Guest post by Matt Norton is a part of our America’s Most Endangered Rivers® series spotlighting the Boundary Waters.

Paddling against the current is equal parts exhilarating and challenging. The continued effort to protect the Boundary Waters Wilderness is often exhilarating and challenging too.

This 1.1 million acre Wilderness in northeastern Minnesota is a mosaic landscape composed of different forest types, wetlands, and streams, shot-through with a vast network of interconnected lakes and rivers. The scenery is beautiful, there’s lots of wildlife one rarely sees elsewhere, and the fishing and hunting opportunities are the finest I’ve ever enjoyed. Some of my most cherished memories are of time spent in the Boundary Waters Wilderness with family and friends.

The Wilderness faces a great threat from Twin Metals, a mining company owned by Chilean mining giant Antofagasta, which proposes to build a sulfide-ore copper mining operation just outside its borders.

American Rivers recognized this threat by naming the Kawishiwi River, which is on the path of pollution from the proposed mine, as one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® in 2013. American Rivers is working with the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters to protect the area.

The challenge we face right now is to urge the U.S. Forest Service not to renew Twin Metals’ expired federal mineral leases. Now is the time to act, as the Forest Service is taking public input through July 20, 2016.

These mineral leases are more than 50 years old, and have never undergone environmental review, as they were issued before passage of the federal Clean Water Act and National Environmental Policy Act. Today, we understand so much more about the risks to nearby waterways, and we are at a critical crossroads in the future of these rivers and lakes.

According to a statewide poll released in early March 2016, 67 percent of Minnesotans oppose, “sulfide-ore copper mines on the edge of the Boundary Waters Wilderness.” Keep in mind that this type of mining has never been done in Minnesota, and has never been done anywhere in the world without polluting.

Protecting the Boundary Waters is not something we can do alone. The Bureau of Land Management ultimately holds the authority to renew or deny these leases, but they recently asked the U.S. Forest Service if it would grant or withhold consent for renewal of the leases. Saying the agency is “deeply concerned,” the U.S. Forest Service announced on June 13 that it is “considering withholding consent for lease renewal” of Twin Metals’ request to renew two 50-year-old, expired federal mineral leases on the edge of the Boundary Waters Wilderness.

Anyone who believes in the value of clean water, the outdoor industry, and the endless power of the Wilderness should stand with us and partners like American Rivers on this issue. Join us at the Forest Service listening session in Duluth on July 13 to tell the Forest Service to protect the Boundary Waters. Your voice counts.

If you can’t make it to Duluth, we still need your help! Please tell the Forest Service to protect the Boundary Waters from harmful mining!

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Matt Norton is the Policy Director at Save the Boundary Waters. The Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters is leading the effort to ensure permanent protection for the Boundary Waters Wilderness, America’s most visited Wilderness and Minnesota’s crown jewel, from proposed sulfide-ore copper mining.

I just returned from a fantastic trip with OARS Dories down Idaho’s Wild and Scenic Main Salmon River. OARS, along with NRS and other partners, are teaming up with American Rivers to celebrate the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. This trip was part of our effort to build momentum and collect stories, photos and video for the campaign.

It was a dory trip – the first for OARS in Idaho in roughly 14 years – and a personal first for me. Ever since reading Kevin Fedarko’s The Emerald Mile, I’ve wanted to experience a dory. Describing this beautiful wooden boat in the Grand Canyon Kevin writes:

“Unlike the rafts and the motor rigs or the generations of wooden boats that had proceeded her, she didn’t plow piggishly through the waves, but instead seemed to dance over them. As she planed across the surface of the river, breaking the water into a series of interlocked, V-shaped ripples, she achieved a bewitching visual alchemy, almost if she were suspended partly on the surface of the river and – through some ineffable trick of her rocker, her rake, and the magic of her radiance – suspended partly on the air itself.”

One of my most vivid memories from our trip is sitting in the front of the dory named Quartz Creek and charging head-on into a rapid, with a beautiful gleaming green wave rising up in front of us. We danced right through, our guide Amber making it look easy.

Amber, who was recently profiled in the Yeti film In Current, gave up a family reunion to guide on this trip. She told her mom that it just wouldn’t be right if the first dory trip in Idaho only had men as guides. This trip needed a female guide, and Amber was it.

