowing federal agencies to continue

sponsoring full-time River Navigators as

the focal point for our AHR efforts and

providing them with sufficient resources

to enhance their ability to provide the

services and assistance we seek; and 

– Providing increased focus and direction

to federal agencies for commitment of

resources to match community, state,

and other investments in AHR projects.

■ The Administration consider designating six

new American Heritage Rivers in 2003.

■ The Administration ensure adequate staffing

of the AHR Initiative through creative interagency partnerships.

■ Agencies give priority to AHR “keystone

projects” for funding.

■ River Navigators continue to streamline 

red tape and help deliver community 

priorities.

■ Community partners attract more business

partners to the AHR Initiative. 

■ All levels of government communicate the

value and benefits of AHR in an effective

and timely fashion.

■ Senior agency management continues to

participate in national AHR conferences, as

was held on October 8-10, 2002, in

Detroit, Michigan.

Bald eagle,

peregrine falcon, and bog

turtle programs,

among others,

are a priority 

in the Hudson

River watershed.

#
4

Summaries of River

Accomplishments 

Blackstone-Woonasquatucket

Rivers (MA/RI)

The Blackstone-Woonasquatucket AHR

Initiative has brought awareness, partnerships,

and resources to the 26 river communities in

Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Successes include:

establishment of independent watershed councils

with state recognition and local funding; inventories of riparian and wetland restoration projects

in the Woonasquatucket; a “brownfields-togreenfields” restoration project; two economic

development projects in the Blackstone; several

environmental restoration projects; and signage for

communities and an asset map of local cultural,

historic, economic, and recreational resources in the

watershed. More than $8 million has been raised,

with numerous partners sponsoring local matches

and serving as stewards of their communities.

Connecticut River (CT/VT/NH/MA)

The Connecticut AHR Initiative and the

Connecticut River Watershed Council have been

highly successful at bringing focused federal government attention to the projects brought forward

by the community partners of the initiative, to

the four states that are part of the watershed, and

to the valley’s rural and urban areas alike. With

the entire watershed and 396 towns and cities

making up the designated Connecticut AHR, the

number of local partners is substantial: 250

groups, communities, and agencies and 1,600

individuals, organizations, and businesses supporting the initiative. Success and progress with

most of the 29 projects proposed in the nomination has created interest on the part of others to

submit projects for the designation and for many

to proudly claim the designation in their marketing and business endeavors. 

Substantial progress has been made on local and

watershed-wide projects, including river habitat

restoration through removal of obsolete dams and

construction of fishways, inventory and abatement

of severe riverbank erosion sites, farm assistance

to address nonpoint source pollution, creation of

sustainable growth action teams, brownfield site

assessment and redevelopment, heritage tourism,

and a Connecticut River Partnership grant program.

During the first 3 years, the Connecticut American

Heritage River Initiative has leveraged over $4.1

million in government grants and technical assistance

[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

(NOAA), Economic Development Administration

(EDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA),

Department of the Interior, Department of

Transportation, U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA)], representing over a 10:1 return

on the investment.

Cuyahoga River (OH)

The Cuyahoga AHR has helped galvanize local

attention to the river. Cuyahoga River and AHR

community actions have been featured in numerous newspaper articles, including the New York

Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Sun Times, and Akron

Beacon Herald. A state-of-the-river symposium,

three watershed workshops, and over 100 programs

were presented to local communities and organizations to promote the unique watershed and its

history, water quality, and current opportunities.

Funds have been raised from local foundations

and businesses to begin shooting a Cuyahoga

AHR video for the Public Broadcasting System.

Rivers Uniting Communities

Successes of Community Partners of the American Heritage Rivers Initiative

Groundbreaking for the Riverside Mills project to restore greenspace and stimulate investment along the Woonasquatucket River

in Rhode Island.

Newly installed fishway at the Upper Mill Pond

Dam is part of a watershed-wide program to

restore migratory fisheries to the Connecticut

River. Photo: Courtesy of Chris Joyell, Connecticut

River Watershed Council.
Annual Report 2002

American Heritage Rivers

The initiative has helped secure funding for a

watershed interpretive plan, signing and displays,

fish consumption advisories, wetland restoration,

and watershed brochures. Grants have been

obtained from federal and state agencies to help

communities plan for wise growth, develop local

watershed plans, form local watershed groups,

produce GIS-based watershed maps, and conduct

training on best management practices for rural

road runoff for Northeast Ohio county and

township road departments.

