This guest blog by Anahkwet/Guy Reiter is a part of our America’s Most Endangered Rivers® series on the Menominee River in Wisconsin and Michigan.

First, I would like to acknowledge my ancestors, who endured so much so that we could have what we have today. I’m forever in your debt. Waewaenon Ketaenon (I say thank you)!

Posoh, Anahkwet newiswan, Wapaesyah netotaem. My name is Guy Reiter, and I just introduced myself in my Menominee language. My elders taught me to always introduce myself and my clans before I speak to a new audience.

It’s hard for me to write down what I want to say because I value the spoken word over the written word. So I’m going to write as if I’m sitting with you speaking.

My Tribe, the Menominee Indian Tribe, is the longest living inhabitant of this land that is called Wisconsin. Like most Tribes in America, we’re one of the most studied peoples on the planet. Our beginning as a Tribe begins a mere 60 miles northeast of our current reservation at the mouth of the Menominee River. The city of Marinette, Wisconsin, now lies on that sacred site. Our oral history states that this is the place where our creation began thousands of years ago.

In order to know my Tribe, you have to start with the creation of my Tribe. This creation story can be looked up on the internet or in a book (just take care to remember that the people writing the story were using translators, and a number of things can get lost in translation). The Menominee Creation Story was told to me by one of our elders on the reservation when I started to organize against the Back Forty Mine. We, Menominees, were given the responsibility to look after that river and land by the creator thousands of years ago, and that supersedes any treaty or law. (This article isn’t designed to inform of our whole history, it’s just giving you a very small piece.)

I was asked at a speaking event to introduce myself, and I said I was from the “Tribe of Barely Making It, but We’re Making It.” I would challenge any other group of people in America to endure what we First Nations endured, and be able to still hold on to their language and culture. We, First Nations people, are a part of this land, and our languages and cultures were born and bred here. We have always been here and we always will be. Our communities are abundant in strength and have determination to not give up; our old people taught us that. We will continue to resist colonialism for our next seven generations, so relatives in the future will understand that our languages and cultures will keep them grounded, determined and strong. We, First Nations, already underwent drastic climate changes and survived.

To whomever is reading this, as your eyes fall upon my last sentences, I want you, for a moment, to close your eyes and take a deep breath. Do you feel that? Do you feel the connection? Do you understand how sacred creation is? It’s made up from the same stuff as you and I are made of. We need to start to rebuild our relationship with our mother earth again. Let’s stand together and speak up for the voices who cannot speak for themselves, like the plants, animals, birds and insects. Let’s remember that we are a part of this land and not separate from it.

Let’s join our collective voices together and tell our leaders that we are no longer going to stay silent while our precious mother earth gets abused. Let’s tell them that we are going to reclaim our humanity and once again establish our connection with creation.

I’ll stand with all colors and creeds who value our mother earth and that have the courage to shoulder the responsibility that it’s going to take. I want to say waewaenon for taking the time out of your life to read this.

Please join us in asking the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to reject the pending wetlands permit and prevent the establishment of the proposed Back Forty mine.

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My daily routine is nothing special; I wake up, turn on the tap to fill a glass of water and brush my teeth. On my way to work, I pass by Cherry Creek and the South Platte as I navigate Denver traffic. Throughout the day, I snack on fruits and vegetables to nourish my body, and as each day comes to a close, there is nothing I enjoy more than a chilled beer or glass of wine.

Besides the daily repetition, what else connects these different parts of my life?

Rivers.

Whether you realize it or not, rivers are entwined in nearly every aspect of our lives. So much of what we do, eat, wear, and use depend on rivers and the water flowing through them. There is a deep connection between our society and rivers, one that can be hard to comprehend. While enjoying rivers and water has long been a part of my identity, it wasn’t until college that I truly appreciated the complicated relationship and power that rivers hold on me.

Growing up along Lake Michigan, water never seemed scarce; it was everywhere. After college, my journey to the western US changed my perspective. I saw and began to realize the difference between managing abundant water versus managing water limited by scarcity. Here in Colorado and throughout the Colorado River Basin, our livelihood depends on these arteries – rivers – that crisscross the region supporting economic, social, and environmental values.

As a new way to spark a conversation about the value and complexity of rivers, American Rivers is excited to announce our new podcast series, “We are Rivers: Conversations about the rivers that connect us,” which can be heard through Soundcloud. Annemarie Lewis, this year’s Colorado River Basin intern, takes us on a journey to tell the stories of rivers and the important relationship they have with us. She explores the culture and history of the west and our nation by talking with adventurers, writers, water experts, and artists about their connection to rivers, and how they impact their lives.

The release of “We Are Rivers” coincides with Colorado River Day, a celebration of the hardest working river in America. The podcast series covers a wide array of topics across the Colorado Basin and other rivers in the west, including discussions around the Grand Canyon, the value of rivers, the Law of the River, and the future of Lake Powell.

Join us as we discover stories of success and challenges facing rivers across the west. Listen in today and subscribe to our podcast feed.

This guest blog by former Mayor Doug Oitzinger is a part of our America’s Most Endangered Rivers® series on the Menominee River in Wisconsin and Michigan.

Forty-three years ago, I moved to the Marinette-Menominee area to take a job with Marinette Marine, a shipbuilder located on the Menominee River in the City of Marinette, Wisconsin. All this time I have lived either on the river or close to the bay of Green Bay into which the river empties. I can see the bay from my living room window right now. For 22 years, I worked at the shipyard on that river every day. I’ve also owned several small businesses in Marinette and was the Mayor of the City of Marinette for five years. While mayor, I served on the Wisconsin Coastal Management Council.

It is with this perspective that I see the proposed Back Forty Mine in Menominee County, Michigan, as threatening to undo forty years of river restoration in Marinette. For most of my residence in the area, the Menominee River was polluted with arsenic salts from a manufacturer that was located next to the shipyard. This pollution has been cleaned up only in the last few years with great expense to the company and to federal taxpayers. Finally, after all these years, our river is off the list of concerned waterways and fish can be eaten without a myriad of warnings about their consumption.

But that pollution existed in only a half-mile stretch of waterway in the city to the mouth of the river. The Back Forty Mine endangers more than thirty miles of river flowage until it reaches its mouth and empties into the bay. The mine’s contaminants are far more dangerous than the arsenic salts ever were! Building an open pit sulfide mine with its waste water holding pond fifty to one hundred feet from the river is insane. This isn’t a question of “if”; it’s a question of “when”— as in, “when something bad happens, what can we do”? And the answer is “nothing”.

There is only one way to fix a slurry of toxic waste from spilling into the Menominee River, and that is to never create the waste in the first place. To protect the river, protect our lifestyle, protect our property values, protect our health and our children’s health, to protect a growing tourist economy based on fishing and boating, and to protect our future, we must stop this mine from being built.

The Back Forty Mine owners tout the potential jobs and economic boost to the area.  Their website explains that the maximum project length, which includes the reclamation period, is sixteen years. Any significant employment would accrue in a much shorter time period than the sixteen years. Those jobs will disappear in less than a decade. But toxic waste pollution isn’t like temporary employment; it can last for longer than anyone reading this will ever live.

Someone will get enormously rich from this mine if it is built, and it won’t be those of us living here. However, it will be us asking, “what do we do now,” when those toxins come racing down the river into our city’s front yard. Is less than sixteen years of employment for a few people worth risking thirty miles of the Menominee River perhaps forever? We are literally risking the well-being and economic security of forty thousand people in Marinette and Menominee Counties so a handful of people can be rich. This isn’t right. This isn’t smart, and this shouldn’t be allowed to happen.

Please join us in asking the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to reject the pending wetlands permit and prevent the establishment of the proposed Back Forty mine.

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Doug is the former Mayor of Marinette, Wisconsin, and a long-time resident of the area.

Our family just spent a weekend on Oregon’s North Umpqua River. Watching my four year old play on the riverbank, I saw over and over again how rivers are the best playgrounds. The unstructured time for play, discovery, and relaxation reminded me that visiting a river is a great way to de-stress, get exercise, spend time together, and reconnect.

Make it a family tradition. Make it a habit. It’s fun, and you and your kids will be healthier and happier for it.

Here are five reasons why rivers are the best playgrounds:

Move and explore

River and stream banks have everything a kid needs to move and play at his or her own pace and style: beaches, fallen trees and logs, and rocks. The Umpqua River has some great bedrock ledges, some smooth, some rutted, some with little potholes of rainwater. It’s a natural playground inspiring all kinds of motion –balancing on the mossy logs, climbing over and under branches, hopping around the bedrock, splashing in the puddles.

Make a friend

Typical playgrounds don’t have the variety of wildlife you can find on a river. We watched water striders in the calm shallows, and cheered at a duck as it paddled through a little rapid. We enjoyed the background chorus of birdsong and tried to guess which animals live in the little holes, caves, and cracks under rocks and logs.

Play with sticks

Kids love sticks. Dig with them, whack something with them, wave them around in the air. My little boy loves stick swords and we had some good ninja battles on the river bank. Driftwood chunks come in all shapes and sizes and are great for pretend play.

Learn

Where does all this water come from? Where is it going? We talked about how the river sculpts the banks and how it moves sand, gravel, even big boulders, downstream.

Dream

We all need beauty, something bigger than ourselves that captures our hearts and minds. Kids (and adults) need places where our imaginations are free to soar. Rivers give us all of this. Sit and watch the light dance on the water or hike to a waterfall.

Kids understand river magic.

This guest blog by Chairman Gary Besaw is a part of our America’s Most Endangered Rivers® series on the Menominee River in Wisconsin and Michigan.

By now, a majority of the country and many around the world have heard of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) and the resulting opposition to that project. The collective opposition to the DAPL was truly inspiring. Unfortunately, serious threats to water happen far too often, and many play out without the benefit of national and worldwide attention. One of these fights for clean water is happening right now on the Menominee River which separates Northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. You may not have heard of the controversial proposed Back Forty mine yet, a project being pursued by a Canadian exploratory company named Aquila Resources, Inc., but you will and with your help thousands more will.

