Media Items Archive

Contact: Amy Kober, 503-708-1145

Washington – American Rivers applauds the release of the U.S. Postal Service’s Wild and Scenic Rivers Commemorative Forever Stamps, which American Rivers President and CEO Bob Irvin recommended to the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee in 2015. American Rivers will take part in the first-day-of-issue event on May 21 at Oregon’s Tumalo State Park.

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

“Rivers are the veins and arteries of our nation, and Wild and Scenic Rivers are the most wild and pristine. They enrich our lives in so many ways, from serving as sources of clean drinking water to giving us endless opportunities to enjoy the outdoors with friends and family, to supporting our rich and diverse web of life.

Last year we celebrated the 50^th anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. These stamps are a fitting tribute as we embark on the next 50 years of river protection in our country. Rivers connect us to our past, our future and each other. Honoring the importance of Wild and Scenic Rivers and committing ourselves to protecting more healthy, free-flowing rivers is one of the greatest gifts we can give to future generations.”

The first-day-of-issue event for the Wild and Scenic Rivers Commemorative Forever stamps will be held on Tuesday, May 21, at 11:00 a.m. PST at Tumalo State Park (64170 O.B. Riley Road, Bend, OR 97701). Admission is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP at usps.com/wildrivers.

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

May 3, 2019

Contact: Olivia Dorothy, 217-390-3658, odorothy@americanrivers.org

Amy Kober, 503-708-1145, akober@americanrivers.org

“In this moment, I pray the levees hold. But as I look to our future, I know these floods will happen again and sooner than we expect. With this in mind, I call on state and federal agencies to enforce floodplain development laws and bring violators into compliance. Ultimately, the best way to protect people and property is to give rivers room.”

— Olivia Dorothy, American Rivers

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Statement from Olivia Dorothy, Associate Director for the Upper Mississippi River Basin with American Rivers, based in East Moline, Illinois:

“Preliminary data from the Quad Cities indicates that the Flood of 2019 is worse than the Great Flood of 1993. Water is higher and it is higher for longer. And right now, that water is heading downstream, towards the section of the Mississippi River that American Rivers designated among America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2019 due to poor flood risk management.

We gave the Upper Mississippi River this designation because climate change is driving more extreme flood events and communities along the river desperately need a new flood risk management strategy.

Along this 200-mile stretch of the Mississippi, several levee districts, especially around Burlington, Quincy and Hannibal have raised their levees without the requisite permits and approvals. And during the extreme flood we are experiencing now, their actions have put people and property at risk.

Unlawful levee modifications put lives at risk and add a layer of unpredictability to an already chaotic natural disaster. The state and federal agencies must lead us towards a regional flood risk management strategy that looks beyond the bluffs for solutions to slow water down in the tributaries and incentivizes strategies that make room for the Mighty Mississippi and all its tributaries.

Giving the river room has many benefits. It gets people out of harm’s way, it is usually tens or hundreds of millions dollars cheaper and, if done properly, can restore vital ecosystem functions like water purification.

The best way to protect people and property is to give rivers room.”

Learn more: https://endangeredrivers.americanrivers.org/upper-mississippi-river/

List highlights threat climate change poses to rivers, water supplies, public safety

American Rivers spotlights national success story on Ohio’s Cuyahoga River

Contact: Amy Kober, American Rivers, 503-708-1145

www.AmericanRivers.org/MostEndangeredRivers

Washington, DC – American Rivers today released its annual list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers®, identifying ten rivers facing imminent threats. This year’s report spotlights the threat that climate change poses to rivers, clean water supplies, public safety and communities nationwide.

From water scarcity on New Mexico’s Gila River, named the #1 Most Endangered River in the country, to sea-level rise on the Hudson and flooding on the Upper Mississippi, America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2019 illustrates what’s at stake and the choices facing communities.

“Climate change is striking rivers and water supplies first and hardest,” said Bob Irvin, President and CEO of American Rivers. “America’s Most Endangered Rivers is a call to action. We must speak up and take action, because climate change will profoundly impact every river and community in our country. Healthy rivers are our best defense against droughts, floods and the impacts of a changing climate.”

Climate change is the most consequential environmental challenge facing our planet. In the U.S., cities are struggling to do more with less water, fish and wildlife are struggling to survive, forest fires are growing more destructive and storms are triggering more life-threatening floods. In March, record flooding across the Midwest killed at least four people and cost more than $3 billion in property damages in Nebraska and Iowa. The harshest impacts of climate change are often most prevalent in communities of color and economically disadvantaged communities.

The National Climate Assessment released in 2018 states, “Water quality and water supply reliability are jeopardized by climate change in a variety of ways that affect ecosystems and livelihoods…Very heavy precipitation events have increased nationally and are projected to increase in all regions. The length of dry spells is projected to increase in most areas, especially the southern and northwestern portions of the contiguous United States.”

The top three rivers in America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2019 demonstrate how climate change is already having an impact, and how our actions will either weaken or strengthen river communities:

#1 Gila River – The Southwest is becoming hotter and drier due to climate change. Building a costly new diversion and compromising river health doesn’t make sense when there are cheaper, more effective water supply alternatives for the region.
#2 Hudson River – Rising sea levels resulting from climate change threaten New York City. Instead of installing massive storm-surge barriers that would damage this rich estuary ecosystem, we must find better, more reliable and flexible solutions to protect people and property.
#3 Upper Mississippi River – Increased flooding is occurring throughout the Upper Mississippi basin due to climate change. Choking the river with new levees and traditional flood control structures threatens public safety by making flooding worse downstream.

“Our nation is at a crossroads. If we continue to degrade and abuse our rivers, we will compromise our ability to deal with increasingly severe droughts and floods. But if we protect and restore our rivers in thoughtful and equitable ways that do not perpetuate the mistakes of the past, we can strengthen our communities and create a more secure future,” Irvin said.

“We are committed to spotlighting threats and working with communities on solutions that benefit people and rivers. We believe everyone in our country deserves clean water and a healthy river.”

In addition to announcing the nation’s ten endangered rivers, American Rivers honored Ohio’s Cuyahoga River as “River of the Year.” The title spotlights the river as a national success story and celebrates the progress Cleveland has made in cleaning up the Cuyahoga, fifty years since the river’s famous fire that sparked the nation’s environmental movement.

“Fifty years ago, the Cuyahoga River was so polluted it caught fire. In this anniversary year, we celebrate the progress that has been made in Cleveland, and we underscore the importance of clean, healthy rivers to cities nationwide,” said Irvin. “May other cities draw inspiration from Cleveland’s story, and may we all work together to spark an urban river renaissance nationwide. Because everyone in our country deserves clean water and a healthy river.”

In its 34th year, 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. Rivers are chosen for the list based on the following criteria: 1) The magnitude of the threat; 2) The significance of the river to people and nature; and 3) A critical decision-point in the coming year. Over the years, the report has helped spur many successes including the removal of outdated dams and the prevention of harmful development and pollution.