Assistance has been provided for the removal of an

abandoned railroad trestle, development of studies for the removal/modification of the Kent and

Munroe Falls dams, and for a U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers (USACE) study to help improve aquatic

habitat in the navigational channel. Numerous

grant applications have been submitted and are

now under review for watershed improvement,

wetland inventory, land use planning, wetland

restoration, and economic revitalization. Direct

financial returns are over $900,000, and AHR

partners have leveraged over $1.5 million, which

represents over three times the cost of the program.

In 1969, the Cuyahoga gained national attention

as the “river that burned” when a spark from a

passing train ignited surface oils and debris. Oil

slicks, floating debris, raw sewage, and obnoxious

odors kept people away from the river. Pleasure

boating and fishing in the river were unheard of.

Since that time, local communities, businesses,

private citizens, and governmental and conservation

organizations have worked together to clean up

the river, protect natural and historic sites, and

completely revitalize the downtown Cleveland

riverfront. The river, which was virtually devoid of

fish, now supports over 70 species. Violations of

water quality standards are now rare. There are now

five new private “stacker” marinas in the Cleveland

area and pleasure boats crowd the entertainment

district in the flats near the river’s mouth. 

Detroit River (MI)

The Greater Detroit AHR Initiative has become

part of the fabric of the local civic structure of the

metropolitan Detroit area, as the city of Detroit

and its southern neighbors become more interested

once again in what the Detroit River has to offer

their communities, especially recreation, history,

economic growth and a restored quality of life.

There has been extremely broad support for the

Detroit AHR from the start: over 175 letters of

support from local governments, business/industry,

faith-based groups, citizens, and Canadian organizations were submitted with its 1997 nomination

for AHR status. The current steering committee

contains over 50 members from elected positions,

non-governmental groups, chambers of commerce,

private companies, and state agencies. 

The Greater Detroit AHR Initiative has been

highly successful at catalyzing numerous publicprivate partnerships for local projects, including

17 greenways projects, 11 “soft engineering”

demonstration projects that reverse or prevent

hardened shorelines (with a corresponding manual

published online), six projects that help restore a

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A fresh snow on the Cuyahoga in the Cuyahoga

National Park. Photo: Courtesy of Steven Davis,

U.S. Forest Service.

The Flat Rock-Rockwood-Brownstown East/West Connector is a 

5-mile greenway trail that connects 4,800 acres of parkland in the

Huron River watershed with the lower Detroit River and 4,000

acres of state game land. Construction of this $2.3 million keystone project began in 2002. Photo: Courtesy of Ron Klingel, City 

of Flat Rock.
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980-acre historic island urban park called Belle

Isle, and three projects that help restore historic

Fort Wayne. Federal support has come from

many agencies, including the Departments of

Transportation and Interior, USACE, and others.

Besides being designated as one of 14 American

Heritage Rivers in 1998 by the President of the

United States, the Detroit River received a

Canadian Heritage River designation by the

Government of Canada in 2001, making it the

first international heritage river system in the

world. Further, in 2001 the Detroit River was

designated the first International Wildlife Refuge

in North America because of its biodiversity and

critical habitats. The Detroit AHR was featured

prominently in celebrations for Detroit’s 300th

birthday in 2001. This river community is pinning its future on the revitalized riverfront and

improved quality of life found in its AHR action

plan. During the first 3 years, the Greater Detroit

AHR Initiative has leveraged over $13 million,

representing over a 20:1 return on the investment.

Hanalei River (HI)

The Hanalei River is one of only two navigable

waterways in Hawaii. Seventeen miles long and

beginning at the wettest place on earth, Mt.

Waialeale, the river runs through a verdant valley

ending in one of Hawaii’s most pristine estuaries.

The designation as an American Heritage River

provided the small community an opportunity to

articulate its concerns and prioritize projects

related to the preservation of ancient agricultural

lands and globally valued recreational resources.

