In 2007 the Santa Fe River was designated by American Rivers as America’s most endangered river. The disconnect between the upper section flowing in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the lower section is a major factor for this dubious honor. Intermittent flows to the middle section are currently provided by seasonal releases of water from upstream reservoirs or storm runoff. A multi-pronged effort to connect the perennial upper section with the effluent driven lower section is focused on restoring environmental flows to the 18 km long middle section. Suggestions for restoring perennial flow include allocating water from the City of Santa Fe water rights, purchasing water rights through the Santa Fe River Fund, managing releases and spills to duplicate the natural hydrograph, allocating conserved domestic water, and managing storm water flow. In addition to our current efforts, the American Rivers designation and the upcoming commemoration of the 400^th anniversary of the City of Santa Fe should serve as strong incentives for returning the Santa Fe River to the living river which supported early settlements along its banks and restoring environmental flow in periods of drought.