The River Radius Podcast

Each year American Rivers, a national river focused advocacy organization publishes a list of 10 rivers that are beautiful rivers and rivers that want our engagement. These are the rivers of the 2026 Most Endangered Rivers List. American Rivers first published the Most Endangered Rivers List in 1984, and now 41 years later, they still bring to our attention ten rivers of elevated importance. This year's rivers run between 8 and 400 miles in length. My guest again this year is Chantel Dominguez from American Rivers. Chantel brings infectious optimism to the power of highlighting these rivers.

In the spring of 1980, nine-year-old Bridget Crocker, while playing next to her home river, fell from a downed tree into the cold swollen Snake River — a scary swim that initiated a deep, lifelong relationship with rivers and river people. This year in 2025 her memoir “The River’s Daughter” traces a thalweg of traumas, challenges and joys that played out in both her river life and her family life. Today Bridget hosts retreats and workshops on rivers, guides on special occasions, and is creating her dream life with her family.

Dr. Adriana Martinez grew up in Eagle Pass, Texas, swimming and playing in the Rio Grande as a part of daily life. 10 years after getting her Ph.D and teaching university classes in fluvial geomorphology, her Texas hometown and home river became the iconic center of the modern immigration debate and the setting for the controversial river buoy border fence. In this episode she tells us about the research she is conducting to learn how the buoy fence in the Rio Grande is impacting this river, and about growing up riverside to an international border.

This September brings the one year anniversary of Hurricane Helene and the powerful flooding that pounded Southern Appalachia. Incredible work has been to remove the bridges and cars and houses and trees that filled up the rivers. And more work continues today and for the next 18 months to clean up the remaining smaller trash. In this episode we learn about these details and how some communities did not flood because dams were removed prior to Helene, and how more dams are being removed post Helene. Our guests are Hartwell Carson and Andy Hill from Mountain True in North Carolina.

For 40 years, American Rivers has published its annual Most Endangered Rivers list — a powerful statement sparking awareness and action to restore waterways across the country. In this 40th anniversary episode, we talk with Chantel Dominguez from American Rivers to explore this year’s list, river by river, moving through the challenges they face and the tangible solutions for each. We also revisit three rivers from last year’s list to learn about their increasing health and vitality.