The Menominee River was recently named as one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® due to the threats associated with the proposed Back Forty mine. The proposed project includes plans for a massive open pit metallic sulfide mine and processing facility located 50 yards from the Menominee River, a major Lake Michigan tributary and the largest watershed in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The project poses significant risks to the clean water supply of communities near the mine site as well as down river and Lake Michigan communities. These communities are deeply reliant on the tourism and recreational industries which serve as an economic staple in the region. In addition, the surrounding ecosystem and sites of historic, cultural and religious significance to the Menominee Indian Tribe face the threat of destruction.

The project has received controversial approvals on three of the four permits required for the project, however the fight is far from over. The Menominee Indian Tribe and an adjoining landowner have challenged the mining permit approval. Additionally, review of the fourth permit, the wetlands permit, is just getting underway with a mounting opposition committed to the denial of the wetland permit.

An amazing side effect of the disastrous proposed Back Forty project is that it has awoken the collective spirits of people from all walks of life. As the public becomes more aware of the threats associated with this project, opposition to the project is quickly growing and includes tribal governments, national and regional tribal organizations, local city governments, local county governments, local township governments, national, regional and local environmental organizations, local citizen groups, local businesses, local fishing organizations, archeologists, and elected Wisconsin State officials. The widespread opposition across the social and political spectrum is telling of the dangers associated with the proposed project.

For the Menominee Indian Tribe, this project on the Menominee River, in Menominee County, MI, upriver from the City of Menominee, is deeply personal. The Menominee Indian Tribe is a federally recognized Indian Tribe, indigenous to the area. The Menominee Tribe’s place of origin exists within our 1836 Treaty area, at the mouth of the Menominee River. It was here that our five clans: Ancestral Bear, Eagle, Wolf, Moose, and Crane were transformed into human form and became the first Menominee thousands of years ago.

As a result of our undeniable ties to the Menominee River area, we have numerous sacred sites on the Menominee River, including the area of the proposed mine. These sites include burial mounds, places of worship, former village sites, and ancestral raised agricultural garden beds. Much like our brothers and sisters in the NODAPL movement, we also know that water is essential to life. The Menominee River is, after all, the very origin of life for the Menominee people. It also provides life to Michigan and Wisconsin residents and the natural wildlife within the Great Lakes ecosystem.

Please join us in asking the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to reject the pending wetlands permit and prevent the establishment of the proposed Back Forty mine.

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The Menominee Indian Tribe’s rich culture, history, and residency in the area now known as the State of Wisconsin, and parts of the States of Michigan and Illinois, dates back 10,000 years. The Tribe’s members enjoy pristine lakes, rivers, and streams, over 219,000 acres of the richest forests in the Nation, and an abundance of plant and animal life.

This guest blog by Charlie Piette is a part of our America’s Most Endangered Rivers® series on the Menominee River in Wisconsin and Michigan.

I’ll be very forward in expressing my opposition to Back 40—a proposed open pit sulfide mine on the Menominee River in Michigan—and yes, I’m tremendously biased. As a fly fishing guide, I have the pleasure of spending a significant portion of my time working on the Menominee River. I also happen to have a Masters of Environmental Science and Policy that focused specifically on water quality. Needless to say, those two facets combined make me extremely concerned for the future of the river if Back 40 becomes reality.

One of the most famous American fly fishermen described the Menominee as, “…the best smallmouth bass river that no one knows about.” I would whole-heartedly agree with this statement, but it is so much more than just a great place to fish. In the post-dam era, the river is in as pristine of a state as it will ever be. It supports a highly diverse community of native fishes, insects, plants, and birds, all of which depend exclusively on the clean water to thrive. Even a slight alteration of the present water chemistry caused by the Back 40 mine would have unknown, and quite possibly, devastating effects on the flora and fauna of the lower Menominee all the way out into Green Bay.

Aquila Resources, the proposed operator, paints an all-too-rosy picture of the life and final capping of the mine. Back 40’s engineering would be largely designed after another sulfide mine in Northwestern Wisconsin on the banks of the Flambeau River. Aquila and its associated designers are attempting to compare the two sights and highlight the Flambeau Mine as a success story with minimal water contamination. One doesn’t have to dig too deeply to determine that these two projects are completely different and have zero ground for comparison. First and foremost, the Flambeau Mine is a tiny fraction of the size that Back 40 would be. The waste rock generated by Back 40 would be nearly six times larger. Furthermore, unlike the Flambeau Mine, which shipped all its rock away for processing, Back 40 would exclusively process and store the toxic end products in the pit a mere 150 feet from the river.

Though there are many, two particular factors at play keep me awake at night. One is the dramatic change in weather here in the Upper Midwest. Whether or not you believe in climate change makes no difference in this instance. Pooling from well over one thousand days on the Menominee River over the course of 16 years, our staff would unanimously agree that the instances of severe weather events are increasing dramatically. 2017 has been a perfect example of this shift. We were forced to cancel more guide trips in the month of June than we have in the entire existence of our business combined, all due to the fact that the river was at or above USGS flood stage on several separate occasions. In 2016, Northwestern Wisconsin experienced one of the worst flood events on record. Considering the current frequency of severe weather, a similar event occurring along the Menominee seems more possible than ever. Despite Aquila’s lofty claims about its barrier wall containment capabilities, they are only held accountable by permit to build for a 100 year flood.