Wild and Scenic, the highest level of protection a river can have in our country, in 1980. That means it will always be preserved in its natural state, and dams and other harmful water projects are prohibited.

There’s a certain magic that comes with wild rivers. For me, on this Salmon trip, it was in the moments –

Baking in the hot canyon sun, then plunging into the cold clean river, the most refreshing feeling in the world.

Leaning back in the boat to watch two osprey soaring overhead as clouds gathered over the confluence with the South Fork.

Standing barefoot in cold sand in the morning, drinking hot coffee and listening to a canyon wren calling across the river.

Finding the cherry tree at the Frank Lantz cabin that I remembered from a trip with friends ten years ago.

Pulling up to the beach with the hot springs and watching swirls of butterflies filling the air.

Picking thimbleberries along the creek, hiking up to the cool and shady Pacific Yew grove.

And at Alder Creek Rapid, watching the other dories disappear over the drop then riding through the waves, light as a feather.

Why do we need wild rivers? Why are places like the Main Salmon so special? The reasons are as practical as clean water, as important as heritage, as personal as love.

That is why, with the 50th anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act coming in 2018, American Rivers is launching an effort to protect 5,000 new miles of rivers. So that more people can experience this magic, and we can preserve it for our children.

I’m so grateful to our fantastic OARS guides Hud, Amber, Barry, Jake, Chris and Sarah for making this such a memorable trip, and to OARS for being a company so dedicated to river conservation. Being on the Salmon has made me more fired up than ever to protect more Wild and Scenic Rivers. We can’t wait to share more about this exciting campaign.

 

At American Rivers, we stand in solidarity with all of those working for justice and an end to racism and inequality in our country. Violence against people of color and violence against public servants must stop.

A popular saying in the river community is “we all live downstream.” It illustrates how actions – even actions from a faraway place or time – impact us and our families and neighbors. It underscores that we are all connected, and have a responsibility to treat each other with care and respect. As this week’s tragic events show, we still have a lot of work to do.

American Rivers is committed to working with communities nationwide to build a better future for our children and grandchildren. And together, we can achieve that.

#RiversConnectUs 

Guest post by Erin Crotty is a part of our America’s Most Endangered Rivers® series spotlighting the St. Lawrence River.

In 2012, Audubon New York, the state program of the National Audubon Society representing 27 local Chapters and 50,000 members in New York State, submitted comments from 554 people from Audubon’s network to the International Joint Commission in support of Plan 2014. Audubon New York continues to be fully supportive of Plan 2014 which achieves a balance of benefits for all interests by simply restoring some of the natural fluctuations in water levels to St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. Today, I would like to focus on one element that makes Plan 2014 so important to Audubon— the impact on endangered and threatened bird species.

Marsh-nesting birds like Black Terns depend on diverse marshes interspersed with open water for nesting. Since the current regulation plan was put in place, Black Tern populations have decreased by an unfathomable 80 percent.

The enactment of Plan 2014 will have enormous benefits and is projected to increase populations of this New York State-listed endangered species by 16 percent.

By restoring the natural flow and fluctuation of water levels, promoting increased wetland diversity, and restoring natural cycles, Plan 2014 will improve habitat quality for other key bird species, including Least Bitterns (a New York State listed threatened species), Virginia Rails, Yellow Rails (a red listed species on the Audubon Watchlist), and King Rails (a New York State threatened species and yellow listed on the Audubon Watchlist).

Furthermore, the restoration provided by Plan 2014 would greatly benefit the economic and cultural identity of upstate New York and the entire Great Lakes region as New Yorkers spend $660 million each year on trips within the state for wildlife viewing. As many efforts are being made to address the serious declines of these important bird species, implementing Plan 2014 now would be an important, cost-effective step toward their conservation goals.

To ensure these significant investments are not wasted and balance is restored to the regulation of water levels, Audubon New York strongly urges Secretary Kerry and Minister Dion to implement Plan 2104 without further delay.

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Erin Crotty is the Executive Director of Audubon New York. Audubon New York is the state’s leading voice for the conservation and protection of natural resources for birds. Integrating science, conservation, policy and education, Audubon’s mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity.

