Media Items Archive

May 20, 2020

Contact: Amy Kober, 503-708-1145

A dam failed in Michigan yesterday, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate their homes. The Edenville Dam, which failed, and the Sanford Dam, which was compromised, are on the Tittabawassee River, a tributary of the Saginaw River. The failures followed days of heavy rainfall and sent floodwaters into downstream communities. Residents of Edenville, Midland and Sanford were evacuated.

“A dam failure and flood during a pandemic is a worst-case scenario. The immediate focus must be on ensuring public health and safety,” said Bob Irvin, President and CEO of American Rivers.

The Edenville Dam, a hydroelectric dam built in 1924, was plagued for years by concerns and safety violations. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission revoked its license in 2018 due to concerns that the dam could not withstand a significant flood and lack of action by the dam’s owner to address those concerns over many years. FERC first flagged problems for the dam’s owner in 1999.

Dam safety scares have forced evacuations of downstream communities in recent years in California, Nebraska, South Carolina, and now Michigan.

“This is not an isolated incident, Irvin said. “Climate change is bringing more severe flooding, at a time when our nation’s infrastructure is crumbling. It’s essential that we act now to invest in our rivers to protect public safety, improve our economy and strengthen our communities. This means shoring up necessary oversight and safety regulations, while also increasing funding for smart water infrastructure, including dam removal.”

American Rivers highlighted three priority actions:

Increase, don’t decrease, public safety and environmental safeguards – The safety of federally licensed hydropower dams is overseen by FERC. While FERC revoked the dam’s license in 2018 due to safety concerns, that clearly was not enough to prevent this week’s catastrophe. Moreover, on the same day the dams failed, President Trump signed a new executive order to roll back more regulations under the guise of restarting the economy. Further gutting the regulations that safeguard human lives and safety and protect the environment is the wrong way to produce a sustainable economic recovery.
Strengthen evaluation and enforcement – Michigan has a working dam safety program. Even so, state dam safety offices are historically underfunded with a limited number of staff responsible for inspecting thousands of dams. We must improve these efforts by making it the responsibility of dam owners to inspect and maintain their dams; requiring more frequent, detailed inspections of deficient dams and increasing penalties for unsafe dams and violations; and, requiring dam owners to ensure that funds are available to repair or remove dams in the event they can’t or won’t meet safety standards. As communities continue to grow and development expands, many dams may also be misclassified as infrastructure and development increases downstream.
Increase funding for dam removal and water infrastructure – Dam removal can be the best way to address a dam that poses a safety risk. There are tens of thousands of dams across the country that no longer serve the purpose they were built to provide and whose removal could eliminate the cost and liability associated with owning a dam. Unless they are well maintained, their condition only gets worse every year. The most cost-effective and permanent way to deal with obsolete, unsafe dams is to remove them.

Senators Udall and Heinrich introduce legislation to protect New Mexico’s Gila River

May 12, 2020
Contact: Mike Fiebig, 406-600-4061; David Moryc, 503-307-1137

Responding to strong community support, Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich today introduced legislation to add New Mexico’s Gila River to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The bill would designate 446 miles of the Gila as Wild and Scenic, forever protecting the river and tributaries from dams and other harmful development.

“Protecting the wild Gila River is an investment in New Mexico’s future and provides a legacy for all Americans,” said Bob Irvin, president of American Rivers. “Healthy, free-flowing rivers are lifelines for communities in an era of climate change. We applaud the Senators’ leadership in protecting the Gila, which is vital to the region’s economy, fish and wildlife and recreation.”

In 2019, American Rivers named the Gila America’s Most Endangered River®. “America’s Most Endangered Rivers is a call to action,” Irvin said. “New Mexico’s citizens and Americans everywhere responded to that call by urging state and federal decision makers to protect this special river. Now, with the Wild and Scenic legislation introduced, the future of the Gila River looks bright. We are grateful to Senator Udall and Senator Heinrich, and to our partners and supporters for their commitment to saving this national treasure.”

Signed into law in 1968, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act is our nation’s strongest tool for protecting healthy, free-flowing rivers. The Act permanently protects a designated river’s free-flowing character, water quality and outstanding values such as scenery, recreation, fisheries and wildlife habitat. A designation honors existing uses of the river and can support a strong outdoor recreation economy. The Gila River designation prohibits involuntary condemnation of private property, and preserves private property rights and water rights, existing irrigation and water delivery operations, grazing permits, public land access, and the ability to restore the health of our rivers and forests.

American Rivers expanded its river protection efforts in fall 2019, launching a new initiative to protect the last, best free-flowing rivers in the Southwest – rivers including the Gila and San Francisco. The program represents a significant new investment in the long-term resilience of rivers in the region.

The Gila River is the last major free-flowing river in New Mexico, supporting healthy riverside forests, cold-water fisheries (including recovering populations of Gila trout) and a remarkable abundance of wildlife. The river flows through the nation’s first wilderness area, established in 1924 under the leadership of conservation pioneer Aldo Leopold who was supervisor of the Carson National Forest. It is also important to indigenous peoples who have lived in southwestern New Mexico for thousands of years. Many cultural sites are located along the Gila River and throughout its watershed.

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May 8, 2020
Contact: Amy Kober, 503-708-1145

Acting to safeguard drinking water for millions of Americans, House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR), and Water Resources Subcommittee Chairwoman Grace Napolitano (D-CA) today introduced the Clean Water For All Act, to repeal the Trump administration’s Dirty Water Rule.

The Dirty Water Rule removes Clean Water Act protection from ephemeral streams (one in five streams nationally) and isolated wetlands (51 percent of all wetlands), opening the door to increased pollution, harmful development and destruction of drinking water sources.

Bob Irvin, President and CEO of American Rivers, made the following statement:

“We applaud Chairman DeFazio’s leadership as a champion for clean water by sponsoring this bill, and we commend Rep. Napolitano for her leadership as the original co-sponsor of the legislation.”

“The coronavirus pandemic has underscored the critical need for safe, clean water for all to protect public health and hygiene. Now is the time to strengthen, not weaken, safeguards for our rivers and water supplies.”

“Clean water and healthy rivers are vital to strong communities and are essential to our future. We must follow the science and restore necessary protections to the streams and wetlands that provide so many benefits for our health, well-being and economy.”

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April 20, 2020
Contact: Amy Kober, 503-708-1145

Washington — The Trump administration will finalize its Dirty Water Rule tomorrow, stripping clean water safeguards from critical small streams and wetlands nationwide. The new rule removes Clean Water Act protection from ephemeral streams (one in five streams nationally) and isolated wetlands (51 percent of all wetlands), opening the door to increased pollution, harmful development and destruction of drinking water sources.

