EMBARGOED FOR 12:01 AM EASTERN TIME, APRIL 12, 2016
Major U.S. river systems threatened by drought, water mismanagement
Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) Basin and San Joaquin River top American Riversnational list of 10 Most Endangered Rivers
Contact:
Amy Kober, American Rivers, 503-708-1145
Washington, DC–American Rivers today released its annual list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers®,identifying the 10 most deeply threatened waterways and highlighting the urgent need to stop excessive agricultural and municipal water use to prevent further harm to river health, wildlife, fish and recreation.
The report documents that regions across the country are grappling with drought and poorly managed water systems that serve competinginterests, all of which rely on healthy rivers.
The American Rivers report finds that outdated and ineffective methods ofwater managementthreaten major river basins on both the East and West Coast. The Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River Basin, which includes portions of Alabama, Georgia and Florida, ranks number one on the list, followed by the San Joaquin River in California atnumber two.
More than eight million people depend on clean drinking water from these two systems combined, and water shortages also threaten billions of dollars in agricultural production and fisheries.
The America’s Most Endangered Riverslist spotlights rivers facing urgent threats across the country. The Susquehanna River, for example, which flows through Pennsylvania and Maryland, is threatened by harmful dam operations. In Montana, the Smith River is at risk from a proposed mine and remains on the endangered list for a second year.
<LINK to list>
A key and growing concern across the country is dwindling water supplies. The ACF and San Joaquin river basins, where some streams are so over-used they run dry, are among the most acute examples. Both basins have been gripped by water conflict for decades, with critical water management decisions pendingthis year. (See details on both endangered basins below.)
“We can’t live without clean water, and we don’t have an unlimited supply,” said Bob Irvin, President of American Rivers. “As more people compete for a limited resource, everyone is losing: farmers don’t have reliable water for their crops, commercial fisheries are collapsing,urban supplies are strained, fish and wildlife are declining, and recreation businesses are closing their doors. Instead of continuing conflict, we need a new era of water cooperationthat strikes a balance among all users. We must not only understand and respectthe needs of upstream and downstream communities, but also appreciate the importance of healthy, functioning rivers to those communities.”
ACF Basin: Three rivers, a national treasure, and the ‘water war’ that refuses to end
Forover 20 years, Georgia, Alabama and Florida have fought in court over the allocation of water in the ACF Basin. Dubbed the “Tri-State Water Wars,” the conflict stems from a 1989 decision by the United States Army Corps of Engineers to use some water flowing through the Buford Dam, located on the Chattahoochee River in northern Georgia, for the city of Atlanta’s water supply.
The Basin provides water for industry, power generation, agriculture, recreation and fisheries. More than four million people, including 70 percent of metro Atlanta, rely on the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers for drinking water.
One of the most productive estuaries, Apalachicola Bay in Florida is located at the bottom of the ACF Basin. Historically, the bayhas yielded more than 10 percent of the nation’s oyster harvest, as well as significant shrimp, crab and fish harvests. Butdam management and excessive water consumptionthroughout the ACF Basin—due to increasing population growth and agricultural production, as well as electric power generation—havesignificantly reduced freshwater flowing into the bay, contributing to the collapse of the oyster fishery in Apalachicola Bay.
“Times have changed, and the water has, too,” said Shannon Hartsfield, president of the Franklin County Florida Seafood Workers Association. “Back in the mid-2000s, any given day would see roughly 400 oystermen on the water. Now, that number has plummeted to 80 or 90. And those who do make it out aren’t bringing in much of a haul.”
Unless a tri-state agreement is reached soon to ensure long-term sustainable water usage, a federal court verdict could decide this water dispute.
“We are calling on the governors of Alabama, Florida and Georgia to swiftly act to form a water-sharing agreement that protects the rivers, and on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to significantly improve water management to sustain river health,” said Irvin. American Riverssupports the recommendation of the ACF Stakeholders’ 2015 Sustainable Water Management Plan to create a formal tri-state institution to foster transparent coordination andscience-based management throughout the basin.
San Joaquin Basin: Finding the Flow
There has been a decades-long debate over how the San Joaquin’s limited supply of water should be allocated between the northern and southernparts of California.
The San Joaquin and its tributaries support some of the most productive and profitable agriculture in the world, irrigating more than two million acres of arid land.Four million people live in the San Joaquin watershed.The current drought is placing additional stress on the river and revealing that the status quo water management strategies are inadequate for both people and the environment.
Years of managing the San Joaquin for agriculture, hydropower and flood control have taken their toll. Dams, levees and excessive irrigation and water diversions have harmed river habitat and reduced opportunities for recreation and community access.More than 100 miles of the mainstem river have been dry for more than 50 years, and water diversions along the tributaries take more than 70 percent of the natural flow.The river’s salmon and steelhead populations are on the brink of extinction and the San Francisco Bay-Delta could face ecological collapse. Today, the river and surrounding communities are vulnerable to increasingly frequent and severe droughts and floods.
“The San Joaquin is one of the most beautiful rivers in the world, and it’s bone dry”, said Walt Shubin, a farmer who has been fighting to restore the health of the San Joaquin River for decades.“The water level in my water well dropped 19 feet in the last nine years; in the last nine months, it dropped 19 feet. Putting water back in the aquifer is the only thing that’s going to keep us alive.”
“The California State Water Resources Control Board, as the agency charged with allocating water rights and protecting water quality, must drasticallyimprove how it manages the San Joaquin and protects water quality, fish, recreation, community access and sustainable agriculture,” said Irvin. American Rivers has called on the board to finalize a plan for managing the river and its three principal tributaries – a plan that was supposed to be finished two years ago.
The time is now
American Rivers points to signs of progress: cooperative efforts are emerging in both basins. Municipal water utilities, conservation organizations and state agencies are working together to find sustainable water management solutions, such as planningand implementing floodplain restoration projects along the San Joaquin River to ensure that increased flow releases from upstream reservoirs will help fish populations. In the ACF Basin, the ACF Stakeholders process has brought about dialogue among representatives of all water use sectors in the three states aroundwater management reforms.American Rivers and others in the upper Flint River basin have formed the Upper Flint River Working Group to foster dialogue and find sustainable management approaches.
“Water is one of the most critical conservation issues of our time,” Irvin said. “The choice is clear: will we let waste and greed drain our rivers dry, or will we work together to ensure healthy rivers can benefit all for generations to come?”
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) A critical decision-point in the coming year and 3) The significance of the river to people and nature.
Over the years, the report has helped spur many successes including the removal of outdated dams, the protection of rivers with Wild and Scenic designations and the prevention of harmful development and pollution.
America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2016
#1:Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin
(Alabama, Florida, Georgia)
Threat:Outdated water management
#2: San Joaquin River
(California)
Threat: Outdated water management
#3: Susquehanna River
(Pennsylvania, Maryland)
Threat:Harmful dam operations
#4: Smith River
(Montana)
Threat: Mining
#5: Green-Duwamish River
(Washington)
Threat: Outdated dam and floodplain management, pollution
#6: Pee Dee River
(North Carolina)
Threat: Harmful dam operations
#7: Russell Fork River
(Kentucky)
Threat: Mountaintop removal mining
#8: Merrimack River
(Massachusetts, New Hampshire)
Threat: Polluted runoff
#9: St. Lawrence River
(New York)
Threat: Harmful dam operations
#10: Pascagoula River
(Mississippi, Alabama)
Threat: New dams
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About American Rivers
American Rivers protects wild rivers, restores damaged rivers, and conserves clean water for people and nature. Since 1973, American Rivers has protected and restored more than 150,000 miles of rivers through advocacy efforts, on-the-ground projects, and an annual America’s Most Endangered Rivers® campaign. Headquartered in Washington, DC, American Rivers has offices across the country and more than 200,000 members, supporters, and volunteers.
Rivers connect us to each other, nature, and future generations. Find your connections at AmericanRivers.org, Facebook.com/AmericanRivers, and Twitter.com/AmericanRivers.