 

Guest post by Brian Smith is a part of our America’s Most Endangered Rivers® series spotlighting the St. Lawrence River.

Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River provide drinking water to several million people, support multi-billion dollar industries, offer unparalleled recreation and fishing opportunities, generate renewable hydroelectric power, and are home to an impressive array of wildlife. Perhaps most importantly, the river and lake enhance the quality of life for everyone in the region. It is no wonder then, that the residents of New York State support modernizing an outdated management plan that is slowly killing the health of the lake and river.

As a grassroots organization working to protect the environment throughout New York State, Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE) has lead a large-scale public outreach campaign on the issue of Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River water level management over the past few years. We conducted direct public outreach in numerous communities along the south shore of Lake Ontario up to the St. Lawrence River.

What did we find when we spoke directly with families across the region about this issue? Whether it was the mother with small children that loves taking trips to the beach on weekends, a recently retired man that spends countless hours on a boat fishing, or the college student that cares passionately about protecting the health of our waters for future generations, we spoke with a broad range of New Yorkers that care passionately about the health of our waters and overwhelming support the adoption of Plan 2014.

Members of the public signed petitions, wrote letters and emails, and made phone calls to key government officials in support of Plan 2014, contributing toward the nearly 23,000 expressions of citizen support that have been generated by CCE and our partners in recent years.

Despite this growing wave of support for Plan 2014, the federal governments of the U.S. and Canada have yet to adopt the plan. U.S. Secretary John Kerry and Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion can help restore the health of the lake and river with the simple stroke of a pen. We can’t let up now— they need to know that we can’t wait any longer. We need your help to demand action today!

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Brian Smith is the Associate Executive Director for Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE).

Guest post by Daniel Macfarlane is a part of our America’s Most Endangered Rivers® series spotlighting the St. Lawrence River.

The St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Project, built by Canada and the U.S. between 1954 and 1959, blended a deep-draught navigation system with a massive hydroelectric development. The dams and control works built as part of this project, explained in detail in my book Negotiating a River: Canada, the US, and the Creation of the St. Lawrence Seaway, turned a large stretch of the international river into a lake, flooding out some 40,000 acres – and the residents – on both sides of the U.S./Canada border.

We shouldn’t assume that the Seaway is a success story. It never came close to living up to predictions nor to paying for itself. Moreover, the project had many ecological ramifications, which included facilitating the passage of many invasive species.

The method of regulating Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River is one of the crucial ecological legacies of this megaproject. Water levels were kept within a specified and predictable range – the “method of regulation” – based on the needs of various competing uses: commercial shipping, hydropower, port users at Montreal, and property owners on Lake Ontario.

However, the process of establishing the initial method of regulation during the 1950s and 1960s was plagued by engineering errors, guesses, and partisan politics. Engineers and planners, overly reliant on giant models, admitted that they weren’t really sure about what they were doing. As a result, they strove to attain levels, in their own words, “as nearly as may be.” After going through several provisional methods of regulation (see image below) during the construction of the Seaway, engineers arrived at method 1958-D, which compresses the water range to about 4 feet. Unfortunately, significant problems with natural water supply soon developed, since Great Lakes water levels naturally fluctuate. Thus the method of regulation 1958-DD, a tweak of its predecessor, was adopted.

It soon became apparent that steady water levels were detrimental to the St. Lawrence ecosystem, especially coastal wetlands, littoral zones, and fish populations. The natural variability that happens during seasonal changes to an unregulated river, even one with a steady flow like the St. Lawrence, are very beneficial for shoreline ecology and wildlife.

Many St. Lawrence communities and environmental advocacy groups strongly support the International Joint Commission’s (IJC) proposed Plan 2014. However, Seaway administrators, shipping interests, and some shoreline owners worried about erosion on their property are opposed. In fact, complaints from Lake Ontario property owners were partially responsible for the flawed system that was put in place a half century ago.

The current method of regulation is antiquated, recognized by the designation in April 2016 of the St. Lawrence as one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers®. The history of trying to regulate the St. Lawrence River shows that there is an underlying conceptual flaw in the notion that we should control the hydrological regimes on rivers and lakes. Plan 2014 is a major step in the right direction.

