| Rescue the Most Endangered
Rivers of 2003
(Note: For all those that understand language deception, this ploy is carefully crafted, but the bottom line is still and remains: Control. Those that control the water and the land, control the people, and this is a concentrated effort to do all three. Please take part in showing your elected officials, from county commissioners to U.S. Senators and Representatives -- and your community, from the schoolkids to the moms to the folks at the local five and dime -- that there is another side to this coin, that is called Property Rights and Freedom. This assault on both by an organization with a definite agenda must be curtailed by honest education. Please note that this group has a lobbying office in Washington, D.C., and that they have many 'partner' organizations.) April 10, 2003 'Special alert' sent by 'American Rivers Action' SPECIAL ALERT: TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT AMERICA'S MOST ENDANGERED RIVERS OF 2003 Visit http://amriversaction.ctsg.com/wac/ to take action today! Dear River Advocates: Today, American Rivers released its 18th annual list of "America's Most Endangered Rivers" for 2003. Working with our conservation partners to highlight ten rivers most in need of immediate attention, American Rivers aims to draw attention to the problems facing all of our rivers, including destructive flood control projects, irrigation withdrawals, hydropower dams, pollution, and over-consumption of water. Many rivers are on this year's list because of severe water shortages, which are caused by extravagant waste and the destruction of critical watershed habitat. The widespread drought has only served to bring attention to these important issues, as we reach the limits of what our rivers can bear. TAKE ACTION! Please help us remove these rivers from the endangered list by taking the necessary actions. You can send letters to decision-makers for the ten endangered rivers by using this one link, http://amriversaction.ctsg.com/wac/. Be sure to PASS THIS ALERT ON TO YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND COLLEAGUES! Thank you for your support-American Rivers To view the full report, including a discussion on water quality and quantity threats, visit http//www.AmericanRivers.org or review brief summaries of the Most Endangered Rivers of 2003 below: #1, Big Sunflower River, Mississippi Threat: Flood control projects Conservation Partners: Gulf Restoration Network, Mississippi Chapter of the Sierra Club, National Wildlife Federation Mississippi's Big Sunflower River is threatened by a pair of misbegotten flood control projects cooked up by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and rashly supported by its Congressional patrons. Unless the Bush Administration's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) vetoes the Yazoo Pumps, the Corps will drain seven times more wetlands than private developers damage yearly nationwide. Without firm opposition from the EPA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Corps will also scour 100 miles of the Big Sunflower's riverbed, destroying even more wetlands and stirring up a toxic stew of pesticides that have accumulated at the bottom of the river. #2 Klamath River, California, Oregon Threat: Irrigation withdrawals, hydropower dams, pollution Conservation Partners: Earthjustice, Klamath Forest Alliance, Northcoast Environmental Center, Oregon Natural Resources Council, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, Riverhawks, WaterWatch of Oregon, The Wilderness Society, Yurok Tribe The federal Bureau of Reclamation is irresponsibly maximizing irrigation in the Klamath River basin, depleting the river and wreaking havoc on imperiled wildlife and imposing tremendous hardships on Native American and fishing communities. Unless Congress and the Bush Administration bring water commitments back into balance with what nature can sustain, the nation can expect more tragedies like the staggering die-off of more than 33,000 salmon that occurred last September. #3 Ipswich River, Massachusetts Threat: Groundwater pumping and excessive water consumption Conservation Partner: Ipswich River Watershed Association Because of excessive groundwater pumping and municipal water consumption, especially in the summer, portions of Massachusetts' Ipswich River run dry every year. If the state of Massachusetts fails to enforce existing regulations and act on opportunities to improve water conservation in the coming months, the Ipswich faces a future in which it will more frequently resemble a dirt road than a river. #4 Gunnison River, Colorado Threat: Inadequate flow, water exports Conservation Partners: High Country Citizens' Alliance, Land and Water Fund of the Rockies, Trout Unlimited In drought-plagued Colorado, pressure is growing to use more water from the Gunnison River to fuel sprawling development near Denver on