July 15, 2022
Contact: Mike Fiebig, mfiebig@americanrivers.org
Senator Michael Bennet Introduced the Legislation which would protect 76 river miles and 74,006 acres of Public Lands Surrounding the Dolores River
Dolores, CO – After nearly 20 years of collaborative work, Colorado Senator Michael Bennet introduced the Dolores River National Conservation Area and Special Management Area Act on Thursday this week. Colorado Senator John Hickenlooper co-sponsored the bill. The Act was introduced at the behest of Dolores, Montezuma, and San Miguel counties, as well as the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, agricultural producers, fish and wildlife managers, and conservation and recreation organizations. The resulting legislation is bi-partisan and consensus-based, establishing a new National Conservation Area and Special Management Area that will protect wildlife, cultural and historical resources, and existing uses of the land while enhancing local economies well into the future.
The Dolores River Canyon is an essential lifeline to the landscape and culture of western Colorado. It’s renowned for its scenic beauty, wildlife habitat, geological formations, and cultural and historic resources. Protecting it now will ensure that the broad diversity of Americans will continue to be able to access and appreciate the canyon for many years to come, whether on an overnight river trip, driving the Snaggletooth Road, or having a picnic on the canyon rim.
The Act would protect the free-flowing character of 76 miles of the beloved Dolores River and its tributaries, and 68,851 acres of sublime desert canyons and old growth ponderosa pine forest, home to soaring sandstone cliffs and abundant wildlife. The purpose of the legislation is to “conserve, protect, and enhance the native fish, whitewater boating, recreational, scenic, cultural, archeological, natural, geologic, historical, ecological, watershed, wildlife, educational, and scientific resources” of the Conservation and Special Management Area, utilizing protections that keep the area as it is and allowing traditional uses to continue.
The lands in western Colorado are in dire need of better care to ensure a healthy ecosystem for the wildlife and people who call this region home. Protecting the Dolores River landscape also ensures large-scale landscape connectivity, which helps build resilience to climate change impacts for generations to come.
Senator Bennet has been a longtime champion for protecting the Dolores River Canyon region and we thank him for introducing – and Senator Hickenlooper for co-sponsoring – the Dolores River National Conservation Area bill. We’re excited to support Senator Bennet’s commitment to do everything he can to protect these important natural and cultural resources for generations to come.
###
June 30, 2022
Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145
Today’s Supreme Court ruling in West Virginia v. EPA is a major blow to efforts to fight climate change. The ruling constrains EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions – a major contributor to climate change — from the power sector.
As Justice Kagan, joined by Justice Breyer and Justice Sotomayor state in the dissenting opinion,
“Today, the Court strips the Environmental Protection Agency of the power Congress gave it to respond to ‘the most pressing environmental challenge of our time’ …. The Court appoints itself – instead of Congress or the expert agency – the decision-maker on climate policy. I cannot think of many things more frightening.”
Tom Kiernan, President of American Rivers, made the following statement:
“Today’s ruling constraining EPA’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions is a big setback to clean air and climate action, making it harder to ensure a future that is healthy, just and livable.
The ruling also raises serious concerns for clean water and rivers. We are looking closely at how this ruling may inform EPA’s authority to regulate pollution in rivers and streams across the country.
If the federal government’s ability to regulate water pollution is similarly undermined, communities nationwide will face health and safety threats, with low-income communities and Black, Indigenous, Latino/a/x, and Tribal Nations facing disproportionate burdens. All life needs healthy rivers. Without strong federal protections, the rivers that are the lifeblood of our nation will suffer irreparable harm with major consequences for people, the economy and the environment.”
###
American Rivers statement in response to Murray-Inslee draft report
June 9, 2022
Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145
Washington Senator Patty Murray and Washington Governor Jay Inslee have released a draft report examining how the services of the four lower Snake River dams could be replaced, in the event the dams are removed to restore healthy, harvestable Snake River salmon and steelhead runs.
Wendy McDermott, Northwest regional director for American Rivers, released the following statement:
“Snake River salmon and steelhead runs are headed for extinction if we don’t take bold, immediate action. The draft report illuminates that restoring the lower Snake River through removing the four federal dams will provide the best chance for these culturally and economically important fish. The Tribal Nations and communities that depend on salmon are depending on our elected officials to act with urgency. Senator Murray and Governor Inslee’s leadership is essential in taking the next step of implementing solutions that restore healthy, abundant numbers of salmon and steelhead, honor treaties and commitments to tribes, ensure clean affordable energy, and support the region’s strong agricultural economy.”