AMERICA’S MOST ENDANGERED RIVERS® OF 2019

#1 Gila River, New Mexico
Gov. Grisham must choose a healthier, more cost-effective way to provide water to agriculture than by drying up the state’s last major free-flowing river.

#2 Hudson River, New York

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must consider effective, nature-based alternatives to storm-surge barriers that would choke off this biologically rich tidal estuary.

#3 Upper Mississippi River, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri

State and federal agencies must enforce laws that prohibit illegal levees, which increase flood risk for communities and degrade vital fish and wildlife habitat.

#4 Green-Duwamish River, Washington

Local leaders must produce a flood protection plan that safeguards communities and restores habitat for chinook salmon — fish that are essential to the diet of Puget Sound’s endangered orca whales.

#5 Willamette River, Oregon

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must immediately improve 13 dams to save wild chinook salmon and steelhead from going extinct.

#6 Chilkat River, Alaska

The Japanese investment firm, DOWA, must do the responsible thing and back out of a mining project that could decimate native salmon.

#7 South Fork Salmon River, Idaho

The U.S. Forest Service must safeguard endangered fish by denying a mining proposal that could pollute this tributary of the Wild and Scenic Salmon River.

#8 Buffalo National River, Arkansas

Gov. Hutchinson must demand closure of an industrial hog-farming facility that pollutes groundwater and threatens endangered species.

#9 Big Darby Creek, Ohio

Local leaders must use state-of-the-art science to craft a responsible development plan that protects this pristine stream.

#10 Stikine River, Alaska

The International Joint Commission of the United States and Canada must protect the river’s clean water, fish and wildlife, and indigenous communities by stopping harmful, polluting mines.

2019’s “River of the Year”: Cuyahoga River, Ohio

American Rivers celebrates the progress Cleveland has made in cleaning up the Cuyahoga River, fifty years since the river’s famous fire that sparked the nation’s environmental movement.

ABOUT AMERICAN RIVERS

Climate change and proposed diversion threaten New Mexico’s last wild river

Contact: Sinjin Eberle, American Rivers, 720-373-0864

Allyson Siwik, Gila Conservation Coalition, 575-590-7619

Todd Schulke, Center for Biological Diversity, 575-574-5962

Donna Stevens, Upper Gila Watershed Alliance, 575-590-5698

Washington, D.C. – American Rivers today named the Gila River #1 on the list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2019, citing the grave threat that climate change and a proposed diversion project pose to New Mexico’s last free-flowing river. American Rivers and its partners called on Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to permanently stop the diversion project and advance more cost-effective, innovative water supply solutions.

“New Mexicans can’t afford to dry up their last wild river,” said Matt Rice, Colorado Basin Director for American Rivers. “Ruining the Gila River with an expensive diversion project doesn’t make sense when there are better, more cost-effective water supply options.”

“We are already feeling the impacts of climate change in New Mexico and across the Southwest, and it’s only going to get worse. The decisions we make today will determine whether we have healthy rivers and secure water supplies in the future. We have an opportunity on the Gila to demonstrate that it is possible to protect healthy rivers and meet our water needs in an era of climate change.”

Scientists estimate that due to climate change, the Gila River will cease to be a snowpack-fed river by mid-century. The proposed diversion project would put greater strain on Gila River flows already altered and reduced by the impacts of climate change. In turn, climate change likely will limit the amount and availability of water that can be developed by the proposed diversion, calling into question the project’s long-term viability.

American Rivers and its partners called on Governor Lujan Grisham to stop the diversion project and instead spend $66 million available through Arizona Water Settlement Act (AWSA) funding on alternative water supply solutions to meet the water needs of communities throughout southwest New Mexico. These solutions include infrastructure improvements and expansions such as the Grant County Regional Water Supply Project and municipal and agricultural conservation and efficiency projects.

Governor Lewis of the Gila River Indian Community, located in Arizona on the banks of the Gila River, stated, “Our people have lived on the banks of the Gila River in Arizona for thousands of years, and we have watched as our River dwindled through overuse in the Upper Valley. We have known for decades that our River is in danger, so the action of American Rivers today strikes a chord with me and my people. Because the Community has such a large entitlement to the waters of the Gila River, the Keli Akimel in our language, the exchange that is contemplated for the diversion that American Rivers has determined to be a danger is for an exchange of water that is supposed to be with us. I say ‘supposed’ to be with us because we do not have any agreement in place for the exchange, which will be very complex if possible at all, and subject to many years of legal challenges here in Arizona if it were ever to proceed. At this point, I hope there is a better path forward than this one which seems to present a real danger to the future flows of Keli Akimel, both in New Mexico and Arizona.”

“It’s time to stop the waste of millions in federal funds on a Gila River diversion to benefit a small number of irrigators and the world’s largest copper mining company, and instead direct AWSA monies to critically important community water projects that achieve long-term water security for thousands in southwest New Mexico,” stated Allyson Siwik, Executive Director of the Gila Conservation Coalition.

“It’s rare to see a wild river these days because so many of the nation’s rivers have been dammed,” said Donna Stevens, Executive Director of the Upper Gila Watershed Alliance. “People come from all over to visit the Gila Wilderness – the nation’s first wilderness area – and the Gila River. They boost the local economy with their tourist dollars.”

Flowing out of the nation’s first Wilderness Area, the Gila River supports outstanding examples of Southwest riparian forest, cold-water fisheries and a remarkable abundance of wildlife. The river is home to indigenous people who have lived in southwestern New Mexico for thousands of years, and remains vital to the region’s culture and heritage.

“A stronghold for many endangered species, the Gila is one of the last intact rivers left in North America. We have to work hard to make sure it stays that way. We urge Governor Lujan Grisham to help us protect the Gila River forever,” said Todd Schulke, co-founder and Senior Staff with the Center for Biological Diversity.

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.

The Gila River was previously included on this list in 1995, 1996, 2008, 2014. Other rivers in the region listed as most endangered in recent years include the Lower Rio Grande (2018), Lower Colorado River (2017) and Colorado River in the Grand Canyon (2015).

America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2019

#1 Gila River, New Mexico
Gov. Grisham must choose a healthier, more cost-effective way to provide water to agriculture than by drying up the state’s last major free-flowing river.

#2 Hudson River, New York

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must consider effective, nature-based alternatives to storm-surge barriers that would choke off this biologically rich tidal estuary.

#3 Upper Mississippi River, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri

State and federal agencies must enforce laws that prohibit illegal levees, which increase flood risk for communities and degrade vital fish and wildlife habitat.

#4 Green-Duwamish River, Washington

#5 Willamette River, Oregon

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must immediately improve 13 dams to save wild chinook salmon and steelhead from going extinct.

#6 Chilkat River, Alaska

The Japanese investment firm, DOWA, must do the responsible thing and back out of a mining project that could decimate native salmon.