Hanalei people gathered and, utilizing traditional

“hui” consensus processes, developed a 5-year watershed action plan. Through the AHR Initiative, the

Hanalei Heritage River Project enjoys the active

partnership of many federal, state, and Kauai

County agencies. Thirteen federal, four state,

and six county agencies collaborate on a regular

basis and assist the community in their effort to

better understand the status of resources in the

watershed and plan for protection and restoration where needed. More than a dozen local

non-governmental organizations; six educational

institutions, including the University of Hawaii;

15 local businesses; and many others agreed to

cooperate and find ways to support our efforts.

For example, businesses have contributed by providing supplies and equipment to implement several projects. Agencies donate regularly by working to transfer the Hanalei model effort to other

communities throughout Hawaii. 

Administratively funded by the USDA Forest

Service, governed by a hui of volunteers, and

coordinated by elected staff, the Hanalei Heritage

River Program has enjoyed enthusiastic support

from all partners. With in-kind community

matches exceeding direct funding, the impact 

of the initiative in Hanalei is exemplified by the

program’s ability to convene conversations between

partners with real results. The value of this

leverage cannot be measured in monetary

terms. The community is heard and helped as it

strives to steward resources and economic diversity.

One of the major ongoing projects is the highly

successful citizen-based water quality monitoring

program, with U.S. Geological Survey leadership,

which has identified significant fecal coliform

contamination in the Hanalei; there had been

limited monitoring of the river until this monitoring began. Extensive growth of the exotic hau

bush along the banks of the Hanalei is also a

problem, and the community has obtained a

Five-Star EPA/National Fish and Wildlife

Foundation grant to study alternative removal

techniques. The community continues to work

on another key objective of the Hanalei AHR -

improving communication between local taro

farmers and federal and state officials whose 

programs could affect this cultural and sacred

resource of Hawaii.

Rivers Uniting Communities

Successes of Community Partners of the American Heritage Rivers Initiative

Taro (kalo), the staple food of Polynesians, is the cultural-economic

link of the Hawaiian people to their creation as kanaka maoli,

native people. Taro, sibling of the first human, today provides the

world with many nutritious products and a magnificent Hanalei

agricultural landscape.
Annual Report 2002

American Heritage Rivers

The Hanalei Heritage River Program was honored in February with an invitation from NOAA

to travel to New York City to speak at a United

Nations preparatory meeting for the 2002 Earth

Summit in Johannesburg. Hanalei’s community-based program and water quality monitoring

projects were presented as “real time” sustainability models. 

The Hanalei Heritage River Program does not

measure its successes in dollars, but rather in traditional terms of building consensus and its ability

to support those actions appropriate to this special

place and its heritage.

Hudson River (NY)

The Hudson American Heritage River Initiative

in New York brings together an active local, state,

and federal partnership that represents 15 federal

agencies, seven state agencies, and over 300 local

groups and individuals committed to one or more

of the 40 active AHRI projects on the Hudson. In

the past several years, New Yorkers have taken

extraordinary steps to clean and protect the 315-

mile long Hudson River, and the American

Heritage Rivers Initiative ensures that federal

attention as well is focused on this river of historic importance. 

The Hudson has received focused attention by the

New York State and the federal governments in

recent years. In 2002 alone, Governor George E.

Pataki, the official AHR community partner,

committed more than $2.8 million for high-priority

projects to improve water quality within the

Hudson River Estuary. This funding builds on

the Governor’s unprecedented commitment to

revitalize the Hudson River while protecting and

enhancing surrounding river communities. For

example, since 1995, Governor Pataki has made

the restoration and protection of the Hudson River

a priority and has committed a total of more than

$173 million in state funds for projects to implement the priorities of the Hudson River estuary

management plan. The plan emphasizes managing

aquatic resources, preserving open space, enhancing

recreational opportunities, improving water quality,

revitalizing the river’s economy, and promoting

stewardship through partnerships. 

By serving as a facilitator to ease complexities of

federal permitting processes, the Hudson AHR

Initiative has helped to lower the costs to local

governments (estimated at $610,000) for developing riverfront water-based activities. In another

success, the Hudson River Navigator has assisted in

the transfer of three federal properties (light stations)

to state and local groups. The lighthouses and light

attendant stations are key to local economic

development and river access. Local estimates of

their combined value exceed $4.5 million. Other

ongoing AHRI projects are expected to attract an

additional $4.9 million over the next several years.

