                           ANNUAL ENDANGERED RIVERS LIST OF 1992

FOR UNIVERSAL DISSEMINATION 
-- PASS IT ON TO OTHER BULLETIN BOARDS  . . . 

. . . especially in states/areas where these endangered rivers
flow.

(Also see how you can get the American Rivers T-shirt at the end
of this document)

25 rivers listed as endangered or threatened -- see below if your
river is on the list.


       Contents:     1.  Systemic damage to freshwater ecosystems
                     2.  Information on American Rivers
                     3.  Listing of rivers
                     4.  Problems with each river
                     5.  Actions being taken to save rivers

1. Systemic damage to freshwater ecosystems

       Our freshwater ecosystem is in danger of collapse because
public policies and private development practices actually 
encourage the abuse of streams.  These policies are draining the
life out of our natural rivers, making them sterile,
unproductive, and polluted.  This affects every American, because
we are all part of our flowing fresh water system.  We consume,
on the average, six quarts of river water each day.  When we look
at the bad condition of our rivers, we are looking inside our own
bodies and the bodies of our children.

       By making the public aware of the major threats facing our
most remarkable rivers, we improve the prospects for protecting
and restoring all our rivers immeasurably. 

       This country has seen the destruction of fish and wildlife
habitats escalate at an alarming rate.  Indeed, scientists have
become increasingly concerned as they have begun to document the
profound loss of fisheries and other aquatic resources: 

       * 30% of the native freshwater fish species in North America
              are threatened, endangered or of special concern;
       * 10% of all North American freshwater mussels have become
              extinct this century and of the remaining, three-
              fourths are rare or imperiled;
       * of the stocks of Pacific salmon, steelhead and sea-run
              cutthroats, 106 are extinct, 102 face extinction, 58
              are at moderate risk and 54 are of concern;
       * 10 species of freshwater fish became extinct in the decade
              1979-1989; and
       * 66% of the continent's crayfish are now rare or imperiled.

Scientists attribute much of this alarming situation to water
impoundments and diversions, to degraded water quality, to
changes in land use and to channelization , and to inadequate
instream flows.   In their 1989 report "Fishes of North America
Endangered, Threatened or of Special Concern", authors Williams
et al conclude "the health of aquatic habitats in North America
continues to decay".  The health of a watershed and its natural
resources depend on well informed decision making, if natural
river systems are to flourish in the future.  

2.  Information on American Rivers

       American Rivers is dedicated to preserving and restoring
outstanding rivers and their environments.  Since 1973, the
organization has helped to preserve over 17,000 river miles, and
over four million acres of adjacent lands, through federal and
state river protection programs.

       American Rivers is working to save the rivers of North
America through a six part program that includes the protection
of nationally significant rivers, hydropower policy reform,
protection of endangered river and riverside species, western
water allocation and instream flow protection, clean water
protection, and an urban river protection.

       One major aspect of this work is public education --using
every available channel of communication to let the American
public know about these dangers and effective ways to combat
them.  This computer bulletin board message is one such way.  We
urge you to download this message, load it onto other bulletin
boards across the country, and support the work of American
Rivers and other groups working to save our rivers.

3.  Listing of endangered and threatened rivers
       (Details on threats to each river in next section)

       Recreation, wildlife, many endangered or threatened species,
and drinking water are in danger on these rivers.  Each river has
important natural, human health, and/or cultural values.  Yet,
each faces immediate and often permanent damage from dams,
diversions, mining operations, dredging, land development, or
pollution.

       However, with prompt attention and action, these 25 rivers
can still be saved, and serve as a symbol that the degradation of
North America's flowing fresh water system can be reversed.

       The rivers on this year's list flow through nearly every
region of the U.S., and some areas of Canada and Mexico.  See
further for detailed description of the damage and resources for
each river.  

The 10 endangered rivers are:

1.     Columbia & Snake River system (Northwest) - most endangered
2.     Alsek & Tatshenshini River system 
              (Alaska and British Columbia)
3.     Great Whale River (Quebec)
4.     Everglades (Florida)
5.     American River (California)
6.     Colorado River (Arizona)
7.     Mississippi River (Midwest)
8.     Penobscot River (Maine)
9.     Lower Beaverkill & Willowemoc River system (New York)
10.    Blackfoot River (Montana)

The 15 threatened rivers are:

1.     Animas River (CO) 
2.     Clavey River (CA) 
3.     Elwha River (WA) 
4.     Gunnison River (CO) 
5.     Illinois River (OR) 
6.     Klamath River (OR) 
7.     New River (NC) 
8.     Ohio River (IN, IL, KY, OH) 
9.     Ouachita River (AR & LA) 
10.    Passaic River (NJ) 
11.    Rio Conchos (Chihuahua, Mexico)/Rio Grande (TX) 
12.    Savannah River (GA) 
13.    Susquehanna River (PA) 
14.    Verde River (AZ) 
15.    Virgin River (AZ, NV, UT) 


4.  Threats to each river

1.     Columbia and Snake River system (Idaho, Oregon, Washington)

       For centuries, 16 million wild salmon made their way each
year from the Pacific Ocean to the Columbia and Snake Rivers. 
Some swam nearly 1000 miles inland--through rapids, over
waterfalls and high up into mountain lakes and streams--to spawn. 
The watersheds of the Columbia and its largest tributary, the
Snake, provided 15,000 miles of spawning habitat for crowded runs
of chinook, coho, sockeye, chum, pink, and steelhead salmon.

       But now, just a century after European settlement of the
Northwest, wild Pacific salmon, the symbol of the region and
spirit of its rivers, are imperiled.  Many Pacific salmon runs
(stocks) are already extinct and, according to the American
Fisheries Society, 214 runs are now endangered, threatened or of
special concern, 76 of them in the Columbia Basin.  Today, a mere
300,000 native salmon and just over 2 million hatchery-raised
salmon return to the Columbia/Snake River Basin each year.  In
1991, Snake River fall chinook, which once numbered in the tens
of thousands, had dropped to just over 300.  In 1989, only two
Snake River sockeye salmon survived the journey to their high-
country spawning grounds in Redfish Lake, Idaho.  In 1990, not
one came home.

       The fate of Pacific salmon is entwined with the fate of the
Columbia River and its tributary rivers including the Snake,
Salmon, and Clearwater in Idaho; the John Day, Grand Ronde and
Willamette in Oregon; and the Okanagon, Methow, Yakima and
Cowlitz in Washington.  Threats to both the rivers and fish are
numerous.  Careless logging, mining, farming, grazing and
development practices have stripped away protective vegetation,
eroded streambanks, silted spawning beds, reduced flows, and
polluted the water.

       But the Salmon's worst enemy is a series of dams that have
transformed the wild, rushing Columbia/Snake into a series of
sluggish lakes in order to provide cheap electricity.  To
paraphrase one Native American leader, "Every time you turn on a
light, a salmon comes pouring out."

       The massive dam walls impede or completely block adult
salmon swimming upstream, and reservoirs behind them have drowned
thousands of acres of spawning and nursery habitat.  But the
young salmon, or smolts, heading downstream suffer most severely;
up to 95% of them are killed each year before they reach the sea.

       Some smolts are chopped to pieces as they are drawn through
the hydropower turbines.  Others die because the dams have
changed the very nature of the river system--temperature, timing,
and velocity--to which salmon are adapted.  Cool, swift, rivers
have become warm, slack reservoirs; a downstream journey that
once took a week now takes a month or more.  Without a strong
current to flush them downstream, smolts lose their bearings, are
exposed to predators and higher temperatures that encourage
disease.  Delayed too long, the smolts' biological time clocks
run out; they lose the urge to migrate and never reach the sea.

       Efforts to restore beleaguered salmon runs have been
underway for over a decade.  The Northwest Power Planning council
was created in 1980 to balance fish and wildlife interests with
those of hydropower, irrigation and transportation.  But despite
a billion dollars worth of fish ladders, turbine screens,
hatcheries, and programs to truck fish around the dams, salmon
populations have continued to plunge.  Clearly, technological
fixes and vast quantities of hatchery-bred fish (which are less
hearty than native ones) cannot alone restore the Columbia/Snake
river runs.

       In November 1991, at the urging of American Rivers, Oregon
Trout and other organizations, the National Marine Fisheries
Service listed the Snake River sockeye as endangered under the
federal Endangered Species Act, and proposed listing certain
Snake River chinook runs as threatened.  The listings pave the
way for an effective salmon recovery plan, and make the Pacific
Northwest a national testing ground for fisheries recovery
programs in years to come.

       The verdict on recovery programs is still out, of course,
but we do know this much:  to be successful, programs must
emphasize not only safe passage around dams, but also habitat
restoration and management of the Columbia to more closely
resemble a natural river system.  That means, in part, releasing
more water downstream, especially during spring and early summer
when salmon need it most, rather than in winter when cities
demand more electricity.