Bob Irvin, President and CEO of American Rivers, made the following statement:

“On the eve of the 50^th anniversary of Earth Day, in the midst of a pandemic that is underscoring the importance of clean water, the Trump administration is finalizing a rule that will foul our nation’s waters for years to come.”

“Fifty years ago, the first Earth Day grew out of strong bipartisan support for safeguarding our land and water. Now, the Trump administration is dismantling clean water protections that are essential to public health and safety. We will not allow this administration to turn back the clock to the days of polluted streams and dying rivers.”

“American Rivers has gone to federal court twice in the past three years to block the administration’s moves to undermine protection of rivers and wetlands. Now we must do so again.”

“We reject this administration’s push to put polluters before people. We believe that science is the best guide to protecting our rivers and streams. And, we believe that everyone in our country should have clean water and healthy rivers, because they are vital to our health, our economy and our future.”

Note:

What is an ephemeral stream?
An ephemeral stream is a stream that only flows during or immediately following rainfall.
They are often the headwaters or tributaries to streams and rivers that flow year-round.

What is an isolated wetland?
An isolated wetland is defined as having no surface water connection to a perennial river or stream. They may still be connected to other water bodies by groundwater, and can provide important functions including fish and wildlife habitat, pollution filtration, and flood control.

Report calls for urgent action to protect communities from flooding

Embargoed for April 14, 2020

Contact:

Olivia Dorothy, American Rivers, 217-390-3658 (East Moline, IL)

Ryan Grosso, Prairie Rivers Network, (815) 954-7920 (Champaign, IL)

Jim Karpowicz, Missouri Coalition for the Environment, 573 424 0077 (St. Louis, MO)

David Stokes, Great Rivers Habitat Alliance, (314) 276-6305 (St. Louis, MO)

Tim Wagner, Izaak Walton League of America, 801-502-5450 (Coralville, IA)

Trevor Russell, Friends of the Mississippi River, (612) 388-8856 (St. Paul, MN)

Kelly McGinnis, Mississippi River Network, 708-305-3524 (Chicago, IL)

Melissa Samet, National Wildlife Federation, 415-762-8264 (Sacramento, CA)

Christine Favilla, Piasa Palisades Group of the Sierra Club, 618-401-7870 (Alton, IL)

Washington, D.C. – American Rivers today named the Upper Mississippi River America’s Most Endangered River® of 2020, citing the grave threat that climate change and poor river and watershed management pose to public safety. Though we are encouraged by the increasingly overt actions of cities along the Mississippi River to address these issues sensibly, American Rivers and its partners called on state and federal leaders in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota and Wisconsin to support solutions that hold more water on the landscape and give the rivers room to flood safely.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is shining a grim light on the vulnerability of relying on resource-intensive flood control infrastructure. Floods don’t stop because people are sick and money is stretched thin. Flood fighting is not sustainable. Lives are at stake. We must change course,” said Olivia Dorothy, Upper Mississippi River Basin Director for American Rivers. “Our own river and watershed management decisions are making these disasters worse. The good news is, there are proven solutions that are protecting cities while giving rivers room to flood safely. We can protect our communities and our environment.”

The combination of land use change, artificial cropland drainage, climate change and floodplain management has fundamentally altered the flow of the river. As a result, the river is less stable and more prone to catastrophic flooding. The 2019 Midwest flood broke records, with homes, farms, roads and businesses under water for nearly 100 days on the upper Mississippi River. According to NOAA, the 2019 flooding caused four deaths and $6.2 billion in damage. Yet leaders across the region are making the problem worse, building higher levees, allowing risky development in floodplains, increasing farm and wetland drainage, hardening stormwater infrastructure, and failing to plan for the future.

“Resiliency is the key to protecting our communities in an age of climate change. However, our poor mismanagement of the river means we can expect more dangerous and costly floods,” said Jim Karpowicz of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment. “In a time when we should be maximizing the benefits of floodplains to absorb excess rain and runoff we are adding fuel to the fire by building higher levees and incentivizing floodplain development.”

“In the Upper Mississippi River, it’s hard to see the flow of our river as a form of pollution. But increased flows carry much more pollution,” said Whitney Clark of Friends of the Mississippi River. We’ve radically altered our landscape to quickly drain and channel water, especially from farm fields. With more intense rains from climate change, we urgently need to change our practices — for our downstream neighbors, our river and our economy. And we need federal agencies to study and encourage truly effective long-term solutions.”

To immediately address the dual threats of COVID-19 and flooding along the Upper Mississippi River, American Rivers called on state governors with approved emergency declarations to request special mission assignments for the US Army Corps of Engineers to support contagion control around flood fighting efforts, an added capacity valued by mayors along the Mississippi River. As of April 6, 2020, none of the Upper Mississippi River governors have taken this crucial step to protect people where major and moderate flooding is predicted in the coming weeks. Prior to requesting help from any federal agency, the state must have an approved disaster declaration for COVID-19. Iowa, Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin have approved declarations as of April 6^th, Minnesota’s disaster declaration is pending.

To move away from fighting future floods, American Rivers also called on state and federal leaders in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota and Wisconsin to fund the “Keys to the River” plan. Officially named the Keys to the River 2020: An Upper Mississippi River Flood Risk, Sediment and Drought Management Study and led by the Army Corps of Engineers, it is the largest attempt by any federal or state entity to respond to the economic and public safety threats posed by climate change. If fully funded, it would be transformational in how the United States manages its rivers and floodplains.

“Right now, when there is a flood, it’s ‘everyone for themselves,’ which adds a layer of chaos to an already chaotic disaster. While some cities and states are planning better than others, there still isn’t any semblance of the necessary basin-scale water management plan required to solve the problem,” Dorothy said.

Scientists estimate that extreme downpours in the U.S. could increase by 400 percent by the end of this century. One study found that the magnitude of 100-year floods in the Mississippi Basin has already increased by 20 percent over the past 500 years, with much of that increase being caused by the combination of river development and climate change.

A November 2019 study, Climate Change and the American Mind, found that a majority of Americans are worried about harm from extreme events in their local area, with 58 percent concerned about harm from flooding. The harshest impacts of climate change are often most prevalent in communities of color and other communities that are socially or economically disadvantaged. In Midwestern towns, historic redlining and persistent economic injustices have concentrated communities of low income and communities of color behind levees. These communities are carrying a higher risk burden due to the catastrophic consequences of levee failure. In rural areas, wealthy landowners are racing to raise levees to protect farmland – not people – pushing more water onto their neighbors.

To adequately offset the flood risk impacts of climate change and development, the Upper Mississippi River needs a water management plan that coordinates river and watershed management actions; ensures communities that are socially vulnerable are involved in the decision-making process; accounts for climate change; gives rivers room to flood safely; and restores lost habitat.