#7 South Fork Salmon River, Idaho

The U.S. Forest Service must safeguard endangered fish by denying a mining proposal that could pollute this tributary of the Wild and Scenic Salmon River.

#8 Buffalo National River, Arkansas

Gov. Hutchinson must demand closure of an industrial hog-farming facility that pollutes groundwater and threatens endangered species.

#9 Big Darby Creek, Ohio

Local leaders must use state-of-the-art science to craft a responsible development plan that protects this pristine stream.

#10 Stikine River, Alaska

The International Joint Commission of the United States and Canada must protect the river’s clean water, fish and wildlife, and indigenous communities by stopping harmful, polluting mines.

2019’s “River of the Year”: Cuyahoga River, Ohio

American Rivers celebrates the progress Cleveland has made in cleaning up the Cuyahoga River, fifty years since the river’s famous fire that sparked the nation’s environmental movement.

ABOUT AMERICAN RIVERS

Climate change and illegal levee development threaten public safety, river health

Contact:

Eileen Shader, American Rivers, (570) 856-1128

Elliot Brinkman, Prairie Rivers Network, (217) 344-2371, x202

Christine Favilla, Sierra Club, (618) 462-6802

David Stokes, Great River Habitat Alliance, (314) 918-1007

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

Rob Moore, Natural Resources Defense Council, (312) 651-7923

Maisah Khan, Missouri Coalition for the Env., (314) 727-0600, x113

Washington, D.C. – American Rivers today named the Upper Mississippi River among America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2019, citing the grave threat that climate change and illegal levee raises pose to public safety and river health. American Rivers and its partners called on state and federal agencies to prohibit the reckless raising of levees and promote better flood protection solutions.

“The America’s Most Endangered Rivers report is a call to action to save rivers that face a critical decision in the coming year,” said Eileen Shader with American Rivers. “It’s time to stop the illegal levee development on the Upper Mississippi that is putting people and river health at serious risk.”

“We are already feeling the impacts of climate change in the Midwest, including more frequent and severe flooding, and it’s only going to get worse. Abusing and degrading the Mississippi River will make us more vulnerable to these threats. Protecting and restoring the river will make us better prepared to face future floods and safeguard communities. It’s our choice to make.”

The Upper Mississippi River is threatened by levees that are being raised (i.e., made taller) without required permits and approvals. Eighty miles of levees between Muscatine, Iowa, and Hamburg, Illinois, have been raised without obtaining the required state or federal approvals. These levees not only destroy critical riverside and floodplain habitat for fish and wildlife, they also make flood heights higher and increase flooding downstream. For example, during the most extreme flood events, Hannibal, Missouri, is projected to experience an additional foot or more of floodwaters because their neighbors have raised their levees without regard to the impacts.

American Rivers and its partners called on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the states of Illinois, Iowa and Missouri to take corrective action to stop and resolve these levee violations. Further, the groups called on the agencies to advance 21^st century flood protection solutions that deliver multiple benefits to people and nature.

“We have to stop the circle of absurdity where we spend enormous sums of money to build larger levees which make the next flood even worse and costs us millions more in emergency funds, only to have the entire cycle repeat year after year,” said David Stokes with the Great River Habitat Alliance.

“We must move beyond this outdated vision of flood control that foolishly relies on bigger and higher levees and floodwalls to a new vision that makes room for rivers and allows nature-based solutions to protect us,” said Elliot Brinkman with the Prairie Rivers Network.

The threats posed by these unlawful changes are real and getting worse as climate change is leading to more frequent floods and intense storms in the Upper Mississippi River Basin and across the country. The three highest-volume rain storms ever recorded in the U.S. have occurred in the last three years, in line with climate scientists’ projections that extreme downpours in the U.S. could increase by 400 percent by the end of this century. Munoz et al. (2018) determined that the magnitude of 100-year flood events in the Mississippi Basin has increased by 20 percent over the past 500 years, with much of that increase being caused by the combination of river engineering and climate change. The increased risk of flooding is the reason some levee districts have pursued higher levees, but their actions are intensifying the impacts of flooding for their neighbors.

The Mississippi River is a globally significant flyway used by hundreds of species of birds and provides unique habitat for fish, mussels, reptiles and mammals. This significant ecosystem supports commercial and recreational fishing, hunting and boating, which contribute $24.6 billion to the region’s economy and an estimated 421,000 jobs. The river has been the lifeblood of many cultures throughout history and has served as the inspiration for a rich heritage of American music, art and literature.

Some portion of the Mississippi River was previously included on this list in 1991-1992, 1994-1996, 2000-2001, 2004, 2011, 2014 and 2018. Other rivers in the region listed as most endangered in recent years include the Buffalo National River (2019, 2017) and Middle Fork Vermilion River (2018).

America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2019

#1 Gila River, New Mexico
Gov. Grisham must choose a healthier, more cost-effective way to provide water to agriculture than by drying up the state’s last major free-flowing river.

#2 Hudson River, New York

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must consider effective, nature-based alternatives to storm-surge barriers that would choke off this biologically rich tidal estuary.

#3 Upper Mississippi River, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri

State and federal agencies must enforce laws that prohibit illegal levees, which increase flood risk for communities and degrade vital fish and wildlife habitat.

#4 Green-Duwamish River, Washington

#5 Willamette River, Oregon

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must immediately improve 13 dams to save wild chinook salmon and steelhead from going extinct.

#6 Chilkat River, Alaska

The Japanese investment firm, DOWA, must do the responsible thing and back out of a mining project that could decimate native salmon.

#7 South Fork Salmon River, Idaho

The U.S. Forest Service must safeguard endangered fish by denying a mining proposal that could pollute this tributary of the Wild and Scenic Salmon River.

#8 Buffalo National River, Arkansas

Gov. Hutchinson must demand closure of an industrial hog-farming facility that pollutes groundwater and threatens endangered species.

#9 Big Darby Creek, Ohio

Local leaders must use state-of-the-art science to craft a responsible development plan that protects this pristine stream.

#10 Stikine River, Alaska

The International Joint Commission of the United States and Canada must protect the river’s clean water, fish and wildlife, and indigenous communities by stopping harmful, polluting mines.

2019’s “River of the Year”: Cuyahoga River, Ohio

American Rivers celebrates the progress Cleveland has made in cleaning up the Cuyahoga River, fifty years since the river’s famous fire that sparked the nation’s environmental movement.

ABOUT AMERICAN RIVERS

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

Contact:

Mike Fiebig, American Rivers, (406) 600-4061

Kevin Lewis, Idaho Rivers United, (208) 343-7481

Evan Stafford, American Whitewater, (970) 420-5377

Washington, D.C. – For the second year in a row, American Rivers named the South Fork of the Salmon River among America’s Most Endangered Rivers®, citing the threat expanded open-pit gold mining in the area would pose to water quality and river health. American Rivers and its partners called on the U.S. Forest Service to protect the South Fork of the Salmon for future generations by denying the proposal for the Stibnite Gold Mine at the river’s headwaters.

