Clean Water Act Owner’s Manual by River Network

The quintessential, transformational tool on how YOU can use the CWA to protect your waters. The Clean Water Act became law 50 years ago. To commemorate the milestone of this landmark legislation and mark our continued resolve to protect waterways across … Continued

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State Revolving Fund Advocacy Toolkit

The State Revolving Fund (SRF) Advocacy Toolkit, created in partnership between River Network and Clean Water For All, was developed to support state and local advocates interested in water infrastructure investment who are seeking to better understand the State Revolving Fund (SRF) process.

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Equitable Development Scorecard

The Equitable Development Principles & Scorecard is a tool to answer the question: “How can development repair past harms and contribute to a stronger, more inclusive and thriving community?”  The Alliance partnered with the Harrison Neighborhood Association, Umoja Community Development Corporation, and … Continued

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Do No Harm Guide

In their guide, the authors of the Urban Institute’s Do No Harm Guide describe the background for using the guide: “People who work with data every day seek to make discoveries, elicit insights, and offer solutions. To do so in … Continued

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Equity Guide For Green Stormwater Infrastructure Practitioners

The Guide offers resources around seven core Goals. It helps strengthen each organization’s Internal Readiness to advance equity, and to hone internal Policies and Programs, as well pathways to collaboratively advance goals related to Centering Community, Siting and Investment, Benefits-Driven Project Development, Economic Stability, and Preventing Displacement. 

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Community Preparedness Guide for Hurricanes

From the San Juan Bay Estuary Program (Estuario), the Community Preparedness Guide for Hurricanes is a guide (in Spanish) that suggests practical tips that can be applied in the community and in individual homes. The goal is to educate residents … Continued

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Urban Wetlands Protection and Restoration Guide

The Urban Wetlands Protection and Restoration Guide summarizes the findings of a two-year project carried out by the Association of State Wetland Managers to identify ways to enhance, protect, and restore wetlands within and surrounding urban areas to maximize economic, ecological, and social benefits for urban communities.

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Duwamish Valley Action Plan

The City of Seattle, in cooperation with community partners, the Duwamish Valley Action Plan: Advancing Environmental Justice & Equitable Development in Seattle. Priority areas include: Healthy Environment, Parks and Open Spaces, Community Capacity, Mobility and Transportation, Economic Opportunity and Jobs, … Continued

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Community Cans Artmaking Guide

The Community Cans Artmaking Guide grew from projects and partnerships in the City of Philadelphia to reduce the amount of litter found in the streets and water bodies. “The Community Cans Program was founded in 2018 as a collaboration between … Continued

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Equitable Water Infrastructure Toolkit

This River Network Equitable Infrastructure Toolkit is a one-stop shop for community stakeholders, advocates, and leaders to: Identify the factors that affect water affordability; Become familiar with water infrastructure funding and financing mechanisms; and Understand the role and impact of … Continued

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Sharing in the Benefits of a Greening City

The guidelines in this toolkit created by The CREATE Initiative partners comes out of the question: “What does it look like to envision green spaces as sites through which to build a more equitable and just world?” Sharing in the … Continued

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The Sustainable Square Mile Handbook

The handbook was created from a collaboration between Blacks in Green (BIG) and the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), making connections between BIG’s programs—the Sustainable Square Mile, Grannynomics, and Green Village Building—and NRDC’s guidelines for Leadership in Energy and Environmental … Continued

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River Access Planning Guide

The River Access Planning Guide is a publication resulting from a collaboration between American Whitewater, the River Management Society, the Bureau of Land Management, the US Forest Service, and the National Park Service. The guide is designed for planners, river … Continued

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What About Housing: A Policy Toolkit for Inclusive Growth

Housing is one of the most important solutions to preventing displacement and creating equitable development. As quoted within the document, “Grounded Solutions Network created this toolkit to help communities understand their housing policy options and the approach that will work … Continued

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Community-Driven Climate Resilience Planning: A Framework

The guide was developed by community-based organizations for community-based organizations working to develop and implement climate solutions. The information is also useful to philanthropic institutions funding climate resilience strategies as well as to government officials developing climate action plans. The … Continued

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Drinking Water Guide

River Network’s Drinking Water Guide is a first step in galvanizing a national network of advocates for safe, clean, affordable, and sustainable drinking water and drinking water systems. Supported by the C.S. Mott Foundation, and guided by a Great Lakes–based Advisory Committee, … Continued

