The Friends of the River Foundation, also known as Friends of the River, is a left-of-center environmental organization promoting a variety of environmentalist water-management policies in California. The group’s ostensible goal is to support the conservation of California’s rivers, and much of the group’s activity centers around opposing building or expanding dams and reservoirs in the state. The group was founded in 1973 amid environmentalist efforts to stop a dam from being built on the Stanislaus River, and has since expanded its activity to oppose the construction of new dams throughout the state. The group has employed far-left rhetoric concerning climate change, stating that “the warming climate is bringing increasingly catastrophic droughts, fires, and floods.” The organization raises less than $1 million in annual revenue and is funded by left-of-center environmentalist grantmakers including the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and Patagonia. ^{1 2 3}

Background and Activities

Friends of the River was founded in 1973 amid environmentalist efforts to oppose the construction of the New Melones Dam on the Stanislaus River in California. After the dam was constructed, the group grew to become a statewide river conservation advocacy group in California, and has led campaigns opposing dam construction and expansion of reservoirs throughout the state as well as other efforts opposing policies or construction ostensibly harming rivers and streams including the Kings, Kern, Merced, Tuolumne, upper Klamath, West Walker, East Carson, Sisquoc, and Big Sur Rivers, as well as Sespe Creek and Cache Creek. ¹

Friends of the River reports having 3,500 members, seven employees, and a 10-member board of directors and the group has created several local activist groups and coalitions including Friends of the Trinity River, Friends of the Kern River, the South Yuba River Citizens League, the Tuolumne River Preservation Trust, and the Stanislaus River Council. ¹

Stances

Friends of the River opposes the construction of new dams and reservoirs in California and claims that California can have enough water without more reservoirs, stating that “California is at a cross-roads for water. Many are advocating for more dams and reservoirs with misinformation and fearmongering. We know that through conservation and good management, we will have enough water to mitigate the worst impacts of the climate crisis and support a healthy environment for all Californians, while protecting our rivers.” ⁴

The group has also employed far-left rhetoric concerning climate change, stating that “it has become crystal clear in the last few years that the warming climate is bringing increasingly catastrophic droughts, fires, and floods that can destroy rivers and the communities they flow through.” ¹

In 2019, the group reported working with California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on his water management policies. ¹

Max Gomberg, a policy advisor for the group, is a former climate and conservation manager for the State Water Resources Control Board who in 2022 quit his state government job in a public letter criticizing the Newsom administration’s policies claiming, “Witnessing the agency’s ability to tackle big challenges nearly eviscerated by this [Newsom] Administration has been gut wrenching.” And further stating that “These are dark and uncertain times, both because fascists are regaining power and because climate change is rapidly decreasing the habitability of many places. Sadly, this state is not on a path towards steep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions reductions, massive construction to alleviate the housing crisis, quickly and permanently reducing agriculture to manage the loss of water to aridification, and reducing law enforcement and carceral budgets and reallocating resources to programs that actually increase public health and safety.” ^{5 6}

Affiliated Organizations

Friends of the River lists several regional and national organizations as partner organizations including the American River Coalition, Restore the Delta, the California Hydropower Reform Coalition, Beyond Searsville Dam, and the Environmental Water Caucus. ³

The group is also a partner of the Golden State Salmon Association (GSSA), which supports policies and projects it claims will restore salmon populations and habitats in California, including opposing new reservoirs. ⁷

Funding

Listed funders of Friends of the River include the Appleton Foundation, Contra Costa Water District, Emigrant Trails Greenway Trust, the Getty Foundation, the Goldman Foundation, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, Patagonia, the Rose Foundation, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. ¹

1. “2019 Annual Report.” Friends of the River. Accessed February 27, 2025. https://www.friendsoftheriver.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/fotr_2019_annual_report_web-1.pdf
2. “Rivers Under Threat.” Friends of the River. Accessed February 27, 2025. https://www.friendsoftheriver.org/our-work/rivers-under-threat/
3. “About.” Friends of the River. Accessed February 27, 2025. https://www.friendsoftheriver.org/about/
4. “Climate resilient water program.” Friends of the River. Accessed February 27, 2025. https://www.friendsoftheriver.org/our-work/climate-resilient-water-program/
5. “Max Gomberg.” Friends of the River. Accessed February 27, 2025. https://www.friendsoftheriver.org/about/meet-our-staff/max-gomberg-2/
6. “On your watch.” On the public record. July 16, 2022. Accessed February 27, 2025. https://onthepublicrecord.org/2022/07/16/on-your-watch/
7. “Our Partners.” Golden State Salmon Association. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://goldenstatesalmon.org/our-partners/