“The America’s Most Endangered Rivers report is a call to action to save rivers that face a critical decision in the coming year,” said Mike Fiebig with American Rivers. “The South Fork Salmon still boasts clear, free-flowing waters, and feeds the beloved Wild and Scenic Main Salmon downstream. It’s time for the U.S. Forest Service to put an end once and for all to toxic mining near this treasured river.”

The South Fork of the Salmon is a major tributary to the Wild and Scenic Salmon River— the second longest free-flowing river in the lower 48 states. The Nez Perce, Shoshone-Bannock and Shoshone-Paiute tribes have used the river for fishing and hunting for generations. In addition to providing critical habitat for endangered chinook salmon and steelhead and threatened bull trout, the South Fork of the Salmon boasts some of the state’s best expert-level whitewater. The river has been found eligible and suitable for Wild and Scenic protection by the U.S. Forest Service.

Gold and antimony mining began at the Stibnite site 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 has proposed reopening and expanding the open-pit mine. If allowed to proceed, the Stibnite Mine 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. Contaminated water will directly affect the fisheries, recreation economy and cultural importance of South Fork waters.

“The South Fork Salmon is an ecological and recreational gem for Idahoans and citizens from across America,” said Kevin Lewis, Executive Director at Idaho Rivers United. “Corporate profits from large-scale mining operations should not take priority over the many societal values already provided by a healthy Salmon River. The failures of the mining industry weigh heavily on rivers across this nation – we can ill afford to add the South Fork Salmon to that list.”

“There’s no doubt that the South Fork Salmon River provides some of the most quality whitewater recreation in the United States. The clean, crisp and crystal-clear water of the South Fork is one of its greatest allures, and combined with its quintessential Idaho rapids, the river draws paddlers from across the world,” said Evan Stafford, Communications Director at American Whitewater. “With numerous excellent roadside stretches and one of the West’s most classic multi-day self-support trips, excellent camping and nearby hot springs, it’s a destination on many paddlers’ bucket lists and a place that deserves to be protected.”

“Mining operations are inherently toxic for rivers,” said Fiebig. “State and federal agencies have worked hard to improve the water quality in this river, and it makes no sense to backtrack. Reopening this mine would have catastrophic repercussions not only for the South Fork of the Salmon River, but also the downstream communities that depend on a healthy Salmon River system for jobs, livelihoods and cultural heritage.”

In August 2019, the Payette National Forest will release a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on Midas Gold’s proposed project, followed by a public comment period. American Rivers and its partners called 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 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), Middle Fork Flathead River (2017), Smith River (2015, 2016, & 2018), and the Clearwater and Lochsa rivers (2014).

America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2019

#1 Gila River, New Mexico
Gov. Grisham must choose a healthier, more cost-effective way to provide water to agriculture than by drying up the state’s last major free-flowing river.

#2 Hudson River, New York

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must consider effective, nature-based alternatives to storm-surge barriers that would choke off this biologically rich tidal estuary.

#3 Upper Mississippi River, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri

State and federal agencies must enforce laws that prohibit illegal levees, which increase flood risk for communities and degrade vital fish and wildlife habitat.

#4 Green-Duwamish River, Washington

#5 Willamette River, Oregon

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must immediately improve 13 dams to save wild chinook salmon and steelhead from going extinct.

#6 Chilkat River, Alaska

The Japanese investment firm, DOWA, must do the responsible thing and back out of a mining project that could decimate native salmon.

#7 South Fork Salmon River, Idaho

The U.S. Forest Service must safeguard endangered fish by denying a mining proposal that could pollute this tributary of the Wild and Scenic Salmon River.

#8 Buffalo National River, Arkansas

Gov. Hutchinson must demand closure of an industrial hog-farming facility that pollutes groundwater and threatens endangered species.

#9 Big Darby Creek, Ohio

Local leaders must use state-of-the-art science to craft a responsible development plan that protects this pristine stream.

#10 Stikine River, Alaska

The International Joint Commission of the United States and Canada must protect the river’s clean water, fish and wildlife, and indigenous communities by stopping harmful, polluting mines.

2019’s “River of the Year”: Cuyahoga River, Ohio

American Rivers celebrates the progress Cleveland has made in cleaning up the Cuyahoga River, fifty years since the river’s famous fire that sparked the nation’s environmental movement.

ABOUT AMERICAN RIVERS

Mining threatens salmon, culture and economy

Contact:

Jessie Thomas-Blate, American Rivers, (202) 347-7550

Dr. Gershon Cohen, Alaska Clean Water Advocacy, (907) 314-0228

Washington, D.C. – American Rivers today named the Chilkat River among America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2019, citing the grave threat that mining poses to the river’s salmon, culture and economy. American Rivers and its partners called on the Japanese investment firm DOWA to back out of this harmful mining project.

“The America’s Most Endangered Rivers report is a call to action to save rivers that face a critical decision in the coming year,” said Jessie Thomas-Blate with American Rivers. “Now is the time to stop this mining project that could devastate the Chilkat River and an entire way of life.”

A Canadian-based company, Constantine Metals Resources, is securing permits to develop a copper-zinc mine just outside the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and the Tlingit Village of Klukwan. The deposit, known as the Palmer Project, would be a stone’s throw from the Klehini River, one of the Chilkat’s main tributaries. Based on experiences at similar mines, the extraction of copper-zinc-silver-gold-barite ore will likely generate sulfuric acid, which will mobilize heavy metals from mine waste and surface deposits. Given the high levels of rain and snowfall every year in the Chilkat Valley, it is inevitable that metals toxic to salmon will migrate into groundwater and surface waters. To make matters worse, the region is on a major seismic fault and experiences significant earthquakes on a regular basis; several of the largest earthquakes ever recorded were centered within a short distance of the Chilkat Valley. Any storage facility for millions of gallons of contaminated tailings and wastewater would be under constant threat of catastrophic failure.

A Japanese minerals investment firm, DOWA Holdings Company, has been backing the effort to develop this prospect for the past eight years. American Rivers and its partners called on the company to cancel their support for the Palmer Project and leave the Chilkat River and its salmon, eagles, bears and people intact for generations to come.

“The people of Klukwan— in Tlingit, the “Eternal Village”— have been stewards of the Chilkat River watershed for at least 2,000 years. Jilkaat (Chilkat) means a winter storage place for salmon. The Chilkat Indian Village is doing everything in its power to continue that stewardship today for our future generations, no matter what threats are presented,” said Kimberley Strong, Tribal President of the Chilkat Indian Village-Klukwan. “This river is our life. It is our food bowl. Its abundance is how our ancestors survived here for thousands of years; it is what still sustains us today. The public needs to know what the impacts of Constantine’s potential mine could be today, not tomorrow. Our future survival depends on the river’s health.”