the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Unless the Department of the Interior asserts the public's right to an adequate flow of water, the roar of the river may soon cease to echo off the walls of the spectacular Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. #5 Rio Grande, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas Threat: Excessive diversion and over-consumption of water Conservation Partners: Amigos Bravos, Defenders of Wildlife, Environmental Defense, Land and Water Fund of the Rockies, Rio Grande Restoration, Sierra Club Although the Rio Grande has failed to reach the Gulf of Mexico for much of the past two years, this troubled river could take a further turn for the worse in coming months, as Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Brownsville, Texas, close in on new water withdrawals, and federal agencies determine how to manage their dams that control water levels throughout much of the river. If the cities succeed in securing more river water and federal agencies stick with status quo operations, more stretches of the river could run dry and the last of the Rio Grande's native minnows could disappear forever. #6 Mattaponi River, Virginia Threat: Proposed water supply reservoir Conservation Partners: Alliance to Save the Mattaponi, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Save Our River, Sierra Club, Southern Environmental Law Center A proposed new water supply reservoir for the sprawling cities in Virginia's Lower Peninsula region threatens the ecological integrity of the Mattaponi River, one of the most pristine coastal river systems on the eastern seaboard. Unless state and federal agencies resist political pressure to rubber-stamp permits for this flawed project, the King William Reservoir will inundate hundreds of acres of wetlands and tribal sites, and up to 75 million gallons of water per day will be siphoned out of the river. #7 Platte River, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska Threat: Irrigation and water supply development Conservation Partner: Nebraska Wildlife Federation Across the drought-stricken plains of Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska, the quest for more irrigation water is threatening to undermine an agreement to secure adequate flows in the Platte River and to protect its adjacent wetlands. Unless the Interior Department and state governments stick to their commitments and resist pressure for reckless new water development, migratory birds of the Central Flyway may lose their most important stopover and the Platte River basin could become the scene of water conflicts that rival those along the Klamath or the Rio Grande. #8, Snake River, Idaho, Washington, Oregon Threat: Hydropower dams Conservation Partners: Idaho Rivers United, Save Our Wild Salmon The fate of the Snake River and its wild salmon runs is increasingly in doubt as federal efforts to recover the imperiled fish falter and hydropower operators put short-term revenues ahead of salmon protection. Unless the federal agencies and Congress step up their commitment to restore the endangered fish and Idaho Power Company improves operation of its Hells Canyon hydroelectric dams, it may soon be too late to save the salmon first documented in Lewis and Clark's journals. #9 Tallapoosa River, Alabama, Georgia Threat: Hydropower and water supply dams, overallocation Conservation Partners: Alabama Rivers Alliance, Middle Tallapoosa River Conservation Association While Alabama Power Company's R.L. Harris Dam continues to do unnecessary harm to the Tallapoosa River, more dams could be on the way as the sprawling Atlanta metro area seeks to develop municipal water supplies in the river's pristine headwaters. Unless Alabama Power reforms its abusive hydropower operations and Georgia and Alabama take up the call to use their water more efficiently, the river's unparalleled collection of aquatic wildlife is at risk. #10 Trinity River, Texas Threat: Flood control and floodplain development Conservation Partners: Audubon Dallas, Dallas Group of the Sierra Club, Dallas Historic Tree Coalition, National Wildlife Federation, Texas Committee on Natural Resources The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the city of Dallas are poised to unleash their bulldozers along the Trinity River, intending to knock down 34,000 trees to construct new levees, drainage swales, and toll roads that many ostensible beneficiaries don't want. Unless the public can persuade civil servants and elected officials to revise their vision for the city's riverfront, a remarkable urban oasis will be transformed into just another concrete cacophony. Thank you for helping to protect and restore America's rivers, and being a part of American Rivers' River Action Center ( http://amriversaction.ctsg.com/wac/ ). 202-347-7550 or toll free at 1-877-347-7550.
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