My second major concern is Back 40’s already granted National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. It is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standard for effluent wastewater being dumped into a water body. As a graduate student, I managed an enormous data set containing pollutant concentration measurements from pollution point sources all across the Great Lakes. This data set was then used, in conjunction with the EPA, to determine if individual sources were in violation of their permits. My experience with this data taught me that many facilities often violated their NPDES permit with limited consequences that came to fruition long after the fact. Back 40 would be pumping treated waste water directly into the Menominee. What if they slip up in the treatment process? Or, what if the financial implications of violating their permit are insignificant compared to the profit while operating outside the law?

I had a simple, yet eye-opening experience this summer. It was a beautiful day and I saw a young family out floating down the river. They weren’t fishing. They were just enjoying a float in a beautiful, wild place. This, at the root of it all, is why it’s so important that Back 40 never becomes a reality. The risks are simply too great. The Menominee River, though largely unknown to many, is one of the most spectacular publicly accessible river ways in the country. I truly hope it remains that way so that anyone in the future can enjoy what we have today.

Please join us in asking the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to reject the pending wetlands permit and prevent the establishment of the proposed Back Forty mine.

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Charlie is the Shop Manager for Tight Lines Fly Fishing Company, Northeastern Wisconsin’s largest fly shop. Charlie’s desire to help others progress as fly anglers is his driving force. Whether it’s through guided trips, classes, or daily interactions in the shop, he loves ensuring that others are more successful on the water.

This guest blog by Bill Hines is a part of our America’s Most Endangered Rivers® series on the Neuse River and the Cape Fear River in North Carolina.

I’ve always felt the need to be close to the water. I think it comes from my being born into the Navy and being stationed on the water much of my young life.

We spent a long time searching the Atlantic coastline for the ideal place to retire and found Oriental, North Carolina, at the mouth of the Neuse River over 20 years ago. After moving here, the first thing I did was volunteer with the Neuse Riverkeeper Foundation.

I thought I could best help the Foundation and the river by sharing an up close experience on the river with others. With a village full of sailors, I felt it was important to get people even closer to the water – to get their elbows dipping in it.

When you are paddling on the water, you have an immediate concern for the quality of the water. You can start to see the complex interaction between the trees, marsh grasses, aquatic grasses, fish, and birds. All of these pieces need to work together in a balance in order to give us the enjoyment we receive from the various uses that people have for the water.

I enjoy the early morning paddle where I can watch the mist rise from the water, slowly  revealing the possibilities for that new day. I like going out for full-moon paddles to watch the sunset and then see the moon rise. Exploring the creeks that make up the estuary marshes in Pamlico County gives a constant sense of adventure with a new view or experience around every bend.

I also enjoy birding along the water with the ever-changing rich variety of birds. We have an “Adopt a Duck” program where some of the local birders donate money for corn that I spread along the waterfront in the winter so that the diving ducks come in close for easy viewing.

I became concerned about our river when I spoke with the local fishermen, both commercial and recreational, and heard of flounder and other fish becoming scarce.

One night we were watching a satellite launch from the waterfront on a beautiful star lit night when we noticed the smell of sewage sludge floating by from Slocum Creek and Cherry Point Marine Air Station on the far side of the river.

On my annual paddles down the river from Raleigh, I am in awe of the beauty of the river, but occasionally am reminded of how waste from hog farms runs into the river when I smell it.

The Neuse is our treasure and one we need to work every day to protect.

Please join us in asking the Commissioner of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Steve Troxler, to champion the protection of this vital natural resource by pushing for full funding of the floodplain buyout program.

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Author: Bill Hines

Bill is an accomplished paddler who patrols every week with a group of kayaking enthusiasts and bird watchers, picking up trash, monitoring the health of the rivers and creeks, and appreciating nature. He is an advocate, ambassador, and agitator for action on the Lower Neuse River. Bill wrote the chapter on paddling the Neuse River– see Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail Guide, section 11A-16A Paddling the Neuse River– which he wrote from his own experiences paddling the entire length of the river.

July is upon us here in the Colorado Basin, and things are hot! Aside from the scorching heat across the American Southwest (a record 119 degrees in Phoenix on June 19) a number of Colorado River-related stories have made their way to front pages in the past few weeks as well.

Rising temperatures inspired a recent report by Brad Udall (Colorado State University) and Jonathan Overpeck (University of Arizona) which indicates that the prolonged drought and rising temperatures have not only made it feel hotter, but have actually reduced the amount of water in the Colorado Basin by nearly 20% compared to flows between 1906 and 1999. This is dramatic as we deal with and address the substantial overuse of Colorado River water in the lower basin states of California, Arizona, and Nevada.

And even though the Upper Basin states of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming saw an above average snowpack in early 2017, a dry March across the basin combined with these elevated spring temperatures has resulted in the US Bureau of Reclamation refining their projections of ample spring flows heading towards Lake Powell (and further benefitting Lake Mead) downward. So instead of a substantial improvement in both of these large reservoirs, the resulting conditions will be average at best. Further, the Bureau has also downgraded the projection of flows into Lake Mead in 2018 by more than 20 feet, increasing the risk of substantial cutbacks for the state of Arizona in the coming years. In short, even though we had a hopeful, wet spring, we owe it to the river to continue to work towards conservation every day, as we are truly all in this mission together!