“American Rivers is committed to working with communities to implement solutions that enable everyone to do well, whether you make your living catching salmon off the coast or growing potatoes near Pasco. The Northwest and the nation cannot afford to ignore the salmon and steelhead extinction crisis. Let’s work together to make change work in favor of everyone.” Read more about the need to restore a free-flowing lower Snake River, one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2022: https://endangeredrivers.americanrivers.org/snake-river/
June 7, 2022
Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145
American Rivers announced today that Andy Sheehan has been elected to its board of directors. Sheehan brings a breadth of expertise that will be instrumental in helping the organization achieve its vision of clean water and healthy rivers everywhere, for everyone.
Sheehan is a technology venture capitalist, based in Palo Alto, California and Jackson Hole, Wyoming and is the managing partner of Tippet Venture Partners. Previously, he was a managing director of Sutter Hill Ventures. He has invested in and served on the boards of numerous leading public and private companies for more than 30 years. Andy is currently on the boards of Yext, Quinstreet, H55.ch, Real Magic, Creditly, GLMX and Certemy. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the Wharton School of Finance.
“Andy has a deep connection to rivers and has been a dedicated conservation supporter for decades,” said Tom Kiernan, President of American Rivers. “His leadership comes at a critical moment, and his perspective will guide us as we develop bold solutions to address some of the most pressing challenges facing rivers, including climate change, racial injustice and the biodiversity crisis. At a time where we must maximize our impact, I am grateful for the leadership of our strong and dedicated board.”
“Growing up in Walla Walla, Washington, I spent many happy years hiking and fishing in and around the Snake River area,” Sheehan said. “One of my motivations to become involved with American Rivers is to work to rehabilitate this great river ecosystem. I look forward to helping American Rivers grow its impact all across the country, protecting and restoring the rivers that are so vital to our lives.”
###
June 6, 2022
Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145
American Rivers announced today that its board of directors has elected Dr. Pallavi Phartiyal as the organization’s new Board Chair. Phartiyal will be the first person of color to hold this office in the organization’s almost 50 year history. She has served as Vice Chair since 2020.
An experienced and talented leader, Phartiyal has decades of experience in nonprofit management, science policy and centering equity and justice in the climate movement. She serves as deputy executive director at Rainforest Action Network where she oversees the overall management of the organization and guides its programmatic priorities and racial justice commitment.
Phartiyal succeeds John Haydock, who has served as Board Chair since 2019.
“Pallavi is a tremendous leader, and I am thrilled that she is the new Board Chair of American Rivers,” said Tom Kiernan, President of American Rivers. “Her dedication to rivers, her scientific and advocacy expertise and her commitment to equity will strengthen the organization at a time when we must maximize our impact to confront the challenges facing rivers, including climate change, loss of nature, and racial injustice. I am grateful for John Haydock’s excellent leadership, and am delighted to welcome Pallavi in her new role.”
“We are in one of the most critical times that humanity has ever encountered for our planet, climate and rivers,” Phartiyal said. “I am inspired by American Rivers’ commitment to building a broad and inclusive movement for cleaner, healthier, free-flowing rivers that support the lives, cultures, and livelihoods of millions of people across the country. I am honored to take on the Board Chair role to work alongside a passionate and smart board, staff and leadership to secure healthy rivers for all.”
Prior to joining Rainforest Action Network, Phartiyal helped launch the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, where she advocated for science-based decision-making in the democratic system. Earlier, she was the project director and senior program associate at the Research Competitiveness Program of the American Association for the Advancement of Science where she worked with research and policy professionals to provide strategic guidance to higher education academic institutions and federal agencies. She holds a doctorate in cellular and molecular biology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a master’s degree in agronomy from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in India. She is based in San Francisco.
###
May 16, 2022
Contact: Amy Kober, 503-708-1145
In response to the racially motivated mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, Tom Kiernan, President of American Rivers, made the following statement:
We adamantly condemn yesterday’s racist attack targeting Buffalo, New York’s Black community. An 18-year-old white supremacist shot and killed 10 people and injured three others in this horrific mass shooting.
