GEORGIA-XH-CW

Wetland protection primer supports local efforts

People participate in a workshop on wetland protection.

The Land Conservation Clinic and the River Basin Center have released the updated Local Wetlands Protection Primer, a guide to help protect wetlands that provide flood prevention, water quality improvements, protection from erosion, support for fisheries and biodiversity, and opportunities for recreation activities.  Many local communities rely on the Federal Clean Water Act to protect these important resources, […]

Water Resilience Shines at Biennial Georgia Water Resources Conference

ATHENS, GA – Interdisciplinary knowledge is a critical aspect of solving big environmental problems. That’s why, for the 2025 Georgia Water Resources Conference, we brought everyone together. We do mean everyone: ecologists, hydrologists, engineers, geoscientists, lawyers, anthropologists, consultants and certified fish enthusiasts.

2025 Spencer Research Grants Awarded to Six

Five photos in a grid showing headshots of the winners of the 2025 John Spencer research grants. Top row: Emily Chalfin, Kuhelika Ghosh, Monika Giri. Second row: Mackenzi Hallmark, Alyssa Quan.

Athens, Ga. – Six graduate student affiliates of the River Basin Center have been named recipients of John Spencer research grants for 2025. This year’s awards will provide a total of $10,000 to support a range of projects that contribute to water sustainability and resilience across the southeastern United States and beyond.

World Water Day 2025: Delivering safe water resources to all

Cupped hands held above a rushing stream.

Few resources are as vital as water. But as human activity continues to shape urban rivers, that refreshing dip in the stream, summer kayaking trip, or glass of ice water can be harder to achieve. This is why every year, on March 22, we observe World Water Day: a tradition started by the United Nations in 1993 to highlight the importance of clean, accessible water. Sustainable water management is important not just for the environment, but for the 8.2 billion people that rely on water.

RBC Affiliates Team up to Rescue Species From Extinction

This summer, researchers from the River Basin Center assisted the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute (TNACI) in rescuing one of the last populations of the Laurel Dace, an endangered minnow species, from a drying stream in Tennessee. The rescue, conducted in collaboration with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, has since attracted media attention from multiple […]

The Ever-Shifting River

John Spencer Grant recipient and National Geographic Explorer Anuja Mital works to understand how turtles move across the dynamic Brahmaputra River valley.

Study: People are altering decomposition rates in waterways

A new study co-authored by RBC Associate Director Krista Capps and Affiliate J.P. Schmidt gathered data from 550 rivers across 40 countries and found that human intervention increases the rate of decomposition of plant matter, depriving freshwater life of food at a faster rate than usual, as well as potentially exacerbating climate change.