Additionally, the initiative has brought substantial

non-monetary benefits to the Hudson simply by

having a River Navigator coordinating federal

activities on a daily basis with state and local

partnerships. Through this innovative, collaborative

approach, the Hudson River stands as a model

for effective implementation of the initiative. 

Lower Mississippi River (TN/LA/MS)

Community partners in the Lower Mississippi

River region continue to grow in all aspects related

to the American Heritage River in Tennessee,

Mississippi, and Louisiana. In Tennessee, the

Memphis Riverfront Development Corporation,

created to shepherd the renovation of the city’s

waterfront, has invested over $1 million to develop

a master plan. The city of Memphis has spent

approximately $7 million (including $1.7 million

in federal transportation enhancement grants) for

construction of a portion of a bluff riverwalk and

restoration of historical riverfront cobblestones, and 7

The Esopus Meadows lighthouse, on the Hudson

River in Port Ewen, New York, was transferred

from the U.S. Coast Guard into a public trust

under the AHR Initiative. The lighthouse will be

operated by a non-profit group as a museum

and educational facility for the public. Photo:

Courtesy of Eric Scherer.
8

is spending $100,000 for a master plan for the

Wolf River greenway. Memphis has also allocated

$2 million to acquire land along the Nonconnah

River in conjunction with a USACE flood control

project that will be the foundation for the

Nonconnah River greenway. 

In Mississippi, the communities of Vicksburg

and Natchez continue to work to obtain funding

from numerous sources to restore their historical

towns and waterfronts. Each city and its surrounding county have submitted a proposal to

the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)

requesting to be added to the Lower Mississippi

AHR designation.

The designated stretch of the Lower Mississippi

in Louisiana runs from Baton Rouge to the Gulf

of Mexico. The Woodlands Trail and Park located

in Belle Chase, Louisiana, is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the natural environment in one of the region’s last stands of bottomland hardwoods. Woodlands is collaborating with

many partners including the National Park Service

(NPS), U.S. Navy, Tulane University, the state,

and local parish governments to bring their project

to fruition. Eleven Louisiana parishes are AHR

partners, actively restoring their cultural heritage

by facilitating the restoration of plantation homes

and riverfront communities, and by creating scenic

overlooks and pedestrian/bike pathways that will

connect the parishes, creating greater accessibility

for the local communities and visitors alike. In

New Orleans, the planning for a National Center

of the Mississippi River is underway. The center

will house research laboratories, classrooms, conference rooms, a major museum affiliated with

the Smithsonian Institution, and a waterfront

amphitheater. The city has also worked to obtain

funding through the EPA, USACE, Xavier

University, and Louisiana Department of

Environmental Quality for a brownfield restoration

project to provide much needed space for the

expansion of Booker T. Washington Vocational

High School. Support of these achievements by

the American Heritage Rivers Initiative will only

help to ensure the success of their growth and

prosperity as river communities. 

Upper Mississippi River

(MN/WI/IL/MO/IA)

The Upper Mississippi AHR Initiative encompasses

over 50 individual river communities, including

those in St. Louis and Hannibal, Missouri; the

Quad Cities at Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa;

Moline and Rock Island, Illinois; as well as other

medium-sized river towns in Iowa, Illinois,

Wisconsin, and north to the Twin Cities of St.

Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, and many of

the smaller river towns of this metropolitan area.

There is a proposal pending at CEQ from seven

additional river communities and the entire

Mississippi Headwaters watershed in Minnesota to

“opt-in” to the Upper Mississippi AHR designation.

Despite the fact that this AHR designation covers

the most diverse collection of river communities,

community partners along the Upper Mississippi

Rivers Uniting Communities

Successes of Community Partners of the American Heritage Rivers Initiative

Memphis has constructed a bluff riverwalk and restored historical

riverfront cobblestones along the Lower Mississippi River.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has

completed the first phase of Mill Ruins Park, an

urban archaeological park, including installation of

trails, re-opening of the main trailrace that empties

into the Upper Mississippi Rivers and excavation of

the first section of historic flour mill foundations.