       The newly-opened American Rivers Northwest Regional Office
will play a key role in future Columbia/Snake River salmon
recovery efforts through intervention in hydroelectric dam
licensing and relicensing; participation in other administrative
and judicial proceedings; and advocacy in the areas of river
restoration and water management.  American Rivers will insist
that salmon receive their fair share of the Columbia/Snake River
so they may survive in the generations to come.

2.     Alsek and Tatshenshini River System (Alaska, British
       Columbia, Yukon Territory)

       The Alsek-Tatshenshini River system is one of North
America's most spectacular rivers, flowing through one of the
world's most pristine wilderness areas.  It is threatened by one
of the largest open-pit copper mines ever proposed.  Highly
acidic run-off from the mine would destroy wildlife habitat and
fisheries, while roads and pipelines would ruin the pristine
character of the region.

       Originating in Canada's Yukon Territory and British
Columbia, and flowing through the largest nonpolar glacier field
in North America, the rivers join eight miles east of the United
States border, and, as the Alsek, then flow through Glacier Bay
National Park and Preserve before entering the Gulf of Alaska.  

       The Alsek and Tatshenshini Rivers offer outstanding
fisheries, wildlife, botanical, wilderness, and world class
recreation.  The headwaters of the Alsek River are protected by
inclusion in Canada's Kluane National Park and the Wrangell-St.
Elias / Kluane World Heritage Site.  The Alsek River is also
protected in the United States as it flows through Glacier Bay
National Park and Preserve, recently nominated by the Secretary
of the Interior to the World Heritage List.  The rivers' salmon
fisheries have an estimated value in excess of $8 million a year.

       The plan for the mine development includes storing more than
200 million tons of acid-generating waste rock and tailings
behind a 360 foot high earthen dam, storing more than 140 million
tons of rock waste on an active glacier, and constructing a 70-
mile-long road along the Tatshenshini River.  Two separate 150-
mile-long pipelines for copper concentrate slurry and oil would
be constructed between the mine site and Haines, Alaska, and more
than 360,000 gallons a day of slurry pipeline effluent would be
discharged into the ocean at Lynn Canal, a part of the Alaskan
inland waterway system.  The fisheries of Lynn Canal have a value
in excess of $41 million a year.

       The proposed mine lies within one of the most seismically
active regions of North America, creating a permanent risk of dam
failure and a catastrophic release of its reservoir of acid
generating waste rock and tailings into the Tatshenshini and
Alsek Rivers.  The proposed mine would threaten the water
quality, fisheries, wildlife, recreation and wilderness resources
of the Alsek and Tatshenshini Rivers, Glacier Bay National Park
and Preserve and Lynn Canal.

       This potential release of acid mine drainage and heavy
metals threatens also the fishing economy, subsistence lifestyle
and culture of the Yakutat Tlingit and non-Native people residing
in the Yakutat region of the Gulf Coast of Alaska.  The United
Fishermen of Alaska and other Alaskan groups oppose mine
development because of its threats to fisheries resources.

       On April 2, 1992, Representative Wayne Owens (D-UT)
introduced House Joint Resolution 460, with 20 cosponsors. 
Senator Al Gore (D-TN) is introducing companion legislation in
the Senate.  The two resolutions call upon the Secretary of
Interior and Secretary of State to immediately enter into
negotiations with Canada to provide protection for the entire
Alsek-Tatshenshini River watershed, including cooperative efforts
to obtain World Heritage Site status and protection for the
entire Alsek and Tatshenshini River watershed.  It calls also for
a study of the environmental effects of the proposed mining
activity by the International Joint Commission.

3.     Great Whale River (Quebec)

       The Great Whale River is threatened by further development
of the James Bay Hydroelectric Project by Hydro Quebec, an
electric company owned by the Province of Quebec.  The 219 mile
river runs through vast and varied terrain in Northern Quebec,
Canada flowing from its headwaters at Lac Bienville into Hudson
Bay where it helps support a globally significant summer
waterfowl area in addition to other ecological values.  The
hydropower project would inundate crucial wildlife habitat and
part of the traditional homeland of the Cree and Inuit in Quebec.

       The pristine and ecologically abundant watershed encompasses
an area within the greater James Bay Region that is home to some
10,000 Cree and Inuit who have depended on the land and rivers of
the area for the last 5,000 years.  The Great Whale River is one
of the last remaining wilderness rivers in North America and is
considered one of the most important shorebird and waterfowl
staging areas in North America.  The Great Whale River also
supports abundant populations of marine mammals, anadromous fish,
and terrestrial wildlife.

