America's Most Endangered Rivers 2011

April 12, 2011 | Most Endangered Rivers, Protecting Rivers

Amy Souers Kober
Senior Director of Communications

David Letterman may have made top ten lists famous, but our annual list of America's Most Endangered Rivers^™ has made a pretty big splash on its own for the last 25 years.
On May 17, American Rivers will release this year’s list of  the ten most threatened rivers in the United States. These threats run the gamut from issues such as dam construction, destroying local wildlife habitats and extreme pollution from mining, drilling or sewage.

America's Most Endangered Rivers^™ has become a powerful tool for saving these important rivers, by emphasizing solutions for these rivers and their communities. 
Each year, too, we like to point out some successes, too. Here are just a handful of success stories from previously listed endangered rivers:

Elwha River: Washington (listed 1992, 1995)
Threat: Two dams
Victory: Our advocacy and the America's Most Endangered Rivers™ spotlight helped spur the decision to remove two outdated dams on Washington’s Elwha River in Olympic National Park.  These dams have blocked the river for close to 100 years and have decimated salmon runs.  Today, deconstruction is on schedule to begin this fall and will restore more than 70 miles of river, from mountains to sea.

North Fork of the Flathead River: Montana (listed 2009)
Threat: Proposed mines and oil and gas drilling
Victory: Mining and oil and gas drilling proposals in British Columbia endangered the pristine North Fork of the Flathead River, its native fish and wildlife, and recreational opportunities in and around Glacier National Park. In 2010, Montana Senators Baucus and Tester, Governor Schweitzer, along with American Rivers and our conservation partners convinced the government of British Columbia to save the river and ban mining and oil and gas drilling.

Big Sunflower River: Mississippi (listed 2002-2004)
Threat: Wetlands destruction and river dredging
Victory: For almost 70 years, the Army Corps of Engineers tried to push through a plan to drain more than 200,000 acres of wetlands in northwestern Mississippi to enhance production of subsidized crops. American Rivers played a lead role in convincing the Environmental Protection Agency to abandon the proposal, ensuring the river and its wetlands will continue to provide natural flood protection benefits and critical wildlife habitat.

It would be impossible to save endangered rivers without the dedication of our local partners and supporters like you. We are dedicated to saving this year's endangered rivers — and all of our nation's rivers — and we hope you will join us in sharing the story and sounding the alarm on May 17.

Post a Comment

Your Name
Email:
Comment
Enter this word: Change