Now is the time to advocate for the strongest protections possible for the Potomac River. We urge Federal, state, and local legislators to take swift action and pass policy that protects the immediate and future health of the Potomac.
Lydia Lawrence, director of conservation for Nature Forward
Threat: Sewage Pollution; Data Center Development
The Potomac River is the economic lifeline and cultural heart of our nation’s capital. But earlier this year, a historic sewage spill fouled the Nation’s River, raising alarms for public health and aging water infrastructure. Congress must invest in strengthening water infrastructure. Moreover, the rapid development of data centers in the watershed poses an expanding threat to river health and the resilience of drinking water supplies. State leaders must urgently establish commonsense safeguards on all data centers and evaluate cumulative impacts on water resources.
American Rivers appreciates the collaboration and efforts of our partners:
- Potomac Riverkeeper Network
- Nature Forward
The Dan River is a life source for hundreds of thousands of people and a sacred cultural corridor for Indigenous communities. Any project that risks contaminating these waters or disturbing ancestral sites must be held to the highest legal and ethical standards.
Dr. Crystal Cavalier, Executive Director, 7 Directions of Service
Threat: Two Major Gas Pipelines
The Dan River supplies clean drinking water to roughly one million people and is a vital lifeline for an abundance of wildlife. But the construction of two major gas pipelines threatens drinking water sources and wildlife habitat. The governors of Virginia and North Carolina must ensure that pipeline construction meets all clean water safeguards to ensure the health of the rivers and its communities.
American Rivers appreciates the collaboration and efforts of our partners:
- 7 Directions of Service
- Dan River Basin Association
- Dan Riverkeeper
- Good Stewards of Rockingham
- Clean Water for North Carolina
The marshes, migratory fisheries, and bird habitat have sustained the Rappahannock people for generations. After hundreds of years of separation from the Rappahannock River, the Tribe finally repatriated 400 acres of its lost homeland on the river in 2022. It is cruel to give away the Tribe’s River, without due diligence, just as they returned to their land.
Jack Ryan, Rappahannock Tribe Director of Environmental and Natural Resource Programs
Most endangered rivers
Threat: Water mismanagement, lack of planning
The Rappahannock River is one of Virginia’s most iconic waterways, stretching over 195 miles from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay. The river supports a diverse array of ecosystems and provides critical habitat for fish and wildlife. However, increased strain on water resources and the absence of unified water management threaten the river’s ability to meet the needs of both people and nature. As the region continues to grow, protecting the Rappahannock’s health and sustainability is more important than ever.
American Rivers appreciates the collaboration and efforts of our partners:
- Friends of the Rappahannock
- Rappahannock Tribe
- Southern Environmental Law Center