“I’ve been a commercial fisherman in Haines for over 40 years. History tells us that when you put mines and salmon in the same place at the same time, the fish lose,” said J.R. Churchill, commercial fisherman and founder of the Haines Fisherman’s Alliance. “This is simple for me, this is where I live. If you’re not going to fight for that, what are you going to stand up for?”

“Given the toxicity of copper to salmon and the entire region’s dependence on those salmon for our food, economy and culture, it is unconscionable to site a mine literally a few miles from the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, the Tlingit Village of Klukwan and Haines. DOWA and Constantine Metals Resources are gambling a thousand years of our future for ten years of their profits. They should be ashamed to even propose such an idea,” said Dr. Gershon Cohen, local resident and project director at Alaska Clean Water Advocacy.

The river’s magnificent runs of king, sockeye, coho, pink and chum salmon attract the largest gathering of bald eagles in the world every fall in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. The Tlingits of the Chilkat Indian Village of Klukwan, who have lived along the Chilkat River for thousands of years, named the eagle gathering area on the Chilkat the “Council Grounds.” Klukwan is one of the longest continually inhabited places in North America. The Chilkat River’s salmon, eagles and bears are the cultural and economic backbone of the entire region. The value of the subsistence, sport and commercial harvests of salmon are rivaled in importance and economic impact only by the tens of thousands of tourists that come to the Chilkat River every year to fish, paddle rafts, kayaks and canoes, and photograph the river and its wildlife.

This year, the Chilkat River is making its first appearance on this list. Other rivers in Alaska listed as most endangered in recent years include the Stikine River (2019), Rivers of Bristol Bay (2018, 2011) and Colville River (2018).

America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2019

#1 Gila River, New Mexico
Gov. Grisham must choose a healthier, more cost-effective way to provide water to agriculture than by drying up the state’s last major free-flowing river.

#2 Hudson River, New York

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must consider effective, nature-based alternatives to storm-surge barriers that would choke off this biologically rich tidal estuary.

#3 Upper Mississippi River, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri

State and federal agencies must enforce laws that prohibit illegal levees, which increase flood risk for communities and degrade vital fish and wildlife habitat.

#4 Green-Duwamish River, Washington

#5 Willamette River, Oregon

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must immediately improve 13 dams to save wild chinook salmon and steelhead from going extinct.

#6 Chilkat River, Alaska

The Japanese investment firm, DOWA, must do the responsible thing and back out of a mining project that could decimate native salmon.

#7 South Fork Salmon River, Idaho

The U.S. Forest Service must safeguard endangered fish by denying a mining proposal that could pollute this tributary of the Wild and Scenic Salmon River.

#8 Buffalo National River, Arkansas

Gov. Hutchinson must demand closure of an industrial hog-farming facility that pollutes groundwater and threatens endangered species.

#9 Big Darby Creek, Ohio

Local leaders must use state-of-the-art science to craft a responsible development plan that protects this pristine stream.

#10 Stikine River, Alaska

The International Joint Commission of the United States and Canada must protect the river’s clean water, fish and wildlife, and indigenous communities by stopping harmful, polluting mines.

2019’s “River of the Year”: Cuyahoga River, Ohio

American Rivers celebrates the progress Cleveland has made in cleaning up the Cuyahoga River, fifty years since the river’s famous fire that sparked the nation’s environmental movement.

ABOUT AMERICAN RIVERS

Contact: Amy Kober, 503-708-1145

(Washington) – Celebrating the progress that has been made to clean up Cleveland, Ohio’s Cuyahoga River, and marking the 50^th anniversary of the river’s fire that sparked the nation’s environmental movement, American Rivers today named the Cuyahoga “River of the Year” for 2019.

“The Cuyahoga is a national success story,” said Bob Irvin, President and CEO of American Rivers. “The ‘River of the Year’ honor spotlights the hard work and collaboration by so many in Cleveland to improve the Cuyahoga’s health and turn it into a true asset for the city’s residents and visitors. May this honor also spur continued momentum for clean water in Cleveland and in cities nationwide.”

On June 22, 1969 the Cuyahoga – smothered with oil and industrial waste – caught fire. The story of the burning river galvanized the public and created a turning point in the fight for clean water and healthy rivers. The Cuyahoga on fire became a symbol for the fact that many rivers nationwide were lifeless and choked with pollution.

The outcry over the Cuyahoga led to passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972, which curtailed “point source” pollution from industry and wastewater treatment plans on rivers nationwide. The creation of a regional sewer district to address wastewater treatment needs, as well as pollution from industrial sources, was also key to the Cuyahoga’s recovery.

“The Cuyahoga and rivers nationwide wouldn’t be where they are today without strong clean water safeguards. We’ve come a long way and there is a lot to celebrate. But we still have a lot of work to do,” Irvin said. “Too many people in our country don’t have access to clean water and too many of our rivers are still threatened by pollution. We must keep speaking up because everyone deserves clean water and a healthy river.”

Despite the progress made thanks to the Clean Water Act, rivers and communities nationwide are still at risk. The Trump administration is working to dismantle the Clean Water Rule, which safeguards the small streams and wetlands that are drinking water sources for one in three Americans. And polluted runoff from farms and cities still threatens rivers and streams in Ohio and across the country. Manure, fertilizers and other runoff flowing into Lake Erie contributed to a toxic algae outbreak in 2014 that forced city leaders to shut off Toledo’s water supply.

American Rivers highlighted three actions necessary to ensure clean water and healthy rivers for the nation’s cities:

Defend existing protections: Polluters are trying to create loopholes in the Clean Water Act, but now is the time to strengthen, not weaken, protections for our rivers and drinking water.
Invest in infrastructure: Our water infrastructure is failing our communities—especially vulnerable populations, such as low-income communities and communities of color. We must invest in upgrading our nation’s water infrastructure, including cost effective, nature-based approaches.
Prioritize equity: Racism and classism go hand-in-hand with water challenges such as urban flooding and polluted rivers. Communities must have a voice in decisions about their rivers and water.

“Rivers are the heartbeat of our cities,” Irvin said. “May other communities draw inspiration from Cleveland’s ongoing success, and may we all continue to work together to ensure healthy rivers, equitable access and clean water in cities nationwide.”

American Rivers made the “River of the Year” announcement in conjunction with the release of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2019. The annual list spotlights ten rivers facing urgent threats. See: www.AmericanRivers.org/EndangeredRivers2019

###

Reckless development threatens clean water in National Scenic River

Contact:

Katie Rousseau, American Rivers, (419) 215-7748

John Tetzloff, Darby Creek Association, (614) 288-0313

David Miller, Ohio Environmental Council, (419) 944-1986

Washington, D.C. – American Rivers today named Ohio’s Big Darby Creek among America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2019, citing the grave threat that urban sprawl poses to this National Scenic River’s clean water and wildlife. American Rivers and its partners called on Columbus, Plain City, West Jefferson, and Madison and Union Counties to produce a science-based development plan to inform how much, and what type, of development will be sustainable and protect Big Darby Creek for future generations.

