Water Wars Threaten America's Most Endangered Rivers
Publisher: National Geographic
Author(s): Brian Clark Howard
Date: 2016
Topics: Renewable Resources
Countries: United States
What do two rivers in the Southeast and California have in common? Both are threatened by battles over their water. The Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Basin in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida tops a new list as the most endangered river in the U.S. this year, according to an annual report from the Washington, D.C.-based conservation group American Rivers. Second most endangered is the San Joaquin River in northern and central California.
"Both rivers suffer from increasing conflict among stakeholders who depend on their water," including cities, farmers, and wildlife, says Chris Williams, a senior vice president at American Rivers. "And these issues are exacerbated by population growth and climate change."
Other rivers high on the list include the Susquehanna in Maryland and Pennsylvania, the Smith in Montana, and the Green-Duwamish in Washington.
The annual list, which dates back to 1984, is based on three criteria: A river must be under serious threat, of regional or national significance, and at a turning point in a decision related to conservation. Last year, the Colorado River was number one, and since then two of its three biggest threats have been withdrawn: a controversial development and a plan for a tram. (A uranium mine proposal remains a threat.)
Past annual lists also helped raise awareness about the Hoback River in Montana, where oil and gas leases were defeated, and the Elwha River in Washington, where a series of dams was removed to restore the ecosystem.