Dire threats seen for America’s ‘most endangered’ rivers

Rivers from Arizona to Alaska, Mississippi to Connecticut, and California to the Carolinas face dire threats from climate change, overdevelopment, pollution and water scarcity, according to a new report released by American Rivers this week.

But this year, the most endangered river isn’t a single one — it’s all of the streams in the entire state of New Mexico, according to the report. 

The environmental nonprofit, which focuses on river health and publishes an annual list of most endangered waterways in the US, found that New Mexico is the state most likely to be impacted by a US Supreme Court ruling issued last year in the case of  Sackett v. EPA, which stripped federal clean water protections for small streams and wetlands across the country. 

The Sackett ruling found that the Clean Water Act only applies to continuous and permanent surface waters, meaning that seasonal rivers and wetlands that aren’t directly connected to rivers aren’t covered by the federal law. Instead, it’s up to states to regulate these bodies of water, which account for more than half of all wetlands and streams in the US.

“These streams and wetlands are the beginning of all of our rivers. And all of that water is connected, so when we lose the protections in our headwaters, those wetlands and streams, our rivers are threatened and the long-term quality of your drinking water will likely be harmed,” Tom Kiernan, president and CEO of American Rivers, said in a video released about the list.

In New Mexico, that means the majority of streams are left unprotected because the state does not have a permitting process in place. That could mean dire downstream consequences for rivers, including the Gila, San Juan, Pecos and Upper Rio Grande.

“People depend on this water. We have depended on this water for hundreds of years. This is our tradition, this is our culture. We don’t want to be a people that loses its traditions because we haven’t taken the right steps to protect our rivers,” Vicente Fernandez, acequia mayordomo and community leader, said in a press release.

The risks to rivers go beyond rolling back federal protection, the report found.

The second most endangered rivers are the Big Sunflower and Yazoo Rivers in Mississippi, which are threatened by the Yazoo Backwater Pumps project, designed to drain wetlands to protect agricultural land that often floods. According to American Rivers, the project would harm at least 67,000 acres of wetlands that support more than 450 species of birds, fish and wildlife. 

The project is also impacted by Sackett, which removed protections for many of these wetlands. Historically, the Lower Mississippi floodplain has lost 80% of its wetlands.

“The Yazoo Pumps will not reduce flood risk for residents of the South Delta,” Kelsey Cruickshank of American Rivers, said in a press release. “Instead of reviving this extraordinarily destructive and expensive boondoggle, local leaders and Congress should invest in more affordable and effective flood risk reduction measures to protect these vulnerable communities.” 

In Tennessee, American Rivers is concerned about the impact of population growth and development on the Duck River — which is the most biodiverse river in North America, home to 22 aquatic snail species, 56 mussel species and 151 fish species (many of which are federally endangered or threatened). 

As Tennessee grows, more water is needed to account for higher populations and increasing industry, which advocates say threatens the Duck River, and potentially drains it dry during times of drought. The river provides drinking water for more than 250,000 people. American Rivers is advocating for more long-term planning to ensure the river remains protected.

Each year, American Rivers reviews nominations for its report on endangered rivers from groups across the country, choosing a final list of 10 rivers. 

The following is the American Rivers list:

#1: Rivers of New Mexico   

Threat: Loss of federal clean water protections  

#2: Big Sunflower and Yazoo Rivers – Mississippi  

Threat: Yazoo Pumps project threatens wetlands  

#3: Duck River – Tennessee  

Threat: Excessive water use  

#4: Santa Cruz River – Arizona   

Threat: Water scarcity, climate change  

#5: Little Pee Dee River – North Carolina, South Carolina  

Threat: Harmful development, highway construction  

#6: Farmington River – Connecticut, Massachusetts  

Threat: Hydropower dam  

#7: Trinity River – California   

Threat: Outdated water management  

#8: Kobuk River – Alaska  

Threat: Road construction  

#9 Tijuana River – California, Mexico   

Threat: Pollution  

#10: Blackwater River – West Virginia   

Threat: Highway development