“The America’s Most Endangered Rivers report is a call to action to save rivers that face a critical decision in the coming year,” said Katie Rousseau with American Rivers. “Unless local leaders prioritize protection of Big Darby Creek and its clean water, one of the Midwest’s most pristine streams will be irreparably damaged by reckless development.”

Some developers are attempting to bypass an agreement forged in 2006 (the Darby Accord) meant to protect sensitive natural areas and clean water from poorly planned development. Research shows that the health of streams starts to decline from impervious surface (such as roads, buildings and parking lots) at around five percent impervious cover. The level of building proposed near Big Darby Creek would put that region of the watershed well above that threshold.

“Big Darby Creek stands at a crossroads. An unprecedented push by developers into the very heart of the watershed threatens to unravel decades of preservation efforts by central Ohio communities. We must press pause until all jurisdictions can agree on a plan to limit development to a sustainable level,” said John Tetzloff, President of the Darby Creek Association.

“The Big Darby is one of Ohio’s most valued natural resources,” said Kristy Meyer, Vice President of Policy, Ohio Environmental Council. “It is a place of exploration, fishing, boating and wonder for kids and adults alike. Due to mounting development pressure, all of the experiences on Big Darby and the wildlife, including numerous rare and endangered mussels and fish, are under threat. We must do everything we can to preserve this special place in Ohio for our children and grandchildren.”

Big Darby Creek is unique in that it is a National Scenic River adjacent to a major metropolitan area. The creek provides an important recreational and natural area for the more than two million people living in the Columbus region. It offers some of the best canoeing and smallmouth bass fishing in the state. Big Darby is most valued for its aquatic biodiversity, which includes over 100 fish and 44 freshwater mussel species.

America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2019

#1 Gila River, New Mexico
Gov. Grisham must choose a healthier, more cost-effective way to provide water to agriculture than by drying up the state’s last major free-flowing river.

#2 Hudson River, New York

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must consider effective, nature-based alternatives to storm-surge barriers that would choke off this biologically rich tidal estuary.

#3 Upper Mississippi River, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri

State and federal agencies must enforce laws that prohibit illegal levees, which increase flood risk for communities and degrade vital fish and wildlife habitat.

#4 Green-Duwamish River, Washington

#5 Willamette River, Oregon

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must immediately improve 13 dams to save wild chinook salmon and steelhead from going extinct.

#6 Chilkat River, Alaska

The Japanese investment firm, DOWA, must do the responsible thing and back out of a mining project that could decimate native salmon.

#7 South Fork Salmon River, Idaho

The U.S. Forest Service must safeguard endangered fish by denying a mining proposal that could pollute this tributary of the Wild and Scenic Salmon River.

#8 Buffalo National River, Arkansas

Gov. Hutchinson must demand closure of an industrial hog-farming facility that pollutes groundwater and threatens endangered species.

#9 Big Darby Creek, Ohio

Local leaders must use state-of-the-art science to craft a responsible development plan that protects this pristine stream.

#10 Stikine River, Alaska

The International Joint Commission of the United States and Canada must protect the river’s clean water, fish and wildlife, and indigenous communities by stopping harmful, polluting mines.

2019’s “River of the Year”: Cuyahoga River, Ohio

American Rivers celebrates the progress Cleveland has made in cleaning up the Cuyahoga River, fifty years since the river’s famous fire that sparked the nation’s environmental movement.

ABOUT AMERICAN RIVERS

Outdated dam operations threaten water quality, salmon and steelhead

Contact:

David Moryc, American Rivers, (503) 307-1137

Travis Williams, Willamette Riverkeeper, (503) 890-1683

Bob Rees, Willamette Salmon & Steelhead Recovery Coalition, Representing the Association of Northwest Steelheaders, (503) 812-9036

Washington, D.C. – American Rivers today named the Willamette River among America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2019, citing the threat that outdated dam operations pose to water quality and the river’s imperiled salmon and steelhead runs. American Rivers and its partners called on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to update its dam operation plan, and Congress to fund the plan to improve flows, clean water and habitat.

“The America’s Most Endangered Rivers report is a call to action to save rivers that face a critical decision in the coming year,” said David Moryc with American Rivers. “Unless the Army Corps improves dam operations, the Willamette River’s wild chinook salmon and winter steelhead may be extirpated.”

What was once an estimated annual run of nearly 400,000 spring chinook up the Willamette has dwindled to a few thousand naturally reproducing fish. Last year, the winter steelhead run totaled 512 fish, and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife warns that the run is under imminent threat of extinction.

There are 25 major dams in the Willamette Basin, thirteen of which are operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In key tributaries, access to up to 40 percent of winter steelhead and 90 percent of spring chinook historic spawning habitat is blocked by high head dams. A primary cause of salmon decline is inadequate downstream fish passage at dams on Willamette River tributaries. The federal government agreed in 2008 to make improvements to water quality and fish passage at the Army Corps dams, but little progress has been made.

American Rivers and its partners called on the Army Corps to act immediately to implement improvements at the dams, including changes in operation to produce more natural flows and improve fish passage. The agency must make structural modifications to the dams to facilitate downstream passage for juvenile salmon and continue to improve upstream passage for adult fish so that they can gain access to their historic spawning habitat. In addition, the groups urged Congress to ensure federal funding for improved dam operations.

“The U.S. Army Corps dams in the Willamette River system cause ongoing harm to native river species, especially spring chinook and winter steelhead, every day. It is time to end this reality in the Willamette River system and make fundamental improvements to these dams,” said Travis Williams, Riverkeeper & Executive Director of Willamette Riverkeeper.

“The Willamette River is the lifeblood of all Oregonians, once producing abundant returns of the world’s most sought-after salmon,” stated Bob Rees, campaign manager for the Association of Northwest Steelheaders. “Willamette spring chinook fuel sport and commercial fisheries from rural Oregon to the Gulf of Alaska, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is choking off this irreplaceable resource. The social and ecological value of these fish can’t be overstated. From the Oregon food bank to bears, eagles and baby salmon, this keystone species provides immeasurable benefit to the entire Pacific Northwest,” Rees concluded.

The Willamette River in Oregon flows 187 miles out of the Cascades and Coast Range Mountains to its confluence with the Columbia River in the city of Portland. The river has thirteen significant tributaries, including the Clackamas, Molalla, McKenzie, and North and South Santiam Rivers.

The Willamette River was previously included on this list in 2006. Other rivers in the region listed as most endangered in recent years include the Green-Duwamish (2019, 2016), South Fork of the Salmon River (2019 and 2018), South Fork Skykomish River (2017) and Green-Toutle River (2017).

America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2019

#1 Gila River, New Mexico
Gov. Grisham must choose a healthier, more cost-effective way to provide water to agriculture than by drying up the state’s last major free-flowing river.