All of this has created a discussion about how to think about stabilizing the Colorado River, from the headwaters deep in the Colorado mountains, all the way to the border with Mexico. Seven states, over 1,400 miles, affecting more than 35 million people and supporting a $1.4 trillion economy. First and foremost, American Rivers is working with partners across the basin to inspire ways to increase flexibility and keep more water flowing down the Colorado River from source to (ideally) sea. By collaborating with farmers and ranchers, municipalities, and water agencies, we are making headway in not only sustaining the river, but the people who depend on it as well. And our work has garnered further confidence from donors, foundations, and individual supporters like you who support our mission to protect wild rivers, restore damaged rivers, and conserve clean water for people and nature across the country. Without you, we could not continue our efforts to stabilize the Colorado River and sustain it for future generations to come.

National Monuments are selected by the President from tracts of existing public lands to preserve landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and objects of scientific interest. The President has this power under the Antiquities Act, which Congress passed and President Teddy Roosevelt signed in 1906. Congress delegated the power to further protect parts of public lands because even then, it could be difficult to move preservation bills to the President’s desk.

But, unfortunately, President Trump has issued an executive order calling for a review of National Monuments designated under the Antiquities Act. Following the order, The Department of the Interior announced a public comment period for 27 specific National Monuments designated in the last 21 years. This review is unprecedented and unnecessary, and we encourage you to speak up in defense of these important public lands. The deadline to submit a comment is Monday, July 10^th.

The Hanford Reach National Monument in Mattawa, WA, one of the monuments under review, includes the last free-flowing stretch of the 1,243-mile Columbia River above Bonneville Dam and is home to the largest run of Chinook salmon in the lower 48. One of the highlights of the Monument, the beautiful and iconic White Bluffs, was formed millions of years ago and contains a wealth of fossils, including mastodons, camels, zebras and rhinoceros. In addition, the area has a long and rich history of Native American habitation and use and is culturally significant to tribes throughout the region. More than 150 registered archaeological sites are found within the monument’s boundaries.

The Hanford Reach is also a popular destination for many types of recreation and exploration. Public use of the monument has grown from less than 20,000 visitors at the time of designation to 43,000 annual visitors today. It is a local and regional destination for waterfowl hunters and salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, and bass anglers. It has grown in popularity as a destination for kayaking and canoeing. The Hanford Reach National Monument Vision Statement states that the “monument is a natural gathering place to learn, to experience and celebrate cultures, where stories are protected and passed on.” Recreational experiences provide important learning opportunities to continue to tell these stories from one generation to the next.

In June 2000, President Clinton created the 195,000 acre Hanford Reach National Monument to preserve its unique natural, cultural, historical, scientific, and educational asset for all Americans, a tailor-made case for the Antiquities Act. The designation took place after over ten years of studies, reviews and community input from federal, state and local agencies; local organizations representing a variety of interests including American Rivers; and private landowners living along the Reach. President Trump’s Executive Order and the Department of Interior’s review of the Hanford Reach National Monument is unnecessary and a waste of tax-payer money.

We urge you to submit a comment in favor of keeping the Hanford Reach National Monument as it is. Sample text is provided below but please note that unique comments in your own language will have a greater impact than copying and pasting the below bullet points. We encourage you to personalize your comments.

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Here are a few important points to touch on in your comment, if you’d like guidance:

• Reference your own experience at the Hanford Reach National Monument. Comments that can speak to the “objects of scientific interest” that define the Monument including the shrub-steppe ecosystem with a diversity of plant and animal species, geology of the White Bluffs, bird habitat, spawning habitat for fall Chinook salmon, or Hanford Dune Field are especially helpful.
• Reference the importance of outdoor recreation in protecting the Hanford Reach National Monument by providing experiences that promote a culture of stewardship for this place. The 51-mile Hanford Reach is the longest wild and free-flowing section that remains of the entire 1,234-mile Columbia River. It is a popular destination for paddlesports enthusiasts, anglers, botanists, bird and wildlife watchers, and more.
• If you have a personal perspective or participated in the public process that included proposed legislation for wild and scenic designation of this reach and ultimately led to National Monument designation, please include in your comments.
• Urge the Department of Interior to protect the integrity of the Antiquities Act, which has been used by Presidents of both parties for over 100 years to protect some of the most amazing cultural and ecological sites that exist in the country.

Ultra-marathon runner and biologist Keith “Wildman” Hanson is gearing up for his greatest journey yet – a 3 day, 300 mile run across South Carolina.

As a biologist and conservationist, Hanson is keenly aware of the threats that face America’s rivers and decided the best way he could bring attention to this issue was to do something that seems impossible to many. In November, the “Wildman” will tackle this great adventure.

Beginning in Upstate South Carolina, near the Saluda River and ending by the Stono River near Folly Beach, Hanson is going to run alongside some of South Carolina’s most iconic rivers; rivers that need our protection. From the mountains to the sea, Hanson’s goal is to complete this 300-mile journey across the Palmetto State in three days. He will test his body and mind to a degree he never has before, but that is what makes him the “Wildman”.

We recently caught up with Hanson to learn more about his connection to rivers. Read on for our interview with Hanson.

Why are rivers important to you?

KH: Rivers are important to me for a number of reasons.