Photo: Courtesy of the Minneapolis Community

Development Agency.
Annual Report 2002

American Heritage Rivers

River have successfully utilized the AHR Initiative

in their efforts to form new partnerships, and these

have resulted in numerous accomplishments. 

Examples include the formation of a Twin Cities

AHR Initiative plan of action that includes 19

river communities and over 40 river organizations

working together in the Minneapolis/St. Paul

metropolitan area. In Minneapolis, over 2,000

housing units are under construction; many historic buildings have been preserved and key park

and trail projects completed. Construction is

underway at the Minnesota Historical Society’s

Mill City Museum, a major interpretive center

that has been designated by the “Save America’s

Treasures” effort. In Saint Paul, a new riverfront

Science Museum of Minnesota, includes a

Mississippi River Gallery created in partnership

with NPS, and a new Mississippi River National

Center is expected to open in 2003. In addition

to the numerous local projects underway, work

groups organized on issues of shared interest are

beginning to achieve results and have increased

the number of local partners involved in the AHR

Initiative, including the planned development of

a surface water management plan in partnership

with the USACE. 

One major shared effort is the planned re-creation

of an excursion led by former President Millard

Fillmore from the Quad Cities to the Twin Cities

in 1854. Named the Grand Excursion 2004, this

large-scale event includes related educational programming. It has provided additional momentum

to local governments to complete riverfront projects

to showcase the Mississippi River and the Upper

Midwest to the rest of the country and the world. 

At the Port of Dubuque, Iowa, efforts to reshape

the riverfront are focused on establishing a

national campus that is devoted to learning about

and exploring the Mississippi River. Their $188

million America’s River project features the

Mississippi River Discovery Center, a 68,000-

square-foot interpretive center with aquariums

and interactive exhibits; the River National

Conference and Education Center; the Grand

Harbor Hotel; and the Riverwalk, complete 

with a riverfront amphitheater, boat docks, 

and hiking/biking trails.

Other partnerships are successfully working in

the Quad Cities and St. Louis metropolitan areas,

where work is focused on community redevelopment, green space, preserving cultural sites, and

educational outreach. Many other participating

river communities have also attracted resources to

help them achieve significant accomplishments.

For example, Great River Greening, a major

reforestation program, has planted 26,000 trees

and shrubs, and nearly 12,000 wildflowers, and

restored nearly 47 acres of prairie along the river.

The upcoming bicentennial of the Lewis & Clark

expedition is spurring new river projects in the

St. Louis metropolitan area of Missouri and

Illinois. Non-profit and governmental agencies

are working in partnership to create the Confluence

Greenway, a 200 square-mile corridor along the

Mississippi that conserves and restores significant

open space as the foundation for an extensive

network of recreational trails linking the area’s

many sites of natural and historical importance.

Over the last 3 years, community partners have

successfully leveraged well over $100 million in

support of these projects; however, this support

represents only a small part of the total needed.

New River (NC/VA/WV)

The New River AHR Initiative and the New

River Community Partners have been highly 

successful at advancing numerous proposals

9

New River Community Partners—in partnership with New River

State Park, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the North

Carolina Division of Water Resources—has secured funding for

three state park projects that will result in major stream bank stabilization and repair, the addition of prime migratory bird habitat,

and a workshop on stream bank stabilization techniques targeted

toward private landowners. Photo: Courtesy of New River State Park.
10

borne out of their 1999 Watershed Work Plan

that includes over 335 proposals in 21 counties in

North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. These

335 proposals fall within six major categories:

historic and cultural preservation, economic revitalization, natural resource protection, education and

training, agriculture, and transportation and trails.

Notable ongoing successes include: the Ashe County

Courthouse Renovation, the Blue Ridge Telecenter,

the New River Sustainable Agriculture Initiative,

a hazard mitigation plan for the New River

watershed, the Todd projects, and the New

River Blueway project. During their first 3 years,

the New River Community Partners have assisted

community partners in leveraging over $20 million

in federal, state, local, and private funds.