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Dr. Daniel Macfarlane is an Assistant Professor of Environmental and Sustainability Studies at Western Michigan University.

Guest post by Dr. Douglas Wilcox is a part of our America’s Most Endangered Rivers® series spotlighting the St. Lawrence River.

With 30 years in federal service, more recently with the U.S. Geological Survey, and the last eight years at Brockport, I’ve studied and worked on Great Lakes wetlands my entire career. The underlying theme in all of my research findings has been that hydrology (lake level) is an overriding force that controls wetland function. Needless to say, I thoroughly understand the ways that lake-level fluctuations affect Great Lakes wetlands and how water-level regulation affects the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario.

 

During that professional career, my research team developed a 4,700-year paleo record of lake levels in lakes Michigan-Huron that shows regular patterns in fluctuations, with high/low cycles roughly every 32 years and longer-term cycles of about 160 years. This variability has shaped the evolution of the vital native species that grace Great Lakes wetlands, including Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.

Put simply, variability matters.

So, how do these fluctuations affect wetlands and impact wildlife?

 

If you look at the horizontal line A in the figure above, you will see the highest high Lake Ontario experiences. Anywhere above that line never gets flooded.

Horizontal line C in this figure shows the lowest low Lake Ontario will experience. Anything below that line always has standing water on it.

The broad area between the lines is the action zone. It gets flooded sometimes and dewatered other times. When water levels rise and fall throughout Lake Ontario’s natural cadence, the system remains in balance.

During periods when high lake levels are naturally higher, invasive plants like cattails are flooded out, as are invading trees and shrubs from the upland.

During periods when lake levels are naturally lower, sediments and the seed bank are exposed, allowing native species that have deposited their seeds a chance to grow. The sediments also become too dry to support invading cattails, providing a competitive advantage to wet meadow plants that can tolerate low soil moisture.

This has been happening for thousands of years, and the biological communities, both plant and animal, have evolved to depend on those conditions.

So, what’s the problem?

The damaging and unnatural water-level regulation plan instituted after the Moses Saunders Dam was built has thrown a wrench in this natural cadence. This plan attempts to keep year-to-year water-level patterns static, which is the absolute worst thing you could ever do to a Great Lakes wetland. The impacts are striking:

• In some areas, once sandy beaches have been replaced with shoreline armoring to protect property from high lake levels, while the shoreline never receives the periodic lows needed to replenish the beach. Shoreline processes are disrupted, and barrier beaches that protect some of the wetlands lose the sand they need.
• Areas at higher elevations in wetlands that are covered by wet meadows, a major component of coastal wetlands, have been greatly reduced because they have lost the competitive advantage provided by periodic low lake levels during the summer growing season.
• Cattails, which cannot tolerate low lake levels, invaded the wetlands and replaced the wet meadows. Without natural variation in water levels, invasive cattails have created monocultures where vibrant ecosystems once stood.
• Northern pike adults feed in these wetlands. The adults spawn in the flooded wet meadow; the young live and grow up in wetlands. When water levels are kept low over the winter and early spring, there is no water for the northern pike to access wetlands and spawn. Consequently, northern pike populations have been reduced by 70% under the current water-level regulation plan.
• Muskrats, an important species that eats cattails and uses them to build houses, are now rare in Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River wetlands because their houses are left high and dry in the winter when the current water-level regulation plan draws winter lake levels down too low. When muskrats cannot fulfill their natural role in eating and controlling cattails, there is a lot of reduction in fish and wildlife habitat.

This is why the new water-level regulation plan, Plan 2014, is so important.

Plan 2014 will ensure that water levels are managed in a scientifically-defensible manner. Plan 2014 includes triggers that change to reflect the season. In the summer, the triggers reflect high lake levels that could damage property; in the spring and fall, the triggers reflect low lake levels that could impact boating and other activities. If lake and river start to approach these seasonally-adjusted trigger levels, the International Joint Commission’s Board of Control will act to regulate water levels accordingly and protect shoreline-property and other interests before the triggers are reached.