First, there is just something that is so mesmerizing, so alluring, and intoxicating about beautiful, clean flowing water. It is primitive in a way, almost animalistic, but there is something deep within me that is moved when I see or when I am in flowing water. Rivers can literally and figuratively wash away the grime and stress of a hard day. Rivers always leave me feeling recharged and refreshed.

Rivers are important to me as a natural resource. Rivers are a vital part of the landscape; in fact, rivers play a major role in forming the landscape. Rivers are also critically important to nearly every ecosystem and are essential to human cultures and economies. It is nearly impossible to overstate the importance of rivers as a natural resource, especially as most of the population gets their drinking water from rivers.

Personally, rivers are especially important to me as a natural resource because of their function as a fish habitat and as a source of drinking water. Let us be quite clear, without rivers, we would not have such amazing craft beer!

Lastly, rivers are important to me recreationally. This is obviously intertwined with my last answer as it relates to rivers as a natural resource. Rivers provide a remarkably wide range of opportunities for consumptive and non-consumptive recreational uses. I love rivers for kayaking, fishing, birding, swimming, floating, looking for herps (reptiles and amphibians), and of course, running! Running next to, over, or through rivers really brings me great joy and makes the miles just flow by!

Whether you realize it or not, rivers are important to everyone. As American Rivers so eloquently states: Rivers connect us.

Is there a particular river that is special to you?

KH: I would have to say that there are two rivers that are especially important to me. The first is the Rocky River up in northeast Ohio where I grew up. The Rocky River is special to me because it is where I came to love rivers, wildlife, and nature in general. When I was growing up, my family would go on hikes and bike rides all along the river, constantly exploring the many miles of meanders. Spending so much time exploring the river, being immersed in nature is likely what propelled me to become a biologist and is the reason I am so passionate about research and conservation. Additionally, growing up in northeast Ohio, rivers are a special part of the cultural identity. This likely stems from the presence of the Cuyahoga River, which caught fire many times during the 20^th century, most notably in 1969.

The second river that is special to me is the Cooper River in coastal South Carolina. The Cooper River is likely most famous for the “Cooper River” bridge (real name: Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge), which is a beautiful cable-stayed bridge that resembles a sailboat. The bridge is also well known because of the Cooper River Bridge Run, a 10-km footrace that takes runners across the bridge. For me, the Cooper River was really the first river in the southeast where I spent a lot of time when I moved down to Charleston in 2009. Boating, wakeboarding, birding, and just doing some cruising were some of my favorite things to do on the Cooper River my first few years in Charleston. Following graduate school, I started to do more research related to the river and found out how truly special, but also how modified, the river is. Since then, I’ve always had a special interest in the Cooper River. Recently, I was able to accompany the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources out to sample for endangered shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) in the river. This sampling trip was an amazing experience and reaffirmed my passion for the river.

What do you hope to accomplish with this run?

KH: Primarily I hope to raise awareness and funds for American Rivers and the amazing conservation work they are doing every day. Everything else is secondary to that. However, because this is an endurance running adventure, my goal is to complete the fastest upstate-to-coastal crossing of South Carolina on foot. Using an endurance adventure like this represents a unique opportunity to reach out and inspire people about the importance of rivers.

What is the hardest thing about a long-distance run like this?

KH: It is difficult to pinpoint the hardest thing about a long-distance run like this, but I would have to say that sleep deprivation will likely be the biggest challenge. I am planning to sleep for short periods during the run (maybe 2-3 hours every 24 hours), but if I get behind schedule in time and/or mileage, sleep will be the first thing that is cutback. Aside from that, ultramarathon running in general presents a number of challenges. Something like a little pain or a blister can turn into a nightmare during a 300-mile run, whereas during a normal training day, it may not be an issue at all. Keeping up with hydration and calorie intake will be a significant challenge as well.

Describe a typical day of training.

KH: Right now, a typical day of training is “light,” as I have not ramped up the mileage. I am trying to get about 60 miles of running in per week, with that running evenly distributed among days. I am also doing a lot of strength training and mobility work. I would say that a typical day looks like this: After work, I like to do some light foam rolling and hip mobility work before I do any running. That lasts for about 15 minutes. Then I will do a dynamic warmup for about 15 more minutes. This involves jumping jacks, lunges, light jogging, other movements (no static stretching). Then I will do something like a focused strength workout (e.g., squats, lunges, single-leg squats, kettle bell swings) then take off on a run of anywhere from 8 to 12 miles. Following any run, I do some targeted stretching for a few minutes. Later at night, after dinner, shower, etc. I also do more mobility work, which involves a lot of foam rolling.

Tell us your favorite river story.

