Societies have gone to extraordinary efforts to harness the power of rivers. Dams, levees, diversions, channelization and other alterations provide many benefits including drinking water and energy, water for agricultural and industrial production, flood control, reduction of water-borne diseases, and navigation. These interventions also place considerable pressure on rivers. In this white paper, we highlight place-based river protections in three countries, including national legal mechanisms such as river designations in United States and Norway, and environmental water reserves in Mexico. Also included are case studies of other types of mechanisms that have been leveraged to protect rivers, including a species-based reserve in China, national parks in Brazil, and a biodiversity offset in Costa Rica. These diverse examples can serve as models for how countries can protect important rivers over the long term as part of sustainable development (Introduction).