More importantly, during years with low water supplies to the Lake Ontario watershed, Plan 2014 will allow lake levels to be lower in the summer rather than keeping them unnaturally high, thus benefitting wet meadows rather than cattails. During years with adequate water supplies, Plan 2014 will allow winter and spring lake levels to remain slightly higher to support fish and muskrat populations. Plan 2014 seeks to reestablish more natural environmental conditions while continuing to provide support for other interests and should be supported by everyone.

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Dr. Douglas A. Wilcox is the Empire Innovation Professor of Wetland Science at SUNY—The College at Brockport. Dr. Wilcox is an expert in wetland ecology, with an emphasis on the influence of hydrology, climate change, and human disturbance on wetland plant communities.

Guest post by A. Charles Parker is a part of our America’s Most Endangered Rivers® series spotlighting the St. Lawrence River.

The St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario are ecological gems that have offered enjoyment and outdoor sporting opportunities to hunt, fish, and trap since before the countries of the United States and Canada were established.

These opportunities are now at risk.

That is why the New York State Conservation Council is calling on the U.S. State Department and the Canadian Ministry of Global Affairs to accept Plan 2014 and begin the restoration of the St Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. To correct the problems that have been created by the Management Control Methods enacted on these bodies of water in the 1950s, we must act now.

Man’s ability to manage the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario through dams and other water level control processes is substantial and amazing. The methods established to do so in the late 1950’s yielded a better waterway for commerce and a source of hydroelectric power, and many will say it has been a great success story. However, the passage of time has also highlighted problems that need to be addressed.

The outdated management strategy of the 1950’s plan does not allow for the natural variability in water levels and flows essential to maintain a healthy river. Instead, current management significantly limits the range of water level fluctuations. The resulting artificially-constrained water levels have caused a loss of biodiversity in coastal wetlands and significant impacts to many fish species and nesting water birds.

According to Save the River/Upper St. Lawrence Riverkeeper, “More than 64,000 acres of wetlands in the Great Lakes have been gradually starved of their natural biodiversity and morphed into wall-to wall cattail stands. Researchers have found that the wet meadow – a major component of coastal wetlands – has declined by over 50 percent. Black Tern, a state-listed endangered bird species that depends on a diverse marsh habitat, has declined by over 80 percent. Northern Pike, the top fish predator in coastal marshes, has declined by 70 percent. These species were specifically studied because they are indicators of ecosystem response, and show how far-reaching the impacts have been to the entire river environment.”

Long-term sportsmen in the Upper St. Lawrence region can also attest to witnessing declining habitat for waterfowl and a decline in the quality of the fishery.

Through the principles and management practices promoted in Plan 2014, we can reclaim lost quality habitat for the St Lawrence River without adversely affecting what some see as the advantages gained from the changes created in the late 1950s.

Plan 2014 is based on science and promotes the benefits of healthy, intact wetlands including: improved water quality, stronger fisheries, increased biodiversity and erosion control. Plan 2014, when implemented, will place the environment at the center of decisions about water level regulations on the St. Lawrence River and will be one of the largest wetland restorations in North America.

The time to implement Plan 2014 is now. If we wait much longer we may very well reach a point by which we can never recover.

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Charles Parker is President of the New York State Conservation Council, a non-profit with a mission to aid in the formulation and establishment of sound policies and practices designed to conserve, protect, restore and perpetuate forests, wildlife and scenic and recreational areas with especial regard to the state of New York, to the general end that the present and succeeding generations may continue to enjoy and to use these great natural resources.

On June 7^th, I had the opportunity to spend the day talking about two of my favorite subjects – rivers and cities. American Rivers, in partnership with The Conservation Fund, hosted a peer-to-peer meeting with delegations from Tucson, AZ, Metropolitan Atlanta, GA and Metropolitan Raleigh-Durham, NC. Delegations included water managers, council members and their representatives and watershed organizations, among others. The goal of the meeting was for participants to learn more about what these cities are doing on One Water, to improve cohesion within their city’s team, and to learn from other cities. We hosted this meeting as part of the US Water Alliance’s larger One Water Summit, and our initiative is part of a larger national effort being funded by the Pisces Foundation.

You may ask, what is One Water?

One Water, also called Integrated Urban Water Management, is a concept that attempts to integrate planning and management of drinking water, wastewater and stormwater in a way that enhances environmental, social and economic vitality. For our rivers, it means working towards restoring or mimicking the natural water cycle in cities.

In other words, we are attempting to get different city agencies, non-profits, and other stakeholders that work on different aspects of water to break out of their silos and work together in a way that reduces pollution to rivers, increase water efficiency, and does so in a way that makes a city more livable. If you are interested in diving deeper, check out our report on the subject, or our Integrated Water Management Resource Center. Our partners at the Water Environment and Reuse Foundation also do a lot of academic research on this topic.

The best way of getting people to think outside the box and out of their silos, is to get them together and talking. While this seems pretty straightforward, it’s surprising how little this type of interaction occurs.

During our peer-to-peer meeting, there were a lot of great ideas  passed around, like forming collaborative, official partnerships with other city agencies, putting together integrated plans across departments, and partnering with environmental non-profits to help bring different parties to the table. Many of the participants were excited by the opportunity to talk with and learn from their peers across the country. We were also excited to have the discussions visualized on paper by one of our attendees, Mike Schlegel, from the Triangle J Council of Governments, in North Carolina. The photo here describes the conversation we had around green infrastructure at different scales. You can also see a photo of the group taking a tour of the Clayton County Water Authority’s E.L. Huie Jr. Constructed Wetlands which are a great example of a One Water solution.

It really was a great event, with a lot of good conversation. American Rivers is looking forward to continuing the One Water conversation and ensuring that rivers and people benefit from better water management.

Today’s post is a guest blog from Buck Ryan, Executive Director of the Snake River Waterkeeper. The Snake River Waterkeeper is a grant recipient of the Connecting Communities to Rivers Grant Program, working to connect their community to the Snake River and its tributaries.

The sun is out, temperatures are up and spring runoff is in full swing. River season is here! Whether you paddle, fish, swim or just enjoy sitting on the banks, rivers offer something for everyone! The Snake River Waterkeeper, a 2016 Connecting Communities to Rivers Grantee, has made connecting with and recreating on the Snake River easier and safer for everyone, with their new Swim Guide App, which you can download today from the Apple App Store or Android Google Store here.

The Snake River and its tributaries weave through communities in Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Residents and tourists enjoy the river for everything from swimming and hiking to paddling. In addition to leading and organizing annual river cleanups, Snake River Waterkeeper also works to keep river users safe while they are out enjoying the river in the summer. Last year, Snake River Waterkeeper began hosting the Swim Guide App, which provides descriptions of and directions to swim sites as well as up-to-date monitoring information about where it is safe to get out and enjoy the Snake River and its many tributaries. Snake River Waterkeeper independently collects information to help keep the app up to date and provide river lovers with the best and safest places to play along the Snake.

Along the Snake River, local communities have started the river season out strong with the Snake River Waterkeeper’s annual spring river cleanup. More than 50 volunteers along 8 different tributaries within the Snake Basin – from Jackson, WY to Pasco, WA – got out to give back and clean up their local river. After the dust settled and landfill weights were compiled, volunteers had removed more than 1,700 pounds of trash from the banks of the Snake River and it’s tributaries. By bringing local individuals together, our cleanups immediately improve riparian scenery, water quality, and stream health while encouraging rural communities to steward local waterways.

On April 20, Executive Director Buck Ryan led a group of 6 volunteers to clean up a section of the lower Owyhee River near Adrian, Oregon. Participants helped shovel nearly 1,000 pounds of remodel scrap from a dump site directly bordering the river. “Why anyone would make an extra effort to haul construction scrap past public landfills and dumpsters to mar a beautiful streambank is beyond me, but we left the place in better shape than we found it.  Snake River Waterkeeper will keep fighting polluters on the water and in court until the Snake River and its tributaries are back in the pristine condition they deserve.”

June 1 launched this Snake River Waterkeeper’s ’s 2016 water quality monitoring season. Download the free Swim Guide App today, learn where the best places to swim and enjoy the Snake River are, and check sites before you go to make sure conditions are safe!! Don’t have a smartphone? Check out the online Swim Guide widget here!

Learn more at www.snakeriverwaterkeeper.org and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SnakeRiverWaterkeeper/.