KH: I think one of my favorite river stories is from back home in Northeast Ohio. Many years ago, I was in the Rocky River with my family, just splashing around in a shallow section characterized by exposed bedrock with some larger stones. We were all flipping rocks (placing them back in their original location after flipping, of course) looking for crayfish and any other little critters. I was flipping some medium-sized stones and was not having any luck. So, as a kid, my attention started to wane a bit. Anyway, after a while of this, I thought I saw a little stick jammed underneath one of the stones, so I thought it might be a good place for some crayfish. As I lifted the rock, a ton of crayfish came shooting out! I quickly realized that stick was not actually a stick! This small brownish/grey snake catapulted itself right out from under the rock and through my legs before I really knew what happened. Without thinking, I took off running full speed after it. Luckily, I was able to run on the bedrock without slipping, but I could see that I was running out of real estate and there was a deep pool section just ahead. I was directly behind the snake as it made it to the deep pool section.  At that point, I just went for it and dove – fully laid out like a major-league outfielder – directly into the deep pool section where I definitely could NOT touch the bottom. Treading water and fully clothed, with water running down my face, I held up the Queen Snake (Regina septemvittata) and yelled over, “I got it!” I swam my way back to the shallow bedrock and we all looked at the snake and its beautiful brown/grey dorsum with yellow/cream stripes running down its sides. After a few minutes of taking turns holding it, we let the snake go back into the water, hopefully unharmed, but certainly annoyed and probably late for dinner. Later, I found the habitat/ecology information for the snake: “…often prevalent where rocks are present and an abundance of crayfish.” Seemed like an accurate description to me.

How did you learn about American Rivers?

KH: I learned about American Rivers through their dam removal and restoration work in the Southeast. As the nation’s leading river conservation group, they are widely known in conservation circles. Specifically, I think the Lassiter Mill Dam removal on the Uwharrie River in North Carolina was a focal point for me personally recognizing American Rivers’ work in the region.

About Keith “Wildman” Hanson

Although Keith “Wildman” Hanson is widely known as an ultramarathon runner, he is first and foremost a dedicated biologist and conservationist. Keith has long used his ability to run impossible distances as an avenue to promote and bring awareness to causes he wholeheartedly believes in.

“My goal is to use this personal endurance challenge to raise funds and bring awareness to the importance of rivers,” Keith said. “American Rivers is a great organization and I am thrilled to team up with them and bring awareness to the great work they do every day. Rivers are vital to our ecosystems and economies, and my hope is to shine a light on the fact that many rivers are in deep trouble right now. As a biologist and environmental scientist, I have spent years studying rivers and how they directly influence human health and prosperity. I believe this adventure has the opportunity to have a positive impact for rivers and the communities that rely on them.”

Keith graduated from Baldwin-Wallace University in 2008 with a B.S. in biology and environmental studies. He earned his M.S. in environmental studies from College of Charleston in 2012. He currently works as a contract environmental scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) where he focuses on the conservation of freshwater, estuarine, and marine species and habitats. Hanson has spent many years living in Charleston, S.C., but is currently splitting his time between Charleston and Chapel Hill.

Follow Keith and Running for Rivers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or at RunningForRivers.com.

This guest blog by Neuse River brewing Company is a part of our America’s Most Endangered Rivers series on the Neuse River and the Cape Rear River.

Keeping North Carolina’s Neuse River clean is critically important to us.

It is the longest river in the state and the vein of our land. It feeds the community and everything around us, from bear to fish to insects. Its waters keep the environment alive.

Many people only know the river through their water faucet because it supplies water that they drink, cook with, and bathe in. However, keeping our river clean is critical for more than just water supply reasons. There is a carbon footprint left by treating and moving water. So, having clean water to start is imperative to reducing the effects of global warming.

It is also important to note that the river drains the landscape all the way to the ocean; when it is polluted, it pollutes our coast.

From a personal perspective, we enjoy biking on the Greenway Trail, kayaking, and being on the water. If the Neuse River is not taken care of, our children and our children’s children won’t have the opportunity to enjoy all the beauty and benefits it provides to us.

We are not just connected to the Neuse through our personal lives, we are also connected to the Neuse through our professional lives, so much so that we named our business after the river: Neuse River Brewing Company. We depend on reliable clean water to brew our beer. As brewery owners, having clean water is vital to our ability to produce a quality and consistent product.

Without protections put in place to keep the river clean, our quality of life would be greatly diminished. We all need to work together to keep the Neuse River swimmable, fishable, and drinkable.

Please join us in asking the Commissioner of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Steve Troxler, to champion the protection of this vital natural resource by pushing for full funding of the floodplain buyout program.

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Author:  Jennifer and Ryan Kolarov

Jennifer and Ryan are co-owners of the Neuse River Brewing Company in Raleigh, NC, which specializes in Belgian style ales and IPAs.

Every spring, a distinct population of orcas known as the Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW) waits at the mouth of the Columbia River like students in a cafeteria line. On the menu: 30+lb spring chinook salmon, the largest and fattiest of the six salmon species found off the Puget Sound.

The Center for Whale Research estimates that the average SRKW consumes between 18-25 salmon per day. With only about 80 members of this population left, that’s 1,500-2,000 salmon every day! Chinook are their favorite by far, making up as much as 80% of these whales’ diets, though they also enjoy a sampling of coho, chum, and steelhead.

Anadromous fish have a complex life-cycle, one that begins in freshwater streams, segues into the ocean, and ends in the same stream of the salmon’s birth, where the ones who don’t end up an orca’s lunch return to spawn and die. They are a remarkable, resilient keystone species but they are vulnerable at every stage of that life cycle.

