American Rivers Announces Rivers of Southern Appalachia on America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2025 List
Contact: Hawk Hammer, National Communications and Media Director, Hhammer@americanrivers.org
4/16/2025 Washington D.C. — American Rivers is today announcing the Rivers of Southern Appalachia as #3 on America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2025. Hurricane Helene caused severe environmental damage to rivers in the French Broad watershed — including the Nolichucky and Pigeon rivers — as well as the Watauga River, the New River, the Catawba River and many others.
Helene brought record rainfall, the largest flood in the region’s history, and claimed 104 lives, destroyed drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, sent debris and pollution into waterways, reshaped river valleys, and obliterated sensitive fish and wildlife habitat. At least 44 dams on the rivers failed or were damaged and left in poor condition.
“Hurricane Helene has devastated many of our rivers and streams in Western North Carolina. Some do not look the same as they did pre-storm, and others still have debris interrupting the river’s healthy ecosystem. The American Relief Act funding that I secured to rebuild our communities gets us started on the road to recovery, but we cannot stop there. Our region’s waterways are the hubs for water sources, tourism, and entertainment, and I will continue to advocate for the resources needed to restore and strengthen our mountains,” said Congressman Chuck Edwards (R-NC).
“Our rivers are in a sensitive state following the damage they sustained from Hurricane Helene, and communities are still at risk,” said Erin McCombs, Southeast conservation director for American Rivers. “On top of the need to recover these vital economic powerhouses for the region, we must protect homes and businesses from crumbling, unsafe dams. Funding dam removal and river restoration is urgent to ensure public safety before the next storm.”
Southern Appalachia’s rivers provide drinking water to over 2 million people and are vital to local and regional economies. The French Broad River watershed alone contributes over $3.8 billion annually to the region.
“It was heartbreaking to stand on the banks of the river and see the destruction that Hurricane Helene brought to our rivers. Every flooded business represented someone’s sweat and tears, every home, someone’s safety net. As we make great strides in our recovery, we need continued federal support because without a robust cleanup, our river economy will suffer,” said Hartwell Carson, Clean Waters Director, MountainTrue
“The French Broad and Swannanoa Rivers have been damaged by scour and debris caused by Hurricane Helene. If left untreated, eroding areas will continue to break off, releasing additional sediment that harms water quality and leads to further property losses in future storms. Continued federal support is critical to ensuring that these rivers, along with the health and safety of our communities, are restored,” said Renee Fortner, Director of Programs, RiverLink
American Rivers and our partners MountainTrue and RiverLink are calling on state and federal leaders to provide funding for restoration of the rivers and the surrounding communities, while assuring designated funding is released to implement projects already underway for cleanup and dam removals, floodplain buyouts, stormwater mitigation, and infrastructure projects. It is vital that the federal agencies given the resources by Congress to respond to this disaster are able to effectively and efficiently respond to the urgent needs of the rivers and the communities that depend on them.
Learn more about America’s Most Endangered Rivers 2025, including other rivers and our selection process.
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American Rivers is a national conservation organization working to make every river clean and healthy for people and wildlife. We combine evidence-based solutions with enduring partnerships to safeguard the 3.5 million miles of rivers and streams that are essential to our nation’s clean drinking water, extraordinary wildlife, and strength of our communities. For more than 50 years, our staff, supporters, and partners have been driven by a common belief: Life Depends on Rivers. AmericanRivers.org