This is the 13^th year since 1991 that the Upper Mississippi has been named one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers. The annual America’s Most Endangered Rivers report is a list of rivers at a crossroads, where key decisions in the coming months will determine the rivers’ fates. Over the years, the report has helped spur many successes including the removal of outdated dams, the protection of rivers with Wild and Scenic designations, and the prevention of harmful development and pollution.

“Despite the tremendous floods of 2019 and other, recent years, floodplain development continues unabated along the Upper Mississippi River, especially in the St. Louis-region,” said David Stokes, Executive Director of Great Rivers Habitat Alliance. “Misguided projects such as the Port of Lincoln in Lincoln County, Mo, and the Pier St. Louis plan in St. Louis are still being proposed and supported by local governments. These developers and their supporters in government care only about their misguided ideas on economic growth and don’t care at all who or what they harm by these devastating floodplain developments.”

“This is a defining moment for our response to climate change and devastating flooding,” said Ryan Grosso of Prairie Rivers Network. “We need to change how we live with the river, so it’s time for a holistic plan that brings people together and ends the selfish development we’ve seen in recent years.”

“Making room for rivers to flood is the future of flood risk management policy,” said Christine Favilla of the Sierra Club. “Getting people out of harm’s way and adapting our landscape to allow flood water to go “here” and not “there” takes the pressure off levees that protect people and critical infrastructure. While flood insurance and risk management reforms have, by and large, focused on the urban floodplain, more attention needs to be focused on flood damage reduction.”

“We cannot protect our communities by burying our heads in the sand,” said Melissa Samet of National Wildlife Federation. “To create resilient communities, protect wildlife and mitigate the impacts of a changing climate, we must develop a comprehensive plan that prioritizes restoration and protection of natural infrastructure, like wetlands and floodplains.”

“It is vital that we create room for our rivers to flood while reducing the impact of flooding on communities,” said Kelly McGinnis, of the Mississippi River Network. “We know the important safety, fiscal, and environmental benefits of utilizing floodplains and wetlands and creating a resilient river system and we need to be working together from an integrated plan to manage these issues.”

“Since the majority of the watershed is in intense row-crop agriculture, we must consider the key role that improved farming practices play in finding solutions to downstream flooding, impacts to our communities, and overall water quality,” said Tim Wagner of the Izaak Walton League. “Just the use of cover crops and no-till can increase the water infiltration and storage capacity of the soil by 20 or 30 times, while also shortening the down time for farm operators. Keeping more water on the land vs sending it downstream is a win-win for everyone.”

AMERICA’S MOST ENDANGERED RIVERS® OF 2020

#1 Upper Mississippi River (Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin)

Threat: Climate change, poor flood management

#2 Lower Missouri River (Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas)

Threat: Climate change, poor flood management

#3 Big Sunflower River (Mississippi)

Threat: Yazoo pumps project

#4: Puyallup River (Washington)

Threat: Electron Dam

#5: South Fork Salmon River (Idaho)

Threat: Gold mine

#6: Menominee River (Michigan, Wisconsin)

Threat: Open pit sulfide mining

#7: Rapid Creek (South Dakota)

Threat: Gold mining

#8: Okefenokee Swamp (Georgia, Florida)

Threat: Titanium mining

#9: Ocklawaha River (Florida)

Threat: Rodman Dam

#10: Lower Youghiogheny River (Pennsylvania)

Threat: Natural gas development

River of the Year: Delaware River (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland)

Honored as a national success story for restoration and a model for equitable and innovative clean water solutions.

ABOUT AMERICAN RIVERS

American Rivers believes every community in our country should have clean water and a healthy river. Since 1973, we have been protecting wild rivers, restoring damaged rivers and conserving clean water for people and nature. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., and offices across the country, we are the most effective river conservation organization in the United States, delivering solutions that will last for generations to come. Connect with us at AmericanRivers.org.

Climate change and poor flood management threaten public safety

April 14, 2020

Contact:

Eileen Shader, American Rivers, 570-856-1128, eshader@americanrivers.org

Jim Karpowicz, Missouri Coalition for the Environment, 573-424-0077, jkarpowicz@moenviron.org

David Stokes, Great Rivers Habitat Alliance, 314-276-6305, dstokes@grha.org

George Cunningham, Sierra Club Nebraska, 402-669-2236, cunningham.geo@gmail.com

Washington, D.C. – American Rivers today named the Lower Missouri River among America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2020, citing the threat that increasingly devastating floods pose to people, wildlife and industries across Great Plains states. American Rivers and its partners called on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state and local officials, to prioritize projects that reduce flood risk and restore fish and wildlife habitat.

“The America’s Most Endangered Rivers report is a call to action,” said Eileen Shader with American Rivers. “Right now, we’re on a collision course with climate change and poor river management. Unless we embrace better solutions like giving the river room to flood safely, we’re going to see increasingly severe disasters.”

Today’s Missouri River is one of the most controlled waterways in our nation. Artificial channels, levees and dams vainly attempt to control flood damages. The result is a river with narrow pinch points 1,200 feet wide that give rising water no place to go. Consequently, major floods regularly overtop and breach the levee system. During the March 2019 flood, for example, 850 miles of levees in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska were damaged. Repair costs will exceed $1 billion, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The situation will grow increasingly dire as the impacts of climate change take hold. A 2012 Bureau of Reclamation report predicted a 10 percent increase in runoff in the Lower Missouri River.

Addressing the issues associated with outdated floodplain management on the Lower Missouri River requires a major shift in how state and the federal governments manage this important resource. American Rivers called on state and local governments to commit to nature-based solutions, including levee setbacks and floodplain restoration. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must also identify repetitively damaged levees and plan projects that give the river room to flood. Affected communities — such as farmers, low-income communities and communities of color — must be included in decision-making processes to ensure that plans effectively address their needs.

“Despite the tremendous floods of 2019 and other, recent years, floodplain development continues unabated along the Lower Missouri River, especially in the St. Louis-region. Misguided projects such as Bangert Island in St. Charles, Mo, and the Maryland Park Lake District in Maryland Heights, Mo, are still being proposed and supported by local governments who care only for the dream of more tax dollars and don’t care at all who or what they harm by these devastating floodplain developments.” – David Stokes, Great Rivers Habitat Alliance.

“If the large floods events over the last quarter century have taught us anything, it is the over-engineered lower Missouri River needs more room to store water. The confined channel that has disconnected the river from parts of its floodplain must be widen out to provide flood risk reduction, protection of more productive and less flood prone farmland in the floodplain, as well as the necessary ecological resilience for native species residing in the river system,” said George Cunningham, Sierra Club Nebraska.

