National assessment of river protection in the United States

The NPRA compiles a centralized database of regulatory frameworks, conservation policies and management practices across federal, state, local, tribal and private jurisdictions that aim to protect rivers, riparian zones, floodplains and surrounding lands. We evaluated the extent and ecological representativeness (sizes, gradients and hydrologic regimes) of river protection nationwide by developing the Protected River Index; a weighted metric that integrates the strength of protection mechanisms targeting five key ecological attributes essential for the long-term persistence of socio-ecological values in rivers. We assessed the protection status for more than 4.4 million miles of river, comparing water-based and land-based protections, evaluating the levels of local and upstream protections, and highlighting opportunities to prioritize future protections that support freshwater biodiversity, intact habitats, and critical human water supplies.

Article: Comte, L., Olden, J.D., Littlefield, C., Dickson, B.G., Zablocki, J., and D. Moryc. 2026. National assessment of river protection in the United States. Nature Sustainability https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-025-01693-8

 Policy Brief: Olden, J.D., Comte, L., Littlefield, C., Dickson, B.G., Zablocki, J., and D. Moryc. 2026. Safeguarding, strengthening and expanding river protections for nature and people. Nature Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-025-01722-6

Protected Rivers Explorer: https://map.myriver.americanrivers.org/