Since 2006, Caplan Communications has partnered with American Rivers to launch and sustain America's Most Endangered Rivers, a national platform focused on rivers at decisive policy crossroads where outcomes could be shaped within the year.
River threats were treated as localized environmental issues, fragmenting attention, limiting urgency, and obscuring economic stakes. At the same time, restoration was misunderstood as routine cleanup rather than a driver of regional economies, livelihoods, and ecosystem recovery.
Caplan positioned the report as a national advocacy engine, linking river threats to policy decisions, funding pathways, and accountable outcomes. We aligned media with decision timelines, elevated economic impacts, integrated Tribal leadership, and co-led national coverage of major restoration milestones, including the Klamath River dam removal.
River conservation turned from a localized concern into a national priority at the intersection of infrastructure, economic resilience, ecosystem recovery, and cultural stewardship.
The report became a catalyst for national and regional coverage, mobilizing stakeholders around winnable outcomes and reinforcing American Rivers' leadership in river protection and record-setting restoration efforts.