Potomac River (MD/VA/WV/PA/DC)

The Potomac AHR Initiative has been an effective

way to help local governments, private groups, and

businesses help themselves to regenerate the ecology and economy of the watershed. Through its

community partner, Friends of the Potomac, the

focus in the Potomac basin, “the Nation’s River,”

has been directed at local citizens, initiatives, and

decision-making. Working in partnership with its

200-member organizations and playing an important catalytic role, the Friends of the Potomac has

used federal recognition to secure financial, technical, and information services to educate citizens,

build local capacity, broker federal resources, celebrate water quality and living resource improvements, and recognize exemplary local and private

sector achievements. Specifically, the Friends, with

assistance from federal agencies, has: 

■ Established a Potomac River Center that currently houses five watershed-based organizations

and provides a gathering place for watershed

groups throughout the basin (NPS, General

Services Administration);

■ Developed a watershed-based “Leadership

Potomac” training program (EPA); 

■ Assisted more than 1,000 community leaders

through 12 community partner workshops;

■ Held an annual Nation’s River Bass

Tournament;

■ Helped to launch a watershed-wide heritage

tourism initiative; 

■ Published a monthly newsletter that goes to

500 watershed leaders; 

■ Recognized 20 local Potomac initiatives; and 

■ Secured more than $2 million in federal grants

and over $100,000 in private funds.

Moreover, since the Potomac was designated an

American Heritage River, the Friends effort has

leveraged an additional $6 million in grants and

services to watershed communities.

Rio Grande (TX)

Communities from El Paso to Brownsville came

together to nominate the Texas portion of the

Rio Grande as an American Heritage River. The

Consortium of the Rio Grande, or CoRio, membership was drawn from 25 cities, seven counties,

and other local organizations along the river whose

jurisdictions cover 2 million people. The AHR

nomination was spearheaded by a 150-member

citizens advisory committee, which developed

CoRio’s primary objectives. Various regional and

local non-profits are also furthering the goals of

CoRio’s primary objectives and those of the Rio

Grande AHR. For example, the Rio Grande

Institute is assisting communities in disaster mitigation and capacity building, securing support

from FEMA and EDA. Like the Detroit AHR,

the Rio Grande runs along a U.S. border, and the

Rio Grande Institute is working bi-nationally to

develop grassroots strategies for Rio Grande

watershed protection.

Among specific successes, El Paso is directing its

energies toward creation of a 42-mile Rio Grande

Riverpark, with support from the NPS, connecting

Rivers Uniting Communities

Successes of Community Partners of the American Heritage Rivers Initiative

The Leadership Potomac class at the Fairfax Stone, the source of

the Potomac River. Photo: Courtesy of Dasha Kimmelman of the

Friends of the Potomac.
Annual Report 2002

American Heritage Rivers

significant sites along the river corridor through a

series of trails, cultural destinations, community

parks, and historical markers. A Housing and

Urban Development project in El Paso has provided elderly housing in Socorro. The NPS has

provided funds for land acquisition and construction of the Palo Alto Battlefield Heritage Center

near Brownsville, securing matching state and

private foundation grants. Brownsville is actively

pursuing a resaca (oxbow lake) restoration project

and creation of a linear park with USACE support. Laredo is working toward fulfillment of its

vision for the El Portal riverfront project, also

with USACE support. This project seeks to make

full use of the Rio Grande as an economic resource

(commercial development and tourism), while also

emphasizing the ecological, geological, cultural,

historical, and recreational values shared throughout the river communities.

So far, community partners have been successful

in leveraging over $9 million in local, state, and

federal dollars to assist them in completing many

important projects designed to fulfill the objectives

and reflect the honor associated with the Rio

Grande’s designation as an American Heritage

River. The designation has been instrumental in

building a renewed spirit of partnership among

participating communities along North America’s

fifth longest river. The cities of El Paso, Brownsville,

and Laredo have been key participants in a dynamic

effort to seek economic revitalization while also

protecting the natural environment and preserving the river’s vast cultural and historic resources. 

St. Johns River (FL)

The AHR Initiative has fostered stronger ties

among communities along the 310-mile run of

the St. Johns River and increased interest in the

river’s history, culture, and natural resources. The

St. Johns AHR is guided by a steering committee

composed of 26 members, including one member

of Congress, five county commissioners, and two

mayors. Three river basin advisory committees

(Upper, Middle, and Lower) advise the steering

committee; each advisory committee has two

county commissioners and membership ranging

from 20 to 26 members. The Lower St. Johns

River Basin Advisory Committee also has four

mayors, including the Mayor of Jacksonville,

John Delaney, who is the official community

partner of the St. Johns AHR.

One of the most important accomplishments has

been the rise of a river-centric network of people

interested in improving the health of this beautiful

resource by cooperating with each other on projects

of mutual interest, and increasing stewardship

among nearby communities. Other examples of

significant projects and resources leveraged include:

11

The St. Johns River Eco-Heritage Web site serves as a source of

information about significant activities and sites along the St.

Johns River, and is a unifier of the 310-mile long watershed.

Photo: Courtesy of St. John’s Eco-Heritage Corridor Committee.

In winter, up to 5,000 ducks and other waterbirds

use the wetlands at Rio Bosque Wetlands Park

along the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. Photo:

Courtesy of the University of Texas at El Paso.
■ The St. Johns River Eco-Heritage Corridor

keystone project ($150,000),

■ Purchase of flood-prone wetlands adjacent to

the river and wastewater treatment plant

improvements ($27.2 million),

■ A 2-year water quality study ($240,000),

■ An educational video about the St. Johns

River ($250,000), and 

■ A project to remove exotic species along the

Lake George shoreline ($22,000).

With the river network now in place and greater

interaction among agencies, public officials, and

local communities, the coming years promise to

bring to fruition a number of projects that have

only been dreamed about to date.

Upper SusquehannaLackawanna Rivers (PA)

The Upper Susquehanna-Lackawanna AHR

Initiative has made great strides to elevate the

watershed to new levels of economic and environmental prosperity. The AHR Initiative has worked

on numerous successful projects including: (1)

developing a nationally recognized environmental

master plan of the region using state-of-the-art

geographic information system technology; (2)

creating CityVest, a non-profit community development corporation, which has now raised more

than $2 million to revitalize blighted residential

and commercial properties in the downtown urban

centers of the watershed; (3) securing additional

federal funds to reclaim abandoned mine land and

reduce acid-mine drainage, repair combined

storm and sewer overflows, conduct real-time

water quality monitoring on the Susquehanna

River, clean tributaries of the Susquehanna River,

and upgrade wastewater systems; (4) enhancing

public access and recreational amenities along the

Susquehanna River; (5) formulating a tax-credit

bond proposal to finance the purchase, restoration,

and reclamation of land and water in the entire

anthracite fields of Northeastern Pennsylvania. 

In the first 3 years of the Upper SusquehannaLackawanna AHR Initiative, federal funding in

the watershed has increased by more than $15

million for these and many other economic

development, environmental protection, and

cultural/historical preservation projects. 

These accomplishments have been achieved by

working closely with numerous community partners, including Wilkes University, Delaware and

Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, Greater

Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce, Earth

Conservancy, Susquehanna Economic

Development Agency, Economic Development

Council of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Riverfront

Parks, Lackawanna River Corridor Association,

Friends of the Nescopeck, Wyoming Valley Sanitary

Authority, Pennsylvania Environmental Council,

Congressman Paul Kanjorski, Congressman Tim

Holden, and the Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition

for Abandoned Mine Reclamation. The Upper

Susquehanna-Lackawanna AHR Initiative has also

received tremendous support from the government

leaders in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Columbia,

Montour, Northumberland, and Schuylkill counties and over 50 cities, townships, and boroughs.

Willamette River (OR)

The success of the Willamette AHR Initiative has

been based on locally driven and designed solutions,

local support, and partnerships. The community

partner for the Willamette AHR Initiative is an

Oregon state organization, the Willamette

Restoration Initiative (WRI). Working together

with WRI, the Willamette AHR Initiative has

built partnerships with federal support from

NOAA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of

Land Management, USDA Forest Service, EPA,

Natural Resources Conservation Service, and

NPS that include: 

■ Working with five cities, several counties, and

other interested groups to plan a potential

regional river corridor system;

Rivers Uniting Communities

Successes of Community Partners of the American Heritage Rivers Initiative

12

Converting the blighted Sterling Hotel back into

a commercial and residential activity center once

again is a keystone project of the Upper

Susquehanna-Lackawanna AHR Initiative.
Annual Report 2002

American Heritage Rivers

13

■ Helping regional federal agencies implement a

technical assistance program to support local

watershed councils and soil and water conservation districts;

■ Supporting informational and educational

activities throughout the basin; and 

■ Providing funding for local needs and supporting local restoration projects. 

