Protect

Printer-friendly versionSend to friendWhile TU prefers collaboration, sometimes the only way to protect rivers and fish is to defend them in court. Over the past 10 years, TU has pursued strategic legal challenges to ill-advised dam proposals and activities that threaten flows for healthy fisheries. Legal advocacy has saved some of the West’s most fabled fisheries, and it has also paved the way for legislative solutions. In Northern California, for instance, TU’s threatened action over illegal water diversions ultimately led to passage of legislation that requires the state to keep water flowing through nearly 6,000 miles of streams from San Francisco Bay to the Mattole River in Humbolt County.

TU has also waged strong public education and advocacy campaigns on behalf of threatened rivers to persuade stakeholders and decision makers to protect these natural resource treasures.

Spotlight: Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Colorado

TU successfully sued the Interior Department when it moved to abandon its water rights in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, a gold-medal trout fishery renowned for its spectacular scenery. The precedent-setting victory affirmed the Park Service’s responsibility to maintain adequate river flows and protect the river’s fishery.

 

Spotlight: Teton Canyon, Idaho

The rugged Teton River Canyon in eastern Idaho is a critical stronghold for Yellowstone cutthroat trout and an important winter refuge for elk, moose and other wildlife—but in 2009, Idaho launched a controversial study to rebuild Teton Dam and flood Teton Canyon. TU is taking the lead in educating the public about this little-known canyon and advocating ways to meet the needs of local water users while protecting this unique natural treasure for future generations. »Read more