It’s no longer a matter of avoiding the water to stay safe. The pollution has become so inundated that it’s now in the air, it’s in people’s homes, schools, and places of work. It’s impacting every aspect of community life.
Sarah Davidson, Surfrider Foundation
Most endangered rivers
Threat: Pollution
The Tijuana River Watershed, ancestral and current homeland of the Kumeyaay Nation and home to millions of people on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border is steeped in rich multicultural identities. The river joins the Pacific Ocean at beautiful beaches that were once frequented by families, swimmers, and surfers but are now choked with pollution, limiting coastal access and causing serious threats to public health. Congress and the Biden Administration must take decisive and immediate action to address the crisis in the Tijuana River Watershed by fully funding the solutions needed to restore a clean and safe environment for the affected communities
American Rivers appreciates the collaboration and efforts of our partners:
- Surfrider Foundation
- Un Mar de Colores
For the Hoopa Valley people, the river is a lifeline for us. We eat out of the river. Some people go to the store, we go to the river. It used to be one of the best fishing rivers in the West Coast.
Dania Rose Colegrove, Hoopa Valley Tribal member and Klamath Justice Coalition organizer
Most endangered rivers
Threat: Excessive Water Withdrawals, Inadequate temperature protection
The Trinity River–the largest tributary of the Klamath–plays a vital role for salmon, steelhead and green sturgeon. The Trinity, known as Hun’ to the Hoopa Tribe, who have resided on its banks for millennia, holds remarkable value to wildlife and people. The Hoopa Valley and Yurok Tribes have been stewarding and defending the river for generations, fighting for Tribal rights and environmental justice for the people and the waters. The Trinity is threatened from excessive water diversions, new water demands, and the effects of drought and climate change. We must tell the California State Water Resources Control Board to honor Tribal water rights, protect carryover storage, and maintain cold water temperatures on the Trinity River.
American Rivers appreciates the collaboration and efforts of our partners:
- Save California Salmon
- Yurok Tribe
- Hoopa Valley Tribe
It’s well established that healthy rivers contribute to healthy communities. In the Eel, this also means revitalizing and sustaining culture, supporting diverse economies, and providing endangered species a path to recovery. Removing both Scott and Cape Horn dams is key to returning California’s third largest watershed to a healthy state.
Alicia Hamann, Executive Director for Friends of the Eel River
Most endangered rivers
Threat: Dams
The Eel River once teemed with abundant native fish and other wildlife, supporting the Wiyot, Sinkyone, Lassik, Nongatl, Yuki and Wailaki peoples, who have lived along the river since time immemorial. Today the river’s Chinook salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey are all headed toward extinction in large part because of two obsolete dams that make up Pacific Gas and Electric’s Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project. Together the dams completely block salmon migration and harm river habitat. The license for the dams recently expired and PG&E no longer wants to operate the facilities. It’s up to federal regulators to require PG&E to remove the dams as part of the decommissioning plan, expected during the fall of 2023.
American Rivers appreciates the collaboration and efforts of our partners:
- California Trout Inc.
- Friends of the Eel River