“Clearly the Lower Missouri River is in crisis. The levees damaged by the flood of 2019 largely remain unrepaired as the river once again begins to rise. With floods increasing, business as usual is not an option, we need to totally rethink out flood control strategies,” said Jim Karpowicz, Missouri Coalition for the Environment.

“We need to stay safe and we want to enjoy all of the benefits that healthy rivers give our communities. We need our decision-makers to prioritize nature-based solutions to protect vulnerable communities from flooding and deliver a wide range of benefits, including improved water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, and recreation, fishing and hunting opportunities,” said Shader.

Flowing for 2,300 miles from southern Montana, to St. Louis, Missouri, the Missouri River is America’s longest waterway. The Indigenous people who lived, and continue to live next to the river view the Missouri River as the “center of life” for the Great Plains, the river also played a critical role in Lewis and Clark’s famous 1804-1806 expedition. Once up to 10,000 feet wide in some sections, the Missouri historically experienced floods that spread across vast floodplains — the lands directly adjacent to the river.

The annual America’s Most Endangered Rivers report is a list of rivers at a crossroads, where key decisions in the coming months will determine the rivers’ fates. Over the years, the report has helped spur many successes, including the removal of outdated dams, the protection of rivers with Wild and Scenic designations, and the prevention of harmful development and pollution.

Other rivers in the region listed as most endangered in past years include the Mississippi River (2018, 2019, 2020), Middle Fork Vermilion River (2018), Kinnickinic River (2018), St. Louis River (2015), and the Niobrara River (2013).

AMERICA’S MOST ENDANGERED RIVERS® OF 2020

#1 Upper Mississippi River (Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin)

Threat: Climate change, poor flood management

#2 Lower Missouri River (Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas)

Threat: Climate change, poor flood management

#3 Big Sunflower River (Mississippi)

Threat: Yazoo pumps project

#4: Puyallup River (Washington)

Threat: Electron Dam

#5: South Fork Salmon River (Idaho)

Threat: Gold mine

#6: Menominee River (Michigan, Wisconsin)

Threat: Open pit sulfide mining

#7: Rapid Creek (South Dakota)

Threat: Gold mining

#8: Okefenokee Swamp (Georgia, Florida)

Threat: Titanium mining

#9: Ocklawaha River (Florida)

Threat: Rodman Dam

#10: Lower Youghiogheny River (Pennsylvania)

Threat: Natural gas development

River of the Year: Delaware River (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland)

Honored as a national success story for restoration and a model for equitable and innovative clean water solutions.

ABOUT AMERICAN RIVERS

Region needs flood protection solutions that prioritize safety, river health

April 14, 2020

Contact:
Olivia Dorothy, American Rivers,
odorothy@americanrivers.org

Andrew Whitehurst, Gulf Restoration Network,
andrew@healthygulf.org

Louie Miller, Mississippi Sierra Club,
louie.miller@sierraclub.org

Washington, D.C. – For the second time in three years, American Rivers named the Big Sunflower River among America’s Most Endangered Rivers®, citing the Trump administration’s effort to revive a project that could drain 200,000 acres of nationally significant wetlands. American Rivers and its partners called on Congress to defend the integrity of the Clean Water Act by upholding the 2008 EPA veto of the destructive Yazoo Pumps, and instead focus on advancing immediate, affordable, effective solutions that will reduce flood risk and provide economic security to South Delta residents and farmers.

“The Yazoo Pumps will not reduce flood risk for residents of the southern Delta,” said Olivia Dorothy of American Rivers. “Instead of reviving this extraordinarily expensive boondoggle, local leaders and Congress should invest in more affordable and effective flood risk reduction measures to protect communities in the South Delta.”

The Big Sunflower River is threatened by an effort to resurrect the destructive Yazoo Backwater Pumps — a project that would drain and damage as much as 200,000 acres of wetlands. After finding it was too environmentally damaging, George W. Bush’s administration stopped the project in 2008 by issuing a rare veto through the Clean Water Act. In their analysis of the project, the Bush Administration also found that the Corps did not consider numerous flood relief options that had the potential to be more effective and cheaper than the proposed Yazoo Pumps.

Despite this reality, the Trump Administration has made the unprecedented move to reconsider the 2008 veto in the wake of four consecutive years of climate change-fueled Mississippi River floods. In reality, very few homes and families would truly benefit from the 100% federally taxpayer-funded $440 million construction project that would cost $2 million a year to operate.

“The Corps found that under the best-case scenario, 68% of the backwater area that flooded in 2019 – 347,000 acres – would still be under water even with the Pumps in place,” said Louie Miller of the Mississippi Sierra Club. “This reinforces what the Corps made clear in 2007; the project is not designed to protect communities from flooding. Instead, 80% of project benefits would be for agriculture by draining tens of thousands of acres of wetlands to intensify farming. The Yazoo Pumps are a cruel hoax on the citizens of the Mississippi Delta, sold as a panacea for flooding when in fact it will only enrich a select few who will benefit from lucrative contracts from the estimated $440M in taxpayer funding.”

“The Big Sunflower River supports some of the most important bird and wildlife habitat on the Lower Mississippi River,” said Andrew Whitehurst of Healthy Gulf. “The South Delta’s economy benefits from the leasing of private land to duck and deer hunters and from people using state and federal wildlife management areas like the Delta National Forest. The ducks and the annual revenue from hunting and outdoor activities are tied to the area’s wetlands – that can’t be overlooked.”

Federally funded programs are already available to provide relief and cost-effective protections for people’s lives, property and livelihoods. These programs include the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance and Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Programs, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s post-disaster programs, and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s voluntary conservation programs.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is shining a grim light on the vulnerabilities of relying on flood control infrastructure, like the proposed Yazoo Pumps, that are resource intensive to operate and maintain. Floods don’t stop because people are sick and money is stretched thin,” said Dorothy. “It is critical that the public speak out to defend this ecologically significant place from destruction and demand local leaders work to make flood risk reduction options available to residents. It is also vitally important that the public demand that Congress defend the integrity of the Clean Water Act and its critical veto authority.”

In the heart of the Mississippi Delta, the Big Sunflower River begins in Coahoma County, Mississippi, and flows for 250 miles until it reaches the Yazoo River, a tributary of the Mississippi River. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Big Sunflower supports some of the nation’s “richest wetland and aquatic resources,” and is an important stop for migrating birds along the Mississippi River Flyway. Hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation fuel the state’s nature tourism industry, generating $8 billion per year according to the Outdoor Industry Association.

The annual America’s Most Endangered Rivers report is a list of rivers at a crossroads, where key decisions in the coming months will determine the rivers’ fates. Over the years, the report has helped spur many successes including the removal of outdated dams, the protection of rivers with Wild and Scenic designations, and the prevention of harmful development and pollution.

Other rivers in the region listed as most endangered in past years include the Mobile Bay Rivers (2017), Pascagoula River (2016) and Pearl River (2015).

AMERICA’S MOST ENDANGERED RIVERS® OF 2020

#1 Upper Mississippi River (Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin)

Threat: Climate change, poor flood management

#2 Lower Missouri River (Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas)

Threat: Climate change, poor flood management

#3 Big Sunflower River (Mississippi)

Threat: Yazoo pumps project

#4: Puyallup River (Washington)

Threat: Electron Dam

#5: South Fork Salmon River (Idaho)

Threat: Gold mine

#6: Menominee River (Michigan, Wisconsin)

Threat: Open pit sulfide mining

#7: Rapid Creek (South Dakota)

Threat: Gold mining

#8: Okefenokee Swamp (Georgia, Florida)

Threat: Titanium mining

#9: Ocklawaha River (Florida)

Threat: Rodman Dam

#10: Lower Youghiogheny River (Pennsylvania)

Threat: Natural gas development

River of the Year: Delaware River (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland)

Honored as a national success story for restoration and a model for equitable and innovative clean water solutions.

ABOUT AMERICAN RIVERS

Outdated hydropower facility threatens endangered salmon and steelhead

April 14, 2020

Contact: Wendy McDermott, American Rivers, 206-213-0330, wmcdermott@americanrivers.org

Lisa Spurrier, Puyallup & Chambers Watersheds Salmon Recovery Coordinator,

253-798-6158, lisa.spurrier@piercecountywa.gov

Dan Calvert, Puget Sound Partnership, 360-789-3165, dan.calvert@psp.wa.gov

Washington, D.C. – American Rivers named the Puyallup River among America’s Most Endangered Rivers®, citing the threat that a century-old hydropower dam project poses to endangered fish. American Rivers and its partners called on the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the fishing rights of the Puyallup and Muckleshoot tribes, enforce the Endangered Species Act, and correct all fish-killing aspects of the Electron Hydro Project.

“The America’s Most Endangered Rivers report is a call to action for the future of rivers like the Puyallup,” said Wendy McDermott with American Rivers. “We all know the Electron Hydro Project is killing fish, and we know why. Now it’s time for the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to use their authority to fix it.”

Chinook salmon, a main source of food for endangered Souther Resident orcas, are threatened by the Electron Hydro Project, a hydropower facility constructed at the foot of Mount Ranier in 1904. The dam predates federal energy regulations and has insufficient fish passage. Adult salmon are restricted from accessing their spawning habitat upriver and juvinille salmon are drawn into a holding pond, where they drop 873 vertical feet into the powerhouse and turbines.

“To feed [Southern Resident] orcas, we need bold action on salmon recovery now. Improving fish passage at the Electron Hydro Dam is crucial for salmon survival in the Puyallup River and in Puget Sound,” stated Laura Blackmore with the Puget Sound Partnership.

American Rivers and its partners called on the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to use their authorities under the Endangered Species Act and demand expedited correction of all causes of federally protected fish mortality associated with the Electron Hydro Project. A Habitat Conservation Plan has been discussed and under devlopement for at least 12 years. It is long past time for the project to become compliant with the law.

“While hydropower is an important part of the Northwest’s energy portfolio, it can have major impacts on rivers and fish. Unfortunately, the workings of Electron dam and related facilities is having tremendous negative effects on native fish. Correcting these impacts could yield significant benefits to salmon, steelhead and bull trout recovery,” said McDermott.

The Puyallup River’s glacially fed waters and the many species of fish and wildlife that rely on the river provide critical resources for the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and local communities. Chinook salmon are the keystone species, supporting an entire web of life that includes Southern Resident orcas in Puget Sound and beyond. Chinook salmon are in steep decline as are wild steelhead and bull trout. All three of these native fish species are protected as threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

The annual America’s Most Endangered Rivers report is a list of rivers at a crossroads, where key decisions in the coming months will determine the rivers’ fates. Over the years, the report has helped spur many successes including the removal of outdated dams, the protection of rivers with Wild and Scenic designations, and the prevention of harmful development and pollution.

Other rivers in the region listed as most endangered in past years include the Green-Duwamish River (2015 and 2019), Willamette River (2019), South Fork Skykomish and Green-Toutle rivers (2017), and the White River (2014).

AMERICA’S MOST ENDANGERED RIVERS® OF 2020

#1 Upper Mississippi River (Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin)

Threat: Climate change, poor flood management

#2 Lower Missouri River (Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas)

Threat: Climate change, poor flood management

#3 Big Sunflower River (Mississippi)

Threat: Yazoo pumps project

#4: Puyallup River (Washington)

Threat: Electron Dam

#5: South Fork Salmon River (Idaho)

Threat: Gold mine

#6: Menominee River (Michigan, Wisconsin)

Threat: Open pit sulfide mining

#7: Rapid Creek (South Dakota)

Threat: Gold mining

#8: Okefenokee Swamp (Georgia, Florida)

Threat: Titanium mining

#9: Ocklawaha River (Florida)

Threat: Rodman Dam

#10: Lower Youghiogheny River (Pennsylvania)

Threat: Natural gas development

River of the Year: Delaware River (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland)

Honored as a national success story for restoration and a model for equitable and innovative clean water solutions.

ABOUT AMERICAN RIVERS

Mining threatens clean water, salmon for third year in a row

April 14, 2020

Contact:
Scott Bosse, American Rivers, (406) 570-0455, sbosse@americanrivers.org
Nic Nelson, Idaho Rivers United, (208) 343-7481, nic@idahorivers.org
Evan Stafford, American Whitewater, (970) 420-5377, evan@americanwhitewater.org
Fred Coriell, Save the South Fork Salmon, (208) 315-3630, savethesouthfork@gmail.com

Washington, D.C. – For the third year in a row, American Rivers named the South Fork of the Salmon River among America’s Most Endangered Rivers®. The report cites the threat that a massive open-pit gold mine in the river’s headwaters poses to endangered fish and some of Idaho’s most beloved rivers. American Rivers and its partners called on the U.S. Forest Service to protect the South Fork Salmon by denying the mining proposal.

“Naming the South Fork of the Salmon as one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers for three consecutive years sends a powerful message,” said Scott Bosse with American Rivers. “This is a river that has slowly been on the mend from past mining activity that had devasting impacts on its water quality and resident and migratory fish populations. The last thing it needs right now is a huge new open pit mine that’s being disguised as a restoration project. It’s time for the U.S. Forest Service to kill this project.”

Gold and antimony mining began at the Stibnite Mine near the rivers’ headwaters in the late 1800s. Since then, levels of arsenic, mercury, cyanide and antimony in the surrounding creeks and rivers have been high. After decades and $13 million spent to restore and reclaim legacy tailing and waste rock piles, heavy metals are on the decline. A Canadian mining company named Midas Gold has proposed reopening and expanding the open-pit mine. If allowed to proceed, Stibnite would unearth more arsenic, mercury and antimony that, through natural processes and potential accidents and spills, would deposit directly or indirectly into the South Fork of the Salmon River. The company proposes to route the river into a 0.8 mile long tunnel to facilitate mining beneath the riverbed, and mine wastes stored on site would bury hundreds of acres of aquatic habitat. These impacts will directly affect the fisheries, recreation economy and cultural importance of South Fork waters.

“The South Fork of the Salmon River and its tributaries are critical habitat for Chinook Salmon, Steelhead, and Bull Trout; all are listed species under the Endangered Species Act. It hosts high-elevation spawning habitat, which is especially important in the face of a changing climate. These fish are vital to the nutrient cycle in the watershed’s ecosystem. The cumulative impacts, including burying tributaries under million of tons of mine waste must be evaluated without the influence of a mining company’s bottom line,” said Fred Coriell with Save the South Fork Salmon.

“The South Fork of the Salmon River is a quintessential whitewater paddling watershed, with numerous quality roadside runs and one of the west’s most classic multi-day self-support trips. It’s crystal clear free-flowing water, wild scenery, and incredible rapids make it a veritable whitewater paradise and a draw for paddlers worldwide. The South Fork also flows directly into the Wild and Scenic Salmon River, where mining contaminants would affect not only the water quality of the incredible South Fork, but also of the Main Salmon, one of the most sought after permitted multi-day raft runs in the country, second only to the Grand Canyon of the Colorado. Multiple rural economies in Idaho rely heavily on these forms of river recreation intimately tied to the pristine water quality and unmarred wilderness of the Salmon River drainage,” said Evan Stafford with American Whitewater.

In spring 2020, the Payette National Forest will release a draft environmental impact statement on Midas Gold’s proposed project, followed by a public comment period. American Rivers and its partners call on the U.S. Forest Service to protect the health of, and investment in, the South Fork of the Salmon River, the water quality of the Wild and Scenic Salmon River, and the long-term recovery of endangered fish by prohibiting the reopening and expansion of the Stibnite Mine.

The South Fork of the Salmon River flows 86 miles from the Salmon River Mountains to the Wild and Scenic Salmon River. Despite a long history of logging, road building and mining, the South Fork Salmon boasts clear, free-flowing waters and undisturbed spawning habitat for endangered bull trout, chinook salmon and steelhead. It supports a thriving recreation economy in central Idaho. The river has also been the ancestral fishing and hunting grounds for Shoshone Bannock, Shoshone Paiute and Nez Perce tribes since time immemorial.

The annual America’s Most Endangered Rivers report is a list of rivers at a crossroads, where key decisions in the coming months will determine the rivers’ fates. Over the years, the report has helped spur many successes including the removal of outdated dams, the protection of rivers with Wild and Scenic designations, and the prevention of harmful development and pollution.

Other rivers in the region listed as most endangered in past years include the South Fork of the Salmon River (2018, 2019), Middle Fork Flathead River (2017), Smith River (2015, 2016, 2018), and the Clearwater and Lochsa rivers (2014).

AMERICA’S MOST ENDANGERED RIVERS® OF 2020

#1 Upper Mississippi River (Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin)

Threat: Climate change, poor flood management

#2 Lower Missouri River (Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas)

Threat: Climate change, poor flood management

#3 Big Sunflower River (Mississippi)

Threat: Yazoo pumps project

#4: Puyallup River (Washington)

Threat: Electron Dam

#5: South Fork Salmon River (Idaho)

Threat: Gold mine

#6: Menominee River (Michigan, Wisconsin)

Threat: Open pit sulfide mining

#7: Rapid Creek (South Dakota)

Threat: Gold mining

#8: Okefenokee Swamp (Georgia, Florida)

Threat: Titanium mining

#9: Ocklawaha River (Florida)

Threat: Rodman Dam

#10: Lower Youghiogheny River (Pennsylvania)

Threat: Natural gas development

River of the Year: Delaware River (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland)

Honored as a national success story for restoration and a model for equitable and innovative clean water solutions.

ABOUT AMERICAN RIVERS

Mining threatens cities’ water supplies and Menominee Tribe sacred sites

April 14, 2020

Contact:
Shanyn Viars, American Rivers, (607) 426-8283, sviars@americanrivers.org

Dale and Lea Jane Burie, Coalition to SAVE the Menominee River (615) 512-3506, jointherivercoalition@gmail.com

Dr. Al Gedicks, Wisconsin Resources Protection Council, (608) 784-4399, agedicks@eagle.uwlax.edu

Allison Werner, River Alliance of WI, (608) 257-2424 x113, awerner@wisconsinrivers.org

Washington, D.C. – For the second time in four years, American Rivers named the Menominee River among America’s Most Endangered Rivers®, citing the threat of a proposed metallic sulfide mine to drinking water supplies and sacred tribal sites. American Rivers and its partners called on Michigan’s Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (MEGLE) agency to deny the permit for this mining project and protect local communities and the cultural significance of the Menominee River.

“America’s Most Endangered Rivers is a call to action. This mine poses an unacceptable risk to the Menominee River and Lake Michigan,” said Shanyn Viars with American Rivers. “We cannot allow mine tailings to demolish Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin’s sacred sites or send toxic waste into drinking water supplies, potentially risking millions of people.”

A Canadian exploration company, Aquila Resources, Inc., seeks permits for a metallic sulfide mine on the banks of the Menominee River, near Stephenson, Michigan. Known as the Back Forty project, the proposed mine and tailings dam would encompass 1,087 acres — the size of 1,435 football fields. If toxic acid mine drainage spilled out of the Back Forty tailings dam, it would send heavy metals linked to cancer, respiratory failure, and diseases of the nervous system, brain, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys into ancient tribal ceremonial sites, the Menominee River and ultimately Lake Michigan. Currently, it is unclear if a contingency plan has been defined by MEGLE.

The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, the Coalition to SAVE the Menominee River, Inc., along with communities and other organizations in Wisconsin and Michigan, are fighting for their right to a clean river, joined in opposition to the exploration company, Aquila Resources, Inc. American Rivers also called on Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer to oppose this harmful project.

“After many years of metallic sulfide mining, with every mine proven to have polluted nearby water and contaminated the environment, we should recognize these ingredients as a recipe for disaster,” said Dale Burie, President, Coalition to SAVE the Menominee River, Inc.

“The potential for a catastrophic failure of Aquila’s proposed tailings dam threatens the Menominee River, the largest watershed in the Upper Peninsula, downstream Lake Michigan and decades of clean water efforts. In addition, the sacred sites of Native Americans should be ‘no-go-areas’, protected from destructive mining projects,” said Al Gedicks, Executive Secretary, Wisconsin Resources Protection Council.

“The risks to our waters are too high for this project to go forward. It’s not a matter of if pollution will occur, it is a question of when it will occur. Long-term protection of drinking water, cultural resources, fisheries, and economies are far more important than this short-term project,” said Allison Werner, Policy and Advocacy Director, River Alliance of Wisconsin.

A world-class smallmouth bass fishery, the Menominee River supplies drinking water for 24,000 people in Marinette, Wisconsin, and Menominee, Michigan. Winding through sacred tribal lands, the river is especially meaningful to the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, whose 10,000 years of history, culture and heritage began where the river spills into Lake Michigan. Today, the tribe plays an active role in land management and river stewardship.

The annual America’s Most Endangered Rivers report is a list of rivers at a crossroads, where key decisions in the coming months will determine the rivers’ fates. Over the years, the report has helped spur many successes including the removal of outdated dams, the protection of rivers with Wild and Scenic designations, and the prevention of harmful development and pollution.

Other rivers in the region listed as most endangered in past years include the Boundary Waters (2018), Mississippi River (2020, 2019), Kinnickinic River (2018), and the St. Louis River (2016).

AMERICA’S MOST ENDANGERED RIVERS® OF 2020

#1 Upper Mississippi River (Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin)

Threat: Climate change, poor flood management

#2 Lower Missouri River (Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas)

Threat: Climate change, poor flood management

#3 Big Sunflower River (Mississippi)

Threat: Yazoo pumps project

#4: Puyallup River (Washington)

Threat: Electron Dam

#5: South Fork Salmon River (Idaho)

Threat: Gold mine

#6: Menominee River (Michigan, Wisconsin)

Threat: Open pit sulfide mining

#7: Rapid Creek (South Dakota)

Threat: Gold mining

#8: Okefenokee Swamp (Georgia, Florida)

Threat: Titanium mining

#9: Ocklawaha River (Florida)

Threat: Rodman Dam

#10: Lower Youghiogheny River (Pennsylvania)

Threat: Natural gas development

River of the Year: Delaware River (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland)

Honored as a national success story for restoration and a model for equitable and innovative clean water solutions.

ABOUT AMERICAN RIVERS

Mining threatens clean water, sacred sites

April 14, 2020

Contact: Chris Williams, American Rivers, 202-347-7550

Dr. Lilias Jarding, Black Hills Clean Water Alliance, 605-787-2872

A Gay Kingman, Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Association, Inc., 605- 484-3036

Carla R. Marshall, Dakota Rural Action Black Hills Chapter, 605- 545-1430

Washington, D.C. – American Rivers today named Rapid Creek in the Black Hills among America’s Most Endangered Rivers®. The report cites the threat that mining poses to clean water and sacred sites. American Rivers and its partners called on the U.S. Forest Service to complete thorough Environmental Impact Statements on proposed mining projects, including formal consultation with sixteen tribal nations.

“America’s Most Endangered Rivers is a call to action,” said Chris Williams, senior vice president for conservation at American Rivers. “Mining could devastate Rapid Creek’s clean water, fish and wildlife and sacred cultural sites. The Forest Service must seriously consider these risks and listen to the tribal nations who have cared for the Black Hills since time immemorial.”

Today, large-scale gold mining must be stopped from moving south into the Rapid Creek watershed, where it would threaten the Oceti Sakowin (The Great Sioux Nation) homelands, treaty territory and present-day reservation lands and rural and ranching communities.

Four companies are applying to explore for gold in the central Black Hills, at least two of which are in the Rapid Creek watershed— Mineral Mountain Resources and F3 Gold. Mineral Mountain Resources has mining claims on over 7,500 acres and is drilling on private land near Pe’ Sla, a major cultural site of the Lakota people. The site is so important that the Lakota and Dakota tribes purchased a portion of Pe’ Sla in order to protect it, without regard to the fact that it was land under the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty. F3 Gold has 2,485 mining claims and wants to explore above the inlet to Pactola Reservoir; its claims extend into the lake.

A mining spill (including cyanide, arsenic, or other heavy metals) could pollute Rapid Creek and its related aquifer. The area’s major population center, tourism and a large Air Force Base that rely on clean drinking water supplies, could suffer serious consequences. American Rivers and its partners called on the Forest Service to conduct thorough Environmental Impact Statements on the proposed mining projects, including formal consultation with sixteen tribal nations.

“Water is Life. Mining for gold poses a serious threat to our sacred water from Rapid Creek. Our drinking water, our environment, our land and the health of hundreds of people are at stake. Instead of polluting Rapid Creek, which connects to the Cheyenne River and the Missouri River, the longest river in America, we should be cleaning up our waters. We simply cannot allow greed and the quest for gold to endanger our water and our lives,” said A. Gay Kingman, Executive Director, Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Association, Inc.

“Water is our first medicine and we need to recognize freshwater, such as Rapid Creek, as the living entity that she is. We must protect her like our life, and the lives of future generations, of all species, depend on it – because it does,” said Carla Rae Marshall, Lakota Grandmother Earth Advocate.

Gold mining has a difficult history in the Black Hills. After the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty had reserved the area to the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota peoples in perpetuity, non-indigenous people proceeded to enter the area to explore for gold. The Black Hills, known to the Lakota (Teton Sioux) as, “The Heart of Everything that Is,” have been sacred to Indigenous peoples since time immemorial. For over 150 years, the U.S. Government has tried to get legal title to the Black Hills. The Lakota have rejected the offer of a settlement. In the meantime, billions of dollars of gold were mined from the northern Black Hills, without compensation to the Great Sioux Nation. Mining operations have harmed the land, wildlife and water, and a former gold mine is now a Superfund site.

Rapid Creek (in Lakota it is called Mniluzuhan – Mni for “water” and Luzuhan for “fast) is approximately 86 miles long and originates in the ecologically rich Black Hills. It winds east into Pactola Reservoir, a recreation area and drinking water source, flows through Rapid City, the second largest city in South Dakota, and then joins the Cheyenne River, a tributary of the Missouri River. The creek’s watershed includes rural and tribal communities, Ellsworth Air Force Base and Box Elder (collective populations of 89,408) – which all rely on Rapid Creek water.

The annual America’s Most Endangered Rivers report is a list of rivers at a crossroads, where key decisions in the coming months will determine the rivers’ fates. Over the years, the report has helped spur many successes including the removal of outdated dams, the protection of rivers with Wild and Scenic designations, and the prevention of harmful development and pollution.

AMERICA’S MOST ENDANGERED RIVERS® OF 2020

#1 Upper Mississippi River (Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin)

Threat: Climate change, poor flood management

#2 Lower Missouri River (Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas)

Threat: Climate change, poor flood management

#3 Big Sunflower River (Mississippi)

Threat: Yazoo pumps project

#4: Puyallup River (Washington)

Threat: Electron Dam

#5: South Fork Salmon River (Idaho)

Threat: Gold mine

#6: Menominee River (Michigan, Wisconsin)

Threat: Open pit sulfide mining

#7: Rapid Creek (South Dakota)

Threat: Gold mining

#8: Okefenokee Swamp (Georgia, Florida)

Threat: Titanium mining

#9: Ocklawaha River (Florida)

Threat: Rodman Dam

#10: Lower Youghiogheny River (Pennsylvania)

Threat: Natural gas development

River of the Year: Delaware River (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland)

Honored as a national success story for restoration and a model for equitable and innovative clean water solutions.

ABOUT AMERICAN RIVERS

Mining threatens, fish and wildlife habitat; wetlands; water quality and flow

Contact: Ben Emanuel, American Rivers, 706-340-8868

Christian Hunt, Defenders of Wildlife 828-417-0862

Rena Ann Peck, Georgia River Network, 404-395-6250

Alice Miller Keyes, One Hundred Miles, 912-230-6494

Alex Kearns, St. Marys EarthKeepers, 912-322-7367

Washington, D.C. –American Rivers today named the Okefenokee Swamp and St. Marys River among America’s Most Endangered Rivers®, citing the threat titanium mining would pose to the waterways’ clean water, wetlands and wildlife habitat. American Rivers and its partners called on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other permitting agencies to deny any proposals that risk the long-term protection of the Okefenokee Swamp and St. Marys River.

“America’s Most Endangered Rivers is a call to action,” said Ben Emanuel, Atlanta-based Clean Water Supply Director with American Rivers. “Some places are simply too precious to allow risky mining operations, and the edge of the unique Okefenokee Swamp is one. The Army Corps of Engineers must deny the permit to save this national treasure.”

The annual America’s Most Endangered Rivers report is a list of rivers at a crossroads, where key decisions in the coming months will determine the rivers’ fates. Over the years, the report has helped spur many successes including the removal of outdated dams, the protection of rivers with Wild and Scenic designations, and the prevention of harmful development and pollution.

Rena Ann Peck, Executive Director of Georgia River Network, explains “The Okefenokee Swamp is like the heart of the regional Floridan aquifer system in southeast Georgia and northeast Florida. The life-force of water from the Okefenokee Swamp not only flows into the St. Marys River to the Atlantic Ocean, but also into the Suwannee River to the Gulf of Mexico. Mining on Trail Ridge can draw down the water level of the Okefenokee Swamp and dewater headwater wetlands and tributaries and the rivers they feed, destroying natural habitat for federally listed species and providing dry peat fueling uncontrollable fires.”

In 2019, Twin Pines Minerals submitted an initial application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to operate on 2414-acres, located 1.7 miles from the refuge boundary. Though Twin Pines submitted a revised application in 2020 in which it slightly reduced the size of the first project area, government agencies expect operations to eventually grow to 12,000-acres, potentially coming within 400-feet of the swamp itself.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency anticipate that “permanent” and “unacceptable” damage could befall the Okefenokee Swamp. The destruction of wetlands and tributaries would also degrade the St. Marys River, which is renowned for its high quality of water and habitat for endangered Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon.

Alex Kearns, Chair of the St. Marys EarthKeepers, states, “The St. Marys is an extraordinarily beautiful and fragile blackwater river that has shaped the history, economy, and culture of our region. It surfaces as a tiny stream known as “River Styx” and flows from the western edge of Trail Ridge, the primordial remnants of a barrier island system, and into the southeastern Okefenokee Swamp. From there it flows south, then east, then north, then east-southeast until finally, after a journey of 125 river-miles, it delivers its unique brew into the Atlantic near St. Marys, GA and Fernandina Beach FL. It is essential, irreplaceable and cherished.”

The nature of heavy mineral sand mining requires freshwater sources, and the most reliable source of millions of gallons of water in southeast Georgia is the Floridan aquifer. Withdrawals of this scale could lower the water table of the Okefenokee Swamp and impact the natural flows of the Suwannee and St. Marys rivers. Groundwater drawdowns could also exacerbate wildfire frequency and intensity and contribute to droughts, thus compounding the impacts of climate change.

“The mining industry has no place on the doorstep of the Okefenokee,” states Christian Hunt, Southeast Representative for Defenders of Wildlife. “The Okefenokee and St. Marys River support local economies and thousands of species because they’ve not been spoiled by the type of development proposed today. Twin Pines cannot be allowed to gamble with the health of these world-renowned resources.”

“The Okefenokee Swamp and St. Marys River define the communities and families of Southeastern Georgia,” adds Alice M. Keyes, VP of Coastal Conservation with One Hundred Miles. “Generations of Georgians have depended on this natural asset for food, jobs, and quality of life. No one corporation should be permitted to destroy that legacy for short-term gain.”

The Okefenokee Swamp has been designated as a National Natural Landmark, a Wetland of International Importance, and a potential UNESCO World Heritage Site. Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is the largest National Wildlife Refuge in the eastern United States. Unlike the Everglades and Great Dismal Swamp, the function and health of the swamp remains essentially unchanged and has not been compromised by agriculture or industrial development. For this reason, the Okefenokee offers an unparalleled wilderness and paddling experience.

Other rivers in the region listed as most endangered in past years include the Ocklawaha River (2020), Apalachicola River (2016 , 2002, 2000 & 1997), St. Johns River (2008), Altamaha River (2002), Peace River (2004), and Flint River (2016 , 2012, 2000, 1998 & 1996)

AMERICA’S MOST ENDANGERED RIVERS® OF 2020

#1 Upper Mississippi River (Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin)

Threat: Climate change, poor flood management

#2 Lower Missouri River (Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas)

Threat: Climate change, poor flood management

#3 Big Sunflower River (Mississippi)

Threat: Yazoo pumps project

#4: Puyallup River (Washington)

Threat: Electron Dam

#5: South Fork Salmon River (Idaho)

Threat: Gold mine

#6: Menominee River (Michigan, Wisconsin)

Threat: Open pit sulfide mining

#7: Rapid Creek (South Dakota)

Threat: Gold mining

#8: Okefenokee Swamp and St Marys River (Georgia, Florida)

Threat: Titanium mining

#9: Ocklawaha River (Florida)

Threat: Rodman Dam

#10: Lower Youghiogheny River (Pennsylvania)

Threat: Natural gas development

River of the Year: Delaware River (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland)

Honored as a national success story for restoration and a model for equitable and innovative clean water solutions.