The Top 10 Most Threatened Rivers in the United States
Rivers across the United States are being threatened by pollution.
— -- Rivers across the United States are being threatened by pollution, poorly designed dams and the inability of local and state governments to come up with plans for important waterways, according to a new report.
American Rivers, a conservation group, is warning that the failure to protect key rivers will deprive some regions of clean drinking water, exacerbate drought conditions and deny the public the ability to enjoy the recreational opportunities thriving rivers provide.
To highlight the issue, the group is releasing its top 10 most threatened rivers, a list that spans the country. Leading the rundown is the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin that affects Alabama, Florida and Georgia. Also making the cut is California's San Joaquin River, important to the state’s farmers, and the Susquehanna River, which runs through Pennsylvania and Maryland.
"We can’t live without clean water, and we don’t have an unlimited supply," American Rivers President Bob Irvin said in a press release. "As more people compete for a limited resource, everyone is losing: farmers don’t have reliable water for their crops; commercial fisheries are collapsing; urban supplies are strained; fish and wildlife are declining; and recreation businesses are closing their doors. Instead of continuing conflict, we need a new era of water cooperation that strikes a balance among all users."
Millions of people depend on clean drinking water from these endangered rivers, and water shortages could also lead to the loss of billions of dollars in agricultural production and fisheries, according to American Rivers. The group says it is noticing increased efforts by conservation organizations and state agencies to find sustainable water management solutions.
The annual report focuses on three factors: the magnitude of the threat; whether or not improvement projects are imminent; and the significance of the river to its environment and the people that rely on it.
America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2016
1. Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin
Located: Alabama, Florida, Georgia
Threat: Outdated water management
2. San Joaquin River
Located: California
Threat: Outdated water management
3. Susquehanna River
Locate: Pennsylvania, Maryland
Threat: Harmful dam operations
4. Smith River
Located: Montana
Threat: Mining
5. Green-Duwamish River
Located: Washington
Threat: Outdated dam and floodplain management, pollution
6. Pee Dee River
Located: North Carolina
Threat: Harmful dam operations
7. Russell Fork River
Located: North Carolina: Kentucky
Threat: Mountaintop removal mining
8. Merrimack River
Located: Massachusetts, New Hampshire
Threat: Polluted runoff
9. St. Lawrence River
Located: New York
Threat: Harmful dam operations
10. Pascagoula River
Located: Mississippi, Alabama
Threat: New dams
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