Recently, the Willamette AHR Initiative worked

with local partners to host the first convention of

Willamette River Cities in May of 2002 to discuss

interactions with the river. The River Cities 2002

conference explored methods and tools for reconnecting cities with the Willamette, bringing

together Willamette Basin elected officials,

landowners, natural resource planners, community

development specialists, and parks and public

works officials. It created opportunities to build a

basin-wide perspective on the visions, activities,

and issues at work along the river and developed

networks that can help further river-related goals.

In the summer of 2002, the Willamette AHR

Initiative began a series of watershed tours to

expose decision-makers to the many exciting

restoration activities in the basin, and also to

acquaint them with local issues and needs. 

Recent funds generated by the Willamette AHR

($410,000) were four times the costs of the program for fiscal year 2001. Projected multi-year

funding ($1,298,000) is 13 times the cost of

the program.

Acknowledgements

In September 2002, the AHR Initiative lost an

important leader with the death of Mr. Peter W.

Stroh. Peter Stroh provided national and local

leadership through chairing the Executive

Committee of the Greater Detroit AHR Initiative.

He exemplified the principles of the AHR Initiative

and this report is dedicated in his memory. Peter

Stroh's enthusiasm, dedication, and commitment

to the AHR Initiative will live on through the work

of community and business partners.

The AHR Initiative 2002 annual report was coordinated by John Hartig, Detroit River Navigator with

the U.S. Department of Transportation, and Bess

Gillelan, Director of the Task Force on American

Heritage Rivers with the National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration.

Graphic design of the report was donated as inkind services by CDM, a business partner of the

Greater Detroit AHR Initiative. CDM is a global,

full-service consulting, engineering, construction,

and operations firm helping public and private

clients improve the environment and infrastructure.

Bike path along the Willamette River facilitates

recreation and a connection with riverbank habitats. Photo: Courtesy of the City of Eugene.
Graphic design provided by

2

www.cdm.com

®

American Heritage Rivers Initiative

www.epa.gov/rivers

Blackstone-Woonasquatucket Rivers

www.nps.gov/blac

www.woonasquatucket.org

www.epa.gov/rivers/98rivers/blackstone.html

Connecticut River

www.ctriver.org

www.epa.gov/rivers/98rivers/connecticut.html

Cuyahoga River

www.noaca.org

www.epa.gov/glnpo/aoc/cuyahoga.html

www.epa.gov/rivers/98rivers/cuyahoga.html

Detroit River

www.tellusnews.com/ahr

www.epa.gov/rivers/98rivers/detroit.html

Hanalei River

www.hanaleiriver.org

www.epa.gov/rivers/98rivers/hanalei.html

Hudson River

www.dec.state.ny.us/website/hudson

www.epa.gov/rivers/98rivers/hudson.html

Upper Mississippi River

www.mvs.usace.army.mil/pm/riversweb/mainframe.htm

www.epa.gov/rivers/98rivers/uppermiss.html

New River

www.nrcp.org

www.epa.gov/rivers/98rivers/new.html

Potomac River

www.potomacfriends.org

www.epa.gov/rivers/98rivers/potomac.html

Rio Grande

www.riogrande.org

www.epa.gov/rivers/98rivers/riogrande.html

St. Johns River

www.floridariver.org

www.epa.gov/rivers/98rivers/stjohns.html

Upper Susquehanna-Lackawanna Rivers

www.paheritageriver.org

www.epa.gov/rivers/98rivers/susquehanna.html

Willamette River

www.oregonwri.org/ahr.html

www.epa.gov/rivers/98rivers/willamette.html

American Heritage Rivers Web Sites

Lower Mississippi River

http://groups.msn.com/LowerMississippiAmericanHeritageRiverAlliance

www.epa.gov/rivers/98rivers/lowermiss.html