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Healthy Development without Displacement

This resource from the Prevention Institute addresses the question: “What can people working on “healthy community” issues—like active transportation, parks, healthy food, planning, public health, healthcare, and more—do in their own work to improve community conditions without contributing to gentrification … Continued

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Green Infrastructure and Health Guide

The guide was prepared by members of the Oregon Health and Outdoors Initiative—the Oregon Public Health Institute and the Willamette Partnership—in collaboration with the Green Infrastructure Leadership Exchange. The guide proposes green infrastructure solutions to improving prevalent health issues in … Continued

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Advancing One Water Through Arts and Culture: A Blueprint for Action

This report compiles informative case studies, focusing on programs that have successfully incorporated artists, art, and culture into their place-based, transformative approaches. These programs aimed to address affordability issues, make connections between people and their environment, promote holistic water resource management, increase community participation, mitigate and remediate damages, integrate community needs into infrastructure, and support community activism.

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EPA’s Local Foods, Local Resources Toolkit

The EPA is offering the Local Foods, Local Places Toolkit to help communities interested in using local foods to support downtown and neighborhood revitalization. Developed by EPA’s Office of Sustainable Communities, it provides step-by-step instructions for planning and hosting the … Continued

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Race to Lead: Confronting the Nonprofit Racial Leadership Gap

To understand the causes of this disparity, the Building Movement Project conducted the Nonprofits, Leadership, and Race survey with over 4,000 respondents. The study found few differences between white and people of color (POC) respondents in their aspirations or preparation for leadership roles—in fact people of color are more likely to be interested in becoming a nonprofit leader than whites. Survey respondents identified Boards of Directors and executive recruiters as key barriers to the hiring of more people of color executive directors/CEOs.

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An Equitable Water Future: a National Briefing Paper

This U.S. Water Alliance publication summarizes the overarching and regional challenges that demonstrate the need for more equitable approaches, then outlines the “three pillars of equity” based on USWA’s original research, as well as data from PolicyLink. The report goes … Continued

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Ellerbe Creek Green Infrastructure Partnership Technical Report

This study of the highly urbanized Ellerbe Creek Watershed in Durham, North Carolina, provides an analysis of how stormwater control measures, best management practices, and implementation of green infrastructure can improve hydrology, increase ecosystem services, and reduce the negative impacts of urbanization … Continued

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Stream Processes-A Guide to Living in Harmony with Streams

This wonderful guide, developed by the Chemung Soil and Water Conservation District in Horseheads, NY, has detailed, yet extremely understandable language and graphics (as well as humor) for people to be able to really understand our love-hate relationship with streams–especially … Continued

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Creek Care Guide–A Stewardship Guide

Developed by Prescott Creeks in Prescott, Arizona, this guide offers practical tips on creek-friendly practices that will help keep our creeks, lakes, and community healthy––starting at your home or business. The stewardship guide is a water quality primer for residents … Continued

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Local Government Stormwater Financing Manual

This document from EFC EPA, published in 2014, was inspired by and written for local government leaders. Though effectively managing urban stormwater runoff requires leadership and bold decision making at all levels of government, it is at the local level … Continued

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Stormwater Messaging Posters

These posters were part of a program funded by EPA’s Urban Waters Small Grants. The Northern Middlesex Council of Governments and Merrimack River Watershed Council created these posters in the language of area residents–working with the community to idenify the … Continued

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Citizen Science QAPP Guidance by EPA Region 2

A quality assurance project plan (QAPP) states the objectives and procedures to be followed for a project that uses or collects environmental information. This WORD document was provided by EPA Region 2 for organizations to provide guidance in developing their … Continued

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River Voices (2015) Diversity & Inclusiveness

This issue of River Network’s quarterly newsletter describes how various river and water-focused organizations around the country are working to diversify their organizations and become more inclusive in their work. Download this resource

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The Joy of Water

Homeowners guide to managing water on residential property. Step-by-step “recipes” to use on properties to reduce water pollution and small-scale flooding. Download this resource

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Brownfields Federal Programs Guide

A guide of federal agencies and organizations with connections to brownfileds. Lists Programs that provide technical or financial assistance relevant to brownfield. Download this resource

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Earth Force KIC-NET Activity Guide

Keep It Clean – Neighborhood Environmental Trios (KIC-NET) is an educator’s guide to show the relation between water quality and land use with quality of life and environmental health to students.

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