Guest post by Peter Johnston is a part of our America’s Most Endangered Rivers® series spotlighting the St. Lawrence River.

Tracing its roots to 1889, Ed Huck Marine has been around for much longer than the Moses-Saunders dam. The business now owned by the fourth generation of the Huck family has seen, first-hand, the damage that poor water level management has had on the environment and area businesses.

Take a moment and think about the indispensable ways the St. Lawrence River impacts our daily lives. Whether it is through recreational boating, fishing, tourism or the simple enjoyment of a healthy river – this great place underpins our economy and stands at the center of our region’s way of life.

My livelihood as a marina operator depends on a healthy St. Lawrence River. The quality of this waterway has made this one of the premier boating destinations in North America.

My son who competes in bass fishing tournaments depends on a healthy St. Lawrence River and its fishery.

Healthier lake and river wetlands will support stronger populations of native fish and wildlife, improving the area’s hunting, angling, and wildlife-viewing opportunities. The Nature Conservancy estimates economic benefits, just from improved wildlife recreation, of $4.0 million – $9.1 million per year.

Plan 2014 will enhance this ecosystem and improve the economy at the same time. Secretary Kerry and Minister Dion need to implement Plan 2014 today.

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Peter Johnston is co-owner of Ed Huck Marine, a company located on the St. Lawrence River in the Heart of the 1000 Islands. Since 1889, Ed Huck Marine has been providing area boaters with the finest brands and services available.

Today’s post is a guest blog from Joe Zimbric, A Big Sky Watershed Corps Member with the Blackfoot Challenge. The Blackfoot Challenge is a grant recipient of the Connecting Communities to Rivers Grant Program, working to connect their community to the Blackfoot River.

Nested in the far eastern edge of the Columbia River Basin lies the 2,500 square mile Blackfoot watershed in Western Montana. While the total area is expansive, the watershed itself can be unpacked into dozens of smaller watersheds and sub-drainages, each one with its own reservoir – or more accurately, a reservoir of snowpack.

In the spring, water cascades down from the mountains through thick coniferous forests, sagebrush steppe, and onto the grasslands and croplands where tributaries converge and drain into the Blackfoot River. When viewed from above, the natural fractal symmetry of this extraordinary tributary network of the valley is extraordinarily beautiful and mesmerizing.

Escorted by the mountains, the Big Blackfoot flows about 130 miles, trickling from the high reaches of the Continental Divide before snaking its way along the valley floor. From riffle to run to pool and over and over again, it meanders its way west, supporting everything from the iconic megafauna like grizzly bears, to unassuming microorganisms, to the people who call the Blackfoot valley home. It’s essential to all life here.

I came to the Blackfoot Challenge as an AmeriCorps member in early January from Minnesota, and once I found my bearings and finished gawking at the mountains and wildlife, I set out to help my colleagues build upon an existing citizen science-based watershed monitoring program. Funding, or rather the lack of funding, for monitoring has historically been an issue for small non-profits working with water resources. At the same time, we determined that this type of monitoring program was the best way to bridge the gap with the local community on watershed health and drought response awareness.

We’ve partnered with other area non-profits, local schools, and community volunteers to expand our monitoring capacity and to educate area residents about watershed processes. Currently we have students taking flow measurements on a number of streams alongside other volunteers taking water samples, and we’re building a robust database to support our efforts for years to come. Our volunteers are excited to be participating and they are looking at our changing water resources in a new light and with a greater appreciation. However there is still plenty of work to do.

The Blackfoot has about 50 segments that are impaired for at least one pollutant as defined by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (including sediment and elevated water temperature). Repairing these streams requires research, restoration, and consistent monitoring. Concurrently, the Blackfoot watershed has struggled with drought conditions in 10 of the last 16 years. Our organization knows it takes community involvement to find solutions to these watershed challenges. Blackfoot Challenge works with an amazing group of partners and stakeholders, and every year we make progress. Our monitoring program is just one piece of a larger undertaking, and an informed and enthusiastic community will continue to strengthen our restoration efforts and promote important drought resiliency work. We appreciate the support of American Rivers in bringing new capacity to the Blackfoot’s community-based drought response program.