#2 Hudson River, New York

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must consider effective, nature-based alternatives to storm-surge barriers that would choke off this biologically rich tidal estuary.

#3 Upper Mississippi River, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri

State and federal agencies must enforce laws that prohibit illegal levees, which increase flood risk for communities and degrade vital fish and wildlife habitat.

#4 Green-Duwamish River, Washington

#5 Willamette River, Oregon

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must immediately improve 13 dams to save wild chinook salmon and steelhead from going extinct.

#6 Chilkat River, Alaska

The Japanese investment firm, DOWA, must do the responsible thing and back out of a mining project that could decimate native salmon.

#7 South Fork Salmon River, Idaho

The U.S. Forest Service must safeguard endangered fish by denying a mining proposal that could pollute this tributary of the Wild and Scenic Salmon River.

#8 Buffalo National River, Arkansas

Gov. Hutchinson must demand closure of an industrial hog-farming facility that pollutes groundwater and threatens endangered species.

#9 Big Darby Creek, Ohio

Local leaders must use state-of-the-art science to craft a responsible development plan that protects this pristine stream.

#10 Stikine River, Alaska

The International Joint Commission of the United States and Canada must protect the river’s clean water, fish and wildlife, and indigenous communities by stopping harmful, polluting mines.

2019’s “River of the Year”: Cuyahoga River, Ohio

American Rivers celebrates the progress Cleveland has made in cleaning up the Cuyahoga River, fifty years since the river’s famous fire that sparked the nation’s environmental movement.

ABOUT AMERICAN RIVERS

Storm surge flood barriers being considered by the Army Corps of Engineers in response to Hurricane Sandy, threaten river health

Contact:

Eileen Shader, American Rivers, (570) 856-1128

Leah Rae, Riverkeeper, (914) 478-4501 ext. 238

Washington, D.C. – American Rivers today named the Hudson River among America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2019, citing the grave threat that the potential construction of storm-surge barriers could pose to this rich tidal estuary. American Rivers and its partners called on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to consider alternative solutions that address broader climate-related challenges – both storm surge and sea level rise – without harming the river.

“The America’s Most Endangered Rivers report is a call to action to save rivers that face a critical decision in the coming year,” said Eileen Shader with American Rivers. “Harming this iconic river with massive flood barriers doesn’t make sense when we should be identifying better, more cost-effective options to protect people and property, as well as river health.”

“We are already feeling the impacts of climate change in the Northeast, including storm-surge and sea-level rise, and it’s only going to get worse. We have an opportunity on the Hudson to demonstrate how protecting public safety and river health should go hand-in-hand in an era of climate change.”

“Abusing and degrading our rivers will make us more vulnerable to climate impacts. Protecting and restoring the river will make us better prepared to face future floods and safeguard communities,” Shader said.

Ever more extreme weather events and rising sea levels, the predicted impacts of climate change, are threatening cities and communities on the Atlantic Coast. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy devastated New York City and surrounding communities. The hurricane, and the storm-surge it brought with it, caused large-scale flooding and cost billions in damage. As a result, the Army Corps is studying options to build storm surge barriers— essentially massive sea walls with gates to separate the Hudson and New York harbor from the ocean. These walls, even with gates open, could act like dams, blocking fish and wildlife, including Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon, American shad, American eel, river herring and sea lamprey, from moving up- and downstream and restricting the natural flow of the river. Obstructed by barriers, sewage and other contaminants could flush into the ocean more slowly, increasing localized pollution in the Harbor. With inhibited tidal energy, higher nutrient levels could lead to more frequent algae blooms and lower dissolved oxygen that would impact the health of the estuary and upriver tidal marshes.

The gates of these massive in-water barriers would usually remain open for ships to pass, leaving communities vulnerable to flooding from sea level rise. In an era of changing climate, future major storms will undoubtedly overtop the offshore barriers, ending the limited protection they can provide. American Rivers and its partners called on the Army Corps of Engineers to develop a comprehensive, adaptable plan that includes a full suite of management approaches to reduce the impacts of rising floods, including natural infrastructure that restores natural features like floodplains, wetlands, barrier islands, and oyster reefs; nonstructural approaches that relocate, floodproof and elevate buildings and infrastructure; and where necessary, land-based approaches to protect buildings and infrastructure that cannot be relocated.

“For the Hudson, the stakes in this decision cannot be overstated. These storm barriers pose a truly existential threat to the Hudson. We cannot – must not – allow these barriers to be built. The twice-daily tides are the essential respiration and the heartbeat of this living ecosystem. The mouth of the river must remain open and unrestricted, as it has been for millennia,” said John Lipscomb, Riverkeeper Patrol Boat Captain and Vice President of Advocacy. “The Hudson has never faced a threat even close to this magnitude.”

“In-water storm surge barriers, despite costing endless billions, would not do a thing to protect against the daily flooding that would come with sea level rise – only against storms. They are only half a solution, and yet they threaten to cause permanent, catastrophic harm to the river. How do we protect against coastal flooding? Riverkeeper and our allies are demanding comprehensive, science-based, land-based solutions that will not harm the river.”

“The entire Hudson Raritan Estuary is put at risk by these shortsighted resiliency plans that threaten to block the tidal flow and fish migrations in our waterways,” NY/NJ Baykeeper Greg Remaud said. “The in-water barriers being considered by the Army Corps threaten the ecological, economic and recreational viability of the waters surrounding New York – New Jersey Harbor. The harborwide, in-water barriers under consideration will suffocate our regional waterways, including the Raritan, Passaic and Hackensack rivers in New Jersey, the Hudson, the Meadowlands and Jamaica Bay.”

“Other communities and waterways along the East Coast, and worldwide, may soon face harmful proposals like these, and we all need to be informed, vigilant and engaged,” said Marc Yaggi, Executive Director of Waterkeeper Alliance, which includes more than 300 groups around the world. “Waterkeepers are sworn to protect our rivers and waterways, and we will protect these vital resources as humankind begins to fortify itself against sea level rise – which humankind itself has provoked. Our response to increased sea levels must not come at the expense of the health and vitality of our waters.”

“As an American Heritage River running from its headwaters in the Adirondack Mountains to New York Harbor, the Hudson is a vitally important waterway—ecologically, culturally and economically,” said Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan. “For too long, the Hudson has been imperiled by pollution and unwise development decisions. The 70-year legacy of toxic PCB pollution by General Electric has reached a critical decision point in 2019. The Environmental Protection Agency must acknowledge that General Electric’s cleanup has failed to achieve its goals and require the company to conduct additional remediation of the river to standards that are protective of human health and the environment and unleash the river’s job-creating potential. At the same time, the storm surge barriers under consideration by the Army Corps could devastate the Hudson’s ecosystem and the communities living alongside it. As the Army Corps moves forward with its review process, it must ensure that any solution prevents coastal flooding from both storms and sea level rise without damaging the Hudson.”