Rivers that historically produced millions of salmon now suffer from dams, lack of fish passage, overfishing, algal blooms, non-point source pollution, and the disconnection and development of floodplains. The oceans themselves are growing more acidic, impeding salmons’ ability to detect predators and survive to spawn the next generation. As salmonid populations dwindle, meals for the SRKW grow fewer and farther between. Luckily, efforts are underway to restore salmon populations and habitats, and to help them face the challenges of a changing climate. American Rivers is deeply involved in such work in the Pacific Northwest.

Most of us probably don’t think of riverine floodplains as important habitat for healthy Killer Whales. In fact, many people probably don’t even think of floodplains as habitat at all! A ‘floodplain’ tends to take on an array of different definitions depending on who you’re talking to. A community land-planner might tell you about the 100-year floodplain, or an area with a 1% chance of flooding each year that’s risky to build on. A hydrologist would tell you that a river’s floodplain is the land that gets inundated by water during high flows, or floods. An ecologist might explain that a floodplain is a unique ecosystem in between water and land, with plants and wildlife adapted to seasonal floods. A floodplain is all of these things in reality, and plays a key role in how rivers function. Where floodplains are connected to a river they provide space to convey floodwaters, capture excess sediment and nutrients, and provide productive habitat for a diversity of fish and wildlife.

In the Pacific Northwest native salmon populations spend the beginning and end stages of their life in rivers. Floodplains play a critical role in the life history of many salmonid species including Chinook, Coho and Chum salmon, which use flooded lands and side-channels for spawning and rearing as juvenile fish.

Today many species of salmon native to California, Oregon, and Washington are listed as threatened or endangered through the Endangered Species Act. Declines in these fish are primarily attributed to fragmentation of their freshwater habitats by the damming of rivers, and urbanization of floodplains and forests over the past century. As populations of salmonids have declined in river systems across the Puget Sound and Columbia River Basins, the SRKW that depend on those fish as food have also suffered. This is why connected, naturally functioning floodplains are important not just to healthy rivers, but also to the health of marine mammals, and entire coastal ecosystems!

Luckily, Washington is a good place to work on floodplain reconnection and restoration. Communities in the Puget Sound region have realized the many benefits that come from having floodplains that act as, well, floodplains. By moving old infrastructure such as levees, or repetitively damaged buildings farther back from waterways, floodplains can be opened up and reconnected to rivers. As a result, floods that occur can actually be lower, slower to occur, and cause less-costly damage to communities. As an added benefit, the newly restored floodplains can again be accessible to fish and wildlife such as endangered salmon. Communities in Pierce and King Counties are leading the way in this type of work, investing in their floodplains to reduce flood risk to people, and to improve the health of their rivers.

There is still a lot of work to do, especially in urban areas where less open-space still remains for reconnecting floodplain lands. The Lower Green-Duwamish River is one example; flowing through the Cities of Kent, Tukwila, and industrial areas of Seattle, the Green-Duwamish is leveed and tightly controlled like a canal. High levels of urban stormwater runoff, and a lack of shading from riparian vegetation create a waterway that is too polluted and too hot for many fish to thrive. Furthermore, there is a lack of complex instream and side-channel habitat that many fish need for spawning and resting. Addressing these threats through an improved Lower Green River Corridor Plan that considers both the need for flood safety and a functioning river ecosystem will be key to recovering fish populations and relieving pressure on SRKWs. That process is just beginning in the King County Flood Control District, and American Rivers will be engaged to help meet these needs.

In headwater regions where rivers begin, such as the flanks of the Cascade Mountains, meadows and floodplains are important for storing snowmelt water throughout the spring and summer, sustaining groundwater levels and the base-flows of streams and rivers to keep them flowing and cool during even the hottest and driest months of the year. In some watersheds, intensive grazing and logging practices over the past two centuries has impaired the capacity of headwater streams and floodplains to store water and support complex habitat needed by fish and wildlife. Investing in these headwater areas can improve base-flows to meet ecological needs and improve those lands for recreational use by people. Benefits from these projects flow downstream all the way to the Puget Sound, as water supply improves and anadromous fish species recover, and SRKWs continue to have nice fatty fish to eat each year.

Orca Awareness Month:

Killer whales, orcas, SRKWs, blackfish, they’re iconic by any name. So how can you help support their recovery?

Learn about salmon habitat restoration efforts in your area

In Washington, the Recreation and Conservation office created a Salmon Recovery Funding Board to provide grants for salmon restoration, protection and assistance programs. In Oregon, the Water Resources Department created a Plan for Salmon and Watersheds which combines voluntary restoration actions with state, federal and tribal projects, monitoring and scientific oversight. NOAA has also developed comprehensive recovery plans by region and species. And, of course, your local river or coastal groups are sure to have information available.

Learn about local fish passage efforts

Dam removals, culvert replacements and fish passage installation are all important tools in the work to boost salmon populations. The wildly successful Elwha Dam removal resulted in a local chinook boom. Chinook, coho, and sockeye have returned to the Yakima for the first time in a century, thanks to the construction of new fish passage systems. Find out what’s going on near you, and get involved! Lend your voice in support, attend public meetings, or help boost their activities through social media.

Support organizations that restore salmon-bearing streams

American Rivers is one of many PNW nonprofits that work in local communities to organize, restore, fundraise, and lobby for the health of our rivers and the wildlife who depend on them. Learn more about our work, and help us stretch it further in the future.