Western Rivers Conservancy

Yellowstone cutthroat trout! They’re a keystone species, an angler favorite and an icon of the Teton River basin—one of only three remaining strongholds for YCT.

At Badger Creek, a key Teton tributary, WRC is working to conserve a 613-acre property with prime habitat for YCT. The property lies along 2.5 miles of lower Badger Creek and contains some of the best spawning and rearing habitat for these fish.

Upper Badger Creek, which is largely isolated from its lower reaches, is one of only four Teton tributaries where native YCT still exist without non-native competitors. But lower Badger is currently dominated by non-natives, making this stretch a top restoration priority for the Bureau of Land Management and Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

Visit the link in our bio to learn more about our progress at Badger Creek, and the wildlife this work will help protect.

Photos: Yellowstone National Park and Steve Dondero

Riverlands is out now! We cover WRC’s latest project updates from across the West.

One highlight: in Washington, we’re one step closer to protecting an extremely important stretch of the Willapa River. We purchased the 393-acre Willapa Wetlands—a haven for salmon and birds that’s almost entirely wetlands—and are now working to secure funding to convey the property to the Chinook Indian Nation.

Head to the link in our bio to read Riverlands and learn why this rare intact stretch of the Willapa River is critical for salmon.

Want stories like this delivered straight to your mailbox? Sign up for our mailing list (link in bio).

Who loves the Gunny? Between 2008 and 2022, WRC conserved eight miles of the Gunnison River in Colorado and added 954 acres of prime habitat to the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area and Bangs Canyon Special Recreation Management Area.

This work spanned six properties that WRC purchased and conserved along the lower Gunnison—protecting the northern entrance of the Dominguez-Escalante NCA from gravel mining and improving access for boaters and other recreationists.

Head to our website to learn more.

CONSERVED: 1,688 acres and 1.6 miles of the East Fork Carson River near Markleeville, California.

Western Rivers Conservancy just conveyed Park Ranch and its stunning stretch of the East Fork Carson to Alpine County, thanks to support from the WCB! The effort protects a vital reach of one of the few undammed major rivers in the Eastern Sierra along with nearly 3 additional miles of tributaries—Markleeville Creek, Pleasant Valley Creek and Hot Springs Creek.

The property’s cottonwood and willow stands, mixed conifer forests, sagebrush-steppe and mountain meadows support an exceptional diversity of native fish, including federally threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout, as well as Paiute sculpin, mountain whitefish, speckled dace and more. For wildlife, Park Ranch is a critical link in a migratory corridor for mule deer, Sierra Nevada red fox, and western monarch butterfly.

Now under county stewardship, the ranch connects public access between the Markleeville Campground and Hangman’s Bridge, unlocking new opportunities for angling, hiking and the feisty Class II-III whitewater the East Fork is known for. Compatible grazing will continue, supporting both habitat health and wildfire fuels reduction for the Markleeville community.

This is a tremendous accomplishment for California’s fish, wildlife, recreationists and ranching heritage alike. Head to the link in our bio to learn more.

East Fork Carson River The 184-mile-long Carson River is a lifeline for communities across two states, carrying snowpack from California’s High Sierra through lush meadows, wide valleys, craggy canyons and high-desert sagebrush plateaus to where it empties into Nevada’s Carson Sink. The largest of the Carson’s tribu...

We’re still energized by our recent conservation success on California’s Fall River! In 2025, WRC partnered with the Pit River Tribe to conserve the 270-acre Pope Jensen Ranch, protecting nearly 3 miles of this legendary spring-fed river—one of the largest in North America.

The Fall River rises from ancient lava beds southeast of Mount Shasta, staying cold and clean even in the heat of summer, making it a haven for wild trout—including some of the biggest rainbows in the Lower 48. Its wetlands are also a critical stop along the Pacific Flyway for migratory birds like sandhill cranes, long-billed curlew and willet.

These lands are now back in the hands of the Pit River Tribe—a win for fish, birds, and tribal resiliency alike.

River of the Month is here! This month, we’re heading to a Colorado gem: the Dolores River.

Winding 240 miles from alpine headwaters to its confluence with the Colorado River, near Moab, Utah, the Dolores carves stunning canyons rich with ancient archaeology and feisty class II and III whitewater. It’s also home to four fish species that are native to the Colorado River Basin and found nowhere else on Earth.

Tap the link in our bio to explore this unique western river and learn how WRC protected the headwater meadows that keep it cold and clean.