“We have come so far in our fight to restore the Hudson. We see generations of children on our Sloop every day eager to continue this progress. We must not allow a short-sighted decision by the Army Corps to undo all the progress that we’ve made over the past half-century. The Corps’ study has enormous implications for generations into the future. The governments of New York, New Jersey and New York City that are funding the Army Corps of Engineers study must demand a comprehensive approach to coastal flood protection that addresses sea level rise, not just storms,” said Greg Williams, Executive Director with Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.

The Hudson River flows 315 miles from the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York through the Hudson Valley and into New York Harbor. As the second largest estuary on the East Coast, the Hudson provides critical habitat for endangered species, including Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon, and threatened species including banded sunfish and Blanding’s turtles. The river is at the heart of a $5.5 billion tourism industry, attracting visitors who explore the history, forests, shorelines and communities across the Hudson Valley.

The Hudson River was previously included on this list in 1996, 1997 and 2001. Other rivers in the region listed as most endangered in recent years include the Susquehanna River (2016) and St. Lawrence River (2016).

America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2019

#1 Gila River, New Mexico
Gov. Grisham must choose a healthier, more cost-effective way to provide water to agriculture than by drying up the state’s last major free-flowing river.

#2 Hudson River, New York

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must consider effective, nature-based alternatives to storm-surge barriers that would choke off this biologically rich tidal estuary.

#3 Upper Mississippi River, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri

State and federal agencies must enforce laws that prohibit illegal levees, which increase flood risk for communities and degrade vital fish and wildlife habitat.

#4 Green-Duwamish River, Washington

#5 Willamette River, Oregon

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must immediately improve 13 dams to save wild chinook salmon and steelhead from going extinct.

#6 Chilkat River, Alaska

The Japanese investment firm, DOWA, must do the responsible thing and back out of a mining project that could decimate native salmon.

#7 South Fork Salmon River, Idaho

The U.S. Forest Service must safeguard endangered fish by denying a mining proposal that could pollute this tributary of the Wild and Scenic Salmon River.

#8 Buffalo National River, Arkansas

Gov. Hutchinson must demand closure of an industrial hog-farming facility that pollutes groundwater and threatens endangered species.

#9 Big Darby Creek, Ohio

Local leaders must use state-of-the-art science to craft a responsible development plan that protects this pristine stream.

#10 Stikine River, Alaska

The International Joint Commission of the United States and Canada must protect the river’s clean water, fish and wildlife, and indigenous communities by stopping harmful, polluting mines.

2019’s “River of the Year”: Cuyahoga River, Ohio

American Rivers celebrates the progress Cleveland has made in cleaning up the Cuyahoga River, fifty years since the river’s famous fire that sparked the nation’s environmental movement.

ABOUT AMERICAN RIVERS

Pollution from hog operation threatens clean water

Contact:

Jessie Thomas-Blate, American Rivers, (202) 347-7550

Lin Wellford, Ozark River Stewards, (870) 480-8644

Washington, D.C. – American Rivers today named the Buffalo National River among America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2019, citing the grave threat that a massive hog operation poses to the river’s clean water. American Rivers and its partners called on Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson to close down the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) to save the river and its clean water for future generations.

“The America’s Most Endangered Rivers report is a call to action to save rivers that face a critical decision in the coming year,” said Jessie Thomas-Blate with American Rivers. “Governor Hutchinson must take a stand to ensure that hog waste doesn’t destroy everything that makes the Buffalo such a treasure for the state and the nation.”

A 6,500-head hog CAFO, including massive indoor feedlots and two manure filled ponds, sits on a hill along one of Buffalo National River’s main tributaries, Big Creek, less than six miles from the mainstem of the river. Each year, millions of gallons of liquid hog waste are sprayed onto pastures and fields, some of which lie in the floodplain. Contaminants in the manure fields and ponds are having far reaching effects, including polluting groundwater wells and threatening endangered species. CAFOs are one of the largest sources of pollution to streams and waterways across the U.S., according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Following the listing of the Buffalo as one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2017, the state denied the permit for the CAFO’s operations and ordered it to shut down. Rather than comply, the owners have decided to fight the issue in court. American Rivers and its partners called on Governor Hutchinson to close the facility down and save America’s first National River. The National River designation should protect the river from industrial uses, dams and other obstructions that would impact fish and wildlife habitat.

“If we can’t as a nation protect the country’s first National River, is any river safe from pollution?” asked local resident Teresa Turk with Ozark River Stewards.

“Industrial-scale animal farming is a huge and growing threat to most American waterways. Our rivers will continue to get dirtier until corporations are forced to find safe and sustainable ways to deal with the massive waste that their animals are producing,” said Lin Wellford, a local resident with Ozark River Stewards.

Winding its way through the forested Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas, the 153-mile long Buffalo National River flows through soaring bluffs, deep pools and gravel bars that lure millions of visitors annually from all over the world. People come to camp, paddle, hike and enjoy the river’s sparkling waters, vistas and clean air. In 2017, more than 1.47 million people visited the Buffalo National River generating $62 million in revenue and employing over 900 people in tourism related activities (e.g., cabins and hotels, restaurants, kayak/canoe rental).

The Buffalo National River was previously included on this list in 2017. Other rivers in the region listed as most endangered in recent years include the Big Sunflower River (2018) and Pascagoula River (2016).

America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2019

#1 Gila River, New Mexico
Gov. Grisham must choose a healthier, more cost-effective way to provide water to agriculture than by drying up the state’s last major free-flowing river.

#2 Hudson River, New York

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must consider effective, nature-based alternatives to storm-surge barriers that would choke off this biologically rich tidal estuary.

#3 Upper Mississippi River, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri

State and federal agencies must enforce laws that prohibit illegal levees, which increase flood risk for communities and degrade vital fish and wildlife habitat.

#4 Green-Duwamish River, Washington

#5 Willamette River, Oregon

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must immediately improve 13 dams to save wild chinook salmon and steelhead from going extinct.

#6 Chilkat River, Alaska

The Japanese investment firm, DOWA, must do the responsible thing and back out of a mining project that could decimate native salmon.

#7 South Fork Salmon River, Idaho

The U.S. Forest Service must safeguard endangered fish by denying a mining proposal that could pollute this tributary of the Wild and Scenic Salmon River.

#8 Buffalo National River, Arkansas

Gov. Hutchinson must demand closure of an industrial hog-farming facility that pollutes groundwater and threatens endangered species.

#9 Big Darby Creek, Ohio

Local leaders must use state-of-the-art science to craft a responsible development plan that protects this pristine stream.

#10 Stikine River, Alaska

The International Joint Commission of the United States and Canada must protect the river’s clean water, fish and wildlife, and indigenous communities by stopping harmful, polluting mines.

2019’s “River of the Year”: Cuyahoga River, Ohio

American Rivers celebrates the progress Cleveland has made in cleaning up the Cuyahoga River, fifty years since the river’s famous fire that sparked the nation’s environmental movement.

ABOUT AMERICAN RIVERS