American Rivers envisions a future of clean water and healthy rivers for everyone, everywhere. To achieve our vision, we must center equity and justice in all aspects of our work. We cannot remain silent about acts of racially motivated violence. Black Americans are the leading targets for hate crimes in our country. Anti-Semitic attacks, as well as violence against the Latino, Asian, Muslim, and LGBTQ+ communities are also on the rise.
We recognize that, to be successful in our mission, we must remain connected to the communities we serve. That means calling out injustice, naming the harm inflicted by racially motivated hate crimes.
###
Testimony before the Subcommittee on Energy of the House Committee on Energy & Commerce
May 12, 2022
Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145
Washington – Tom Kiernan, President of American Rivers, testified today before the Subcommittee on Energy of the House Committee on Energy & Commerce, in a hearing titled, “Modernizing Hydropower: Licensing and Reforms for a Clean Energy Future”.
The hearing explored a hydropower licensing reform package, negotiated with the hydropower industry, conservation groups and Tribes, which Kiernan called, “an integrated and holistic proposal that successfully creates common ground among the differing interests and priorities of the environmental, tribal, and industry constituencies. It has been carefully balanced to ensure that we “do no harm” to any interests while creating a win-win-win for conservation, tribal, and industry interests.”
Read Tom Kiernan’s testimony here
May 6, 2022
Contact: Amy Kober, 503-708-1145
The White House Council on Environmental Quality has announced Jalonne White-Newsome as Senior Director for Environmental Justice. Tom Kiernan, President of American Rivers, made the following statement:
“We congratulate Jalonne White-Newsome on her appointment to this historic role and applaud the Biden Administration’s commitment to environmental justice. White-Newsome’s leadership in the environmental justice movement and relentless advocacy for Black, Indigenous, people of color, and communities disproportionally harmed by polluted rivers, flooding, and lack of clean water will advance the administration’s commitments to environmental and racial justice.”
“American Rivers looks forward to collaborating with White-Newsome and the White House Council on Environmental Quality on the urgent climate, racial justice, and biodiversity crises as we pursue systemic changes to laws, policies, and practices that support healthy rivers and clean water, everywhere, for everyone.”
Climate change, environmental injustice threaten rivers and communities nationwide.
Report identifies solutions, calls for urgent action on ten endangered rivers.
Contact:
Amy Souers Kober, American Rivers, 503-708-1145
www.AmericanRivers.org/EndangeredRivers
Washington, DC – American Rivers released its annual list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® today, spotlighting ten rivers where climate change and racial injustice are putting the water supplies and well-being of tens of millions of people at risk. America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2022 calls for specific solutions, amplifying the leadership of Tribal Nations and frontline advocates.
“All life on this planet depends on clean, flowing rivers. So when rivers are at risk we sound the alarm. America’s Most Endangered Rivers is a call for bold and urgent action,” said Tom Kiernan, President and CEO of American Rivers.
The Colorado River (#1) is ground zero for the climate crisis as water levels plummet, threatening the lifeblood of 30 federally recognized Tribal Nations and seven states. On the Pacific Northwest’s Snake River (#2), dams and rising water temperatures have driven salmon to the brink of extinction and are violating treaties with Tribal Nations. Pollution along Alabama’s Mobile (#3) and Coosa (#5) rivers will be exacerbated by increasingly severe flooding, disproportionately impacting Black communities.
“We must come together as a powerful movement, to speak up for the 10 endangered rivers, and for all of the rivers that are vital to our lives,” Kiernan said.
Climate change is here now, and the primary way that each of us is experiencing climate change is through water. The latest IPCC report released in February warned that climate change is bringing severe consequences – from increasing floods and failing dams that endanger entire communities, to droughts and tapped-out water supplies that put industries, economies and ecosystems at risk. Black, Indigenous, Latino/a/x and other communities of color feel these impacts most acutely, due to historical and contemporary policies, practices and norms that maintain inequities.
Nowhere are the impacts more stark than on the Colorado River, America’s Most Endangered River for 2022, which is so overtapped it dries up before reaching the sea. Rising temperatures and drought driven by climate change, combined with outdated river management and overallocation of limited water supplies, threaten the entire region. The Colorado River system is already operating at a deficit, and climate change is expected to further reduce the river’s flow by 10 to 30 percent by 2050.
For the first time ever, mandatory cutbacks triggered by water shortage will cause Arizona to lose more than 500,000 acre-feet in Pinal County alone (roughly the drinking water supply for nearly 1.5 million households).
The river supports some of the country’s largest cities including Denver, Salt Lake City, Santa Fe, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego and Phoenix. It provides drinking water for 40 million people, irrigates 5 million acres of farm and ranch land, and supports a $1.4 trillion economy. Yet many Tribal Nations across the basin suffer from a lack of modern water infrastructure, due to systemic inequities and historic disinvestment.
American Rivers called on the seven basin states and the Biden administration to engage with the basin’s tribes to address this emergency. The administration must immediately allocate funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to implement proven, equitable solutions that prioritize river health and water security.
“Failure is simply not an option, given all that depends on a healthy, flowing Colorado River,” said Kiernan. “On the Colorado River and nationwide, the climate crisis is a water crisis. Just, equitable solutions for rivers and clean water are both achievable and essential to our health, safety, and future.”
In its 37th year, the America’s Most Endangered Rivers® campaign shines a national spotlight on rivers whose fates hang in the balance, elevates local advocacy efforts, and mobilizes the public to make a positive difference. 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. American Rivers reviews nominations for America’s Most Endangered Rivers from local groups and individuals across the country, and selects rivers based on three criteria: 1) the river’s significance to people and wildlife, 2) the magnitude of the threat to the river and communities, especially in light of climate change and environmental justice, 3) a decision in the next 12 months that the public can influence.
America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2022
#1 Colorado RiverState: CO, UT, AZ, NV, CA, WY, NM, Mexico
Threat: Climate change, outdated water management
#2 Snake River
State: ID, WA, OR
Threat: Four federal dams
#3 Mobile River
State: AL
Threat: Coal ash contamination
#4 Maine’s Atlantic Salmon Rivers
State: ME
Threat: Dams
#5 Coosa River
State: TN, GA, AL
Threat: Agricultural pollution
#6 Mississippi River
State: MN, WI, IL, IA, MO, KY, TN, AR, MS, LA
Threat: Pollution, habitat loss
#7 Lower Kern River
State: CA
Threat: Excessive water withdrawals
#8 San Pedro River
State: AZ
Threat: Excessive water pumping; loss of Clean Water Act protections
#9 Los Angeles River
State: CA
Threat: Development, pollution
#10 Tar Creek
State: OK
Threat: Pollution
ABOUT AMERICAN RIVERS
American Rivers believes a future of clean water and healthy rivers for everyone, everywhere is essential. Since 1973, we have protected wild rivers, restored damaged rivers and conserved clean water for people and nature. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., and 300,000 supporters, members and volunteers across the country, we are the most trusted and influential river conservation organization in the United States, delivering solutions for a better future. Because life needs rivers. www.AmericanRivers.org
Concrete and climate change threaten river health, clean water, community access
Contact: Gary Belan, American Rivers, 202-243-7027
Bruce Reznik, Los Angeles Waterkeeper, 619-851-9997
Marissa Christiansen, Friends of the LA River, 323-223-0585
Washington, D.C. – American Rivers today named the Los Angeles (LA) River one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2022, highlighting the threat that poor river management, pollution and climate change pose to river health, clean water and communities.
The LA River is at a critical crossroads with two vastly different visions for its future— one vision prioritizes nature and connecting communities; the other seeks to control nature and divert water from the river, possibly rendering it dry and leading to increased climate risks. While major cities across the globe are freeing rivers from concrete channels and creating more equitable access to nature, LA County is pushing a new Master Plan that is overly reliant on concrete and other outdated approaches and denies communities natural climate solutions that could ameliorate extreme climate impacts.
“America’s Most Endangered Rivers is an urgent call to action,” said Gary Belan with American Rivers. “The LA River has been defined by concrete and cut off from communities for too long. It’s time to breathe life into a healthy, flowing LA River, for the benefit of all.”
American Rivers and its partners called on the LA Flood Control District to abandon plans that prioritize concrete and instead embrace a vision that prioritizes river health, equitable community access and climate resilience.
“This is a once in a generation opportunity to provide creative solutions to improve the river and the communities that surround it,” said Bruce Reznik, Executive Director of Los Angeles Waterkeeper. “The LA River is at a turning point, and the decisions we make today are critical. We can either pursue a path towards climate resilience through river restoration, or we can doom the river to a future as a polluted flood control channel. We must invest in nature-based solutions today— more concrete is not the answer!”
“The Los Angeles River is within walking distance to one million Angelenos, and yet we have just begun to address the vast opportunity to improve park access and ecological restoration on our urban waterway. We are living through a changing climate and must work with nature, not against it, to foster resilience in river-adjacent communities,” said Marissa Christiansen, President and CEO of Friends of the Los Angeles River. “The designation of the LA River as one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers is an acknowledgement that the stakes couldn’t be higher. We must seize this chance to create green spaces and utilize permeable surfaces so that the LA River is a public resource that can help us adapt to climate change.”
River-adjacent communities have long demanded ecological restoration, environmental remediation and access to nature. Current plans for the river do not meet these demands. A healthy LA River with trees and other riverside vegetation is critical for protecting biodiversity and achieving climate resiliency through urban cooling and carbon sequestration, promoting greater community health and equity.
The LA River flows 51 miles through 17 cities, including Burbank, Glendale, Compton, Long Beach and Los Angeles, from its headwaters in the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valley of California to the Pacific Ocean. The river was once a water source for the region’s Tribal Nations, including the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians, Gabrielino-Tongva, Gabrielino-Kizh and Chumash tribes.
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 Los Angeles River was previously highlighted on this list from 1993 through 1996. Also included on the list this year are the Lower Kern River and the Colorado River. Other rivers in California listed as most endangered in recent years include the McCloud River (2021), Bear River (2017) and San Joaquin River (2016).
American Rivers reviews nominations for America’s Most Endangered Rivers from local groups and individuals across the country, and selects rivers based on three criteria: 1) the river’s significance to people and wildlife, 2) the magnitude of the threat to the river and communities, especially in light of climate change and environmental justice, 3) a decision in the next 12 months that the public can influence.
America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2022
#1 Colorado River
State: CO, UT, AZ, NV, CA, WY, NM, Mexico
Threat: Climate change, outdated water management
#2 Snake River
State: ID, WA, OR
Threat: Four federal dams
#3 Mobile River
State: AL
Threat: Coal ash contamination
#4 Maine’s Atlantic Salmon Rivers
State: ME
Threat: Dams
#5 Coosa River
State: TN, GA, AL
Threat: Agricultural pollution
#6 Mississippi River
State: MN, WI, IL, IA, MO, KY, TN, AR, MS, LA
Threat: Pollution, habitat loss
#7 Lower Kern River
State: CA
Threat: Excessive water withdrawals
#8 San Pedro River
State: AZ
Threat: Excessive water pumping; loss of Clean Water Act protections
#9 Los Angeles River
State: CA
Threat: Development, pollution
#10 Tar Creek
State: OK
Threat: Pollution
ABOUT AMERICAN RIVERS
American Rivers believes a future of clean water and healthy rivers for everyone, everywhere is essential. Since 1973, we have protected wild rivers, restored damaged rivers and conserved clean water for people and nature. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., and 300,000 supporters, members and volunteers across the country, we are the most trusted and influential river conservation organization in the United States, delivering solutions for a better future. Because life needs rivers. www.AmericanRivers.org
Toxic mining waste threatens clean water, public health
Contact:
Jessie Thomas-Blate, American Rivers, 202-243-7030
Rebecca Jim, Local Environmental Action Demanded (LEAD) Agency, 918-520-6720
Bob Nairn, Center for Restoration of Ecosystems and Watersheds, University of Oklahoma, 405-325-3354
Washington, D.C. – American Rivers today named Oklahoma’s Tar Creek one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2022, highlighting the threat that toxic mining pollution from one of the nation’s biggest Superfund sites poses to clean water and public health.
One million gallons of contaminated water are discharged daily into Tar Creek – a legacy of what was once the world’s largest lead and zinc mine. Industry abandoned Ottawa County in the 1960s, leaving behind 75 million tons of lead-contaminated tailings piles. The mining epicenter contains 40 square miles of abandoned mines with more than 30 major tailings piles as high as 200 feet tall. By 1979, an aquifer had filled the abandoned mine caverns, and acid mine water loaded with lead, zinc, arsenic and cadmium began flowing into Tar Creek, killing most aquatic life and turning the water orange.
The pollution continues to threaten local communities with health risks. When children are poisoned by lead, it can affect not only their IQ and how they learn, but it can harm every organ in their bodies with life-long effects. In the Tar Creek watershed, one-third of all Indigenous children were found to be affected by lead poisoning in the early 1990’s, and no action has been taken since to address the contamination.
“America’s Most Endangered Rivers is an urgent call to action,” said Jessie ThomasBlate with American Rivers. “Tar Creek should be the lifeblood of these communities. Instead, toxic mining pollution has turned the creek into a hazard. It’s time to clean up this mess so that communities can benefit from a healthy creek.”
American Rivers and its partners called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, state of Oklahoma and Tribal Nations (including Quapaw, Miami, Peoria, Ottawa, Modoc, Eastern Shawnee, Wyandot, Seneca-Cayuga and Shawnee) to work together to develop a comprehensive solution to clean up the pollution and safeguard public health.
“As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act in 2022, the critical need for and importance of this list of endangered rivers should give us all pause,” said Dr. Robert W. Nairn with the University of Oklahoma’s Center for Restoration of Ecosystems and Watersheds. “Can Tar Creek run clean and clear again? Yes, it can— with recognition and appreciation of the challenges and through the hard work and cooperative efforts of scientists and citizens alike. I hope we can celebrate it sooner rather than later, and not have to wait another 50 years.”
“The environmental irresponsibility of mining companies, local, state and federal officials, is breathtaking. Only local residents, especially LEAD Agency, have fought back against this murder of a river,” said Stephen F. Eisenman, co-founder of Anthropocene Alliance.
“I am happy that American Rivers has placed Tar Creek on this list. However, the fact that Tar Creek has spent 43 of the past 50 years since the passage of the Clean Water Act with one million gallons per day of mine water surfacing into it is appalling. Meanwhile, the state and EPA assessments that this situation is irreversible were and still are untrue,” said Earl Hatley, President, LEAD Agency. “We need a Memorandum of Understanding now between the agencies involved to stop this discharge down Tar Creek into our drinking water lake (Grand Lake) once and for all!”
Martin Lively, Grand Riverkeeper, said, “For more than 40 years, Tar Creek has carried heavy metals to Grand Lake. Annual flooding has spread those metals throughout the Grand River watershed and over countless yards and farms. It’s time for upstream and downstream agencies to speak on the record, to develop a comprehensive plan to manage and remove toxic heavy metals not only from Tar Creek, but from Grand Lake, the Neosho and Spring Rivers, and all the other impacted streams in this too-longdamaged watershed. This MOU is a critical first step down that path.”
“Water is life, and Tar Creek deserves life to return. Federal agencies have failed and we demand that they bring all required resources and work together to show the world this can be done,” said Rebecca Jim, Tar Creekkeeper.
Tar Creek once supported a rich ecosystem – fish, crawdads, mussels and plants provided ample subsistence to the area’s Indigenous people. Along Tar Creek, they found wildlife and plants that provided food, medicines and clean water. Only a few decades after many tribes were forcibly relocated to this part of Oklahoma in the 19th century, metal ores were discovered and the largest lead mine in the world transformed Tar Creek. Ottawa County is home to nine Tribal Nations (Quapaw, Miami, Peoria, Ottawa, Modoc, Eastern Shawnee, Wyandot, Seneca-Cayuga and Shawnee). Tribal members make up more than 20 percent of the population in the county, with many individuals having ancestry in multiple tribes. The watershed is further shared by the Cherokee Nation, which borders it on the West and South.
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.
Tar Creek was previously listed among America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2021. The Colorado and Mississippi rivers are also included on the list this year. Other rivers in the region listed as most endangered in recent years include the Pecos River (2021), Lower Missouri River (2020), Buffalo National River (2019 & 2017) and Lower Rio Grande (2018).
American Rivers reviews nominations for America’s Most Endangered Rivers from local groups and individuals across the country, and selects rivers based on three criteria: 1) the river’s significance to people and wildlife, 2) the magnitude of the threat to the river and communities, especially in light of climate change and environmental justice, 3) a decision in the next 12 months that the public can influence.
America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2022
#1 Colorado River
State: CO, UT, AZ, NV, CA, WY, NM, Mexico
Threat: Climate change, outdated water management
#2 Snake River
State: ID, WA, OR
Threat: Four federal dams
#3 Mobile River
State: AL
Threat: Coal ash contamination
#4 Maine’s Atlantic Salmon Rivers
State: ME
Threat: Dams
#5 Coosa River
State: TN, GA, AL
Threat: Agricultural pollution
#6 Mississippi River
State: MN, WI, IL, IA, MO, KY, TN, AR, MS, LA
Threat: Pollution, habitat loss
#7 Lower Kern River
State: CA
Threat: Excessive water withdrawals
#8 San Pedro River
State: AZ
Threat: Excessive water pumping; loss of Clean Water Act protections
#9 Los Angeles River
State: CA
Threat: Development, pollution
#10 Tar Creek
State: OK
Threat: Pollution
ABOUT AMERICAN RIVERS
American Rivers believes a future of clean water and healthy rivers for everyone, everywhere is essential. Since 1973, we have protected wild rivers, restored damaged rivers and conserved clean water for people and nature. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., and 300,000 supporters, members and volunteers across the country, we are the most trusted and influential river conservation organization in the United States, delivering solutions for a better future. Because life needs rivers. www.AmericanRivers.org
Groundwater pumping, harmful development threaten endangered fish and wildlife
Contact:
Sinjin Eberle, American Rivers, 720-373-0864
Geoffrey Nolan, Earthjustice, 202-740-7030
WASHINGTON, DC– Today, American Rivers named the San Pedro River one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2022, highlighting the threat that excessive groundwater pumping and harmful development pose to one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in North America and one of the last major free-flowing rivers in the desert Southwest.
Stretches of the San Pedro River that previously flowed year-round are drying up. The base flow of the river is sustained by groundwater from the regional aquifer, which keeps the river flowing during the dry season. However, groundwater levels across much of the river’s watershed are declining due to ever-increasing demands. Additionally, rollbacks to the Clean Water Act initiated during the Trump administration have removed protections for seasonal and intermittent streams, which encompass almost 94 percent of the San Pedro River’s waterways and provide the lifeblood that sustains the river.
“America’s Most Endangered Rivers is an urgent call to action,” said Sinjin Eberle, American Rivers’ Communications Director for the Intermountain West. “The San Pedro is an essential lifeline to agriculture, people and rich biodiversity in this desert region. Just as groundwater is inherently connected to surface flows, the river’s fate, and our own, are intrinsically linked.”
American Rivers and its partners are calling on Arizona legislators to pass laws to protect rural groundwater supplies and are urging the Biden administration to strengthen federal Clean Water Act protections.
“The San Pedro River is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in North America, but its future is under threat due to rampant development, lack of state level protections and lingering policies from the Trump Administration,” said Earthjustice Legislative Counsel Julián Gonzalez. “In order to protect this iconic river, the Arizona legislature must quickly pass policies to protect precious groundwater supplies while the Biden administration must forcibly reject the Trump Administration’s Dirty Water Rule and issue a new rule that offers better protections for our nation’s waterways.”
“The San Pedro River is an important life source for Arizona,” said Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, Chair of the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee. “Its waters give life to a rich diversity of animals, plants and other wildlife, while also being part of the increasingly limited supply of groundwater that is vital to communities and local businesses across the state. Out-of-state developers have taken advantage of the rollback of clean water protections by the previous administration and forced this precious resource to the brink. We must use this as a call to action to protect the San Pedro River and ensure that we preserve these vulnerable ecosystems now before it’s too late.”
“The San Pedro River – the last free-flowing river in the southwest, is hugely important to the entire region. We must be aggressive in strengthening clean water protections and highlighting the issue,” said U.S. Representative Ann Kirkpatrick. “It is crucial we preserve the unique biodiversity of our riparian environment and maintain water levels in the aquifer system below ground. I commend environmental leaders and organizations both locally and nationally for recognizing this importance and working together to preserve this lifeline for current and future generations.”
“If you have ever wondered how much difference it makes to have even a trickle of water in the desert, you need look no farther than the San Pedro River,” said Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter Director Sandy Bahr. “This river is not one of those large raging rivers, yet it sustains a significant diversity of plants and animals, including some that are just passing through via this flyway. Sadly, this river is critically endangered as groundwater pumping in the region threatens to literally drain it of its essence. We must do everything we can to stop that and keep the San Pedro flowing.”
“It’s been distressing, even heartbreaking, to have watched the riparian area decline in just a few decades”, said Tricia Gerrodette for the San Pedro 100. “I hope the attention this brings will help provide stronger protection for this special place.”
“The San Pedro River has become the default site for mitigating ecological impacts caused by rapid development elsewhere in Arizona, and now these federal mitigation designations are being threatened due to the lack of protective measures,” said Chair of the Lower San Pedro Watershed Alliance Peter Else. “We must protect the last remaining natural and intact desert river ecosystem in southern Arizona. We must think beyond the span of our brief lifetimes.”
Across Arizona— where more than 40 percent of the water supply comes from groundwater— residents and businesses are drilling wells deeper to reach water as they continue to dry up and the water table continues to sink. The threat to the river and water supplies will only grow with climate change, as the Southwest becomes hotter and drier.
The proposed Villages at Vigneto development in Benson, Arizona, exemplifies the groundwater threat to the San Pedro River. This residential and commercial community development would span more than 12,000 acres and would include 28,000 homes, golf courses, vineyards, resorts and commercial buildings, potentially increasing the population of the riverside town from 5,000 to as many as 75,000. Doing so could increase groundwater pumping from approximately 800 acre-feet to as much as 13,000 acre-feet per year, sucking water from aquifers that maintain the San Pedro’s stream flows.
This ongoing problem was exacerbated in 2020, when the Trump administration issued what has become known as the “Dirty Water Rule,” which cut millions of streams and wetlands out of safeguards guaranteed by the Clean Water Act by excluding them from the definition of “Waters of the U.S.” Modeling showed that nearly 94 percent of all wetlands and flowlines in Arizona’s Upper San Pedro watershed would lose protection under the Rule.
The San Pedro is home to many endangered and threatened species, such as the jaguar, ocelot, southwestern willow flycatcher, western yellow-billed cuckoo, lesser long-nosed bat and the rare Huachuca water umbel plant. Recognizing the importance of the San Pedro, Congress protected 40 miles of the upper San Pedro River as a National Conservation Area in 1988.
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 San Pedro was previously highlighted on this list in 1994, 1995 and 1999. The Colorado River tops the endangered list this year as well. Other rivers in the region listed as most endangered in recent years include the Pecos River (2021) and Gila River (2019).
American Rivers reviews nominations for America’s Most Endangered Rivers from local groups and individuals across the country, and selects rivers based on three criteria: 1) the river’s significance to people and wildlife, 2) the magnitude of the threat to the river and communities, especially in light of climate change and environmental justice, 3) a decision in the next 12 months that the public can influence.
America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2022
#1 Colorado River
State: CO, UT, AZ, NV, CA, WY, NM, Mexico
Threat: Climate change, outdated water management
#2 Snake River
State: ID, WA, OR
Threat: Four federal dams
#3 Mobile River
State: AL
Threat: Coal ash contamination
#4 Maine’s Atlantic Salmon Rivers
State: ME
Threat: Dams
#5 Coosa River
State: TN, GA, AL
Threat: Agricultural pollution
#6 Mississippi River
State: MN, WI, IL, IA, MO, KY, TN, AR, MS, LA
Threat: Pollution, habitat loss
#7 Lower Kern River
State: CA
Threat: Excessive water withdrawals
#8 San Pedro River
State: AZ
Threat: Excessive water pumping; loss of Clean Water Act protections
#9 Los Angeles River
State: CA
Threat: Development, pollution
#10 Tar Creek
State: OK
Threat: Pollution
ABOUT AMERICAN RIVERS
American Rivers believes a future of clean water and healthy rivers for everyone, everywhere is essential. Since 1973, we have protected wild rivers, restored damaged rivers and conserved clean water for people and nature. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., and 300,000 supporters, members and volunteers across the country, we are the most trusted and influential river conservation organization in the United States, delivering solutions for a better future. Because life needs rivers. www.AmericanRivers.org
ABOUT EARTHJUSTICE
Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We wield the
power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people’s health, to preserve
magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate
change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.