       The James Bay project represents wilderness river
development and manipulation on a scale that defies imagination. 
If all three phases are ever completed, the James Bay Project
will be the largest hydropower development in the world,
generating 28,000 megawatts of electricity, equivalent to about
24 Seabrook nuclear power plants.  (By comparison the total
amount of hydropower generating capacity on the Columbia River is
approximately 15,000 megawatts -- more than any other river in
the U.S.) 

       James Bay I, completed in part and still under construction
in some areas, has blasted and bulldozed enough earth and rock
along the La Grande river watershed to build 80 Great Pyramids of
Cheops.  215 dams and dikes have created new power reservoirs
flooding an area larger than Connecticut.  

       The environmental and social impacts of James Bay I have
already been enormous.  In the last decade, the project has
harmed Cree traditions and lifestyles developed over 5000 years
and drastically altered an area rich in ecological abundance,
including the largest herd of Woodland Caribou in the world,
moose, bears, numerous species of fish, seals, whales, and
diverse populations of migratory birds. 

       James Bay II, the Great Whale Project, is proposed for a
roadless wilderness area in the Hudson Bay watershed and on
native lands occupied by the Cree and Inuit peoples.  The
proposed $12.6 billion development includes five major dams and
would flood an area the size of Delaware, displacing thousands of
Crees from their hunting grounds while destroying an immense area
of wildlife habitat.    

       James Bay III would add 595 more dams and dikes in the
Nottaway-Broadback-Rupert River watersheds of James Bay.  The
three phases combined would change the flows of 650 miles of
waterways in 19 rivers in a watershed the size of France.

       The connection with the United States is direct.  The
electricity from the project is meant in part for export to New
England and New York, and the financing of the project is largely
dependent on contracts to purchase the electricity in New York
and Vermont and other New England states.  In addition, people in
the United States will be affected by reductions in numbers of
migrating birds that may result from the project.  In the longer
term, development of the region may trigger fundamental
ecological changes potentially affecting the entire eastern
portion of North America.  

       In 1991, American Rivers joined a growing coalition of
environmental groups -- the Northeast Alliance to Save James Bay
-- opposed to the massive environmental destruction which would
arise from development of the project.  American Rivers is
working with the Grand Council of the Crees of Quebec and a
number of local and national groups to oppose the construction of
the Great Whale project, to preserve the vast wilderness and
outstanding river resources of James and Hudson Bay, and protect
the Cree and Inuit peoples' right to self-determination and
territorial sovereignty on the lands they have inhabited for over
5000 years.

       Last month, New York State cancelled a $17 billion power
contract for power from Hydro-Quebec, a move which appears to
have threatened, but not erased the chances that the project will
go forward.  Hydro-Quebec has not shown any intention of
scrapping the project.

4.     The Everglades (Florida)

       The Everglades - the River of Grass - that once flowed
across the whole of southern Florida 100 miles from Lake
Okeechobee to the Florida Bay is dying.  Long recognized as an
international treasure and the world's largest protected wetland
ecosystem, this World Heritage Site is threatened with total
collapse.  Ninety percent of the wading bird population has
vanished.  Less than 50 Florida panthers and 372 Everglades kites
remain, and other species are on the verge of extinction.  

       The Everglades, traditionally considered a wetland area,
actually is one of the world's most environmentally important and
complex surface water systems.  But massive water diversions for
agriculture and municipal demand, along with advancing levels of
agricultural runoff that has changed the nutrient load of the
water and thus the species that live there, seriously threaten
the once-great biological richness of the Glades, the "River of
Grass."

       The Everglades National Park was established in 1947 to
protect this unique resource.  But ironically , actions that
would cause its decline were started at the same time: the Corps
of Engineers' massive Central and Southern Florida Project for
Flood Control.  This water project radically changed the flows
and movement of the River of Grass.  Lake Okeechobee, once the
headwaters from the Everglades, is now cut off from the rest of
its system.  The construction of 1,400 miles of dikes and canals
and the draining of nearly half of the area that was once the
Everglades has dramatically decreased the system's ability to
function.  

       In the past forty years, regional population has increased
10 times, putting increased demand on the Everglades for
additional water supply.  Conversion of land to agricultural use
- much of which is subsidized sugar cane - has increased five
fold.  

       In times of drought, phosphorus concentrations in the water
from the Everglades Agricultural Area rises to 10 to 20 times
normal.  Over 222 tons of natural fertilizer pass from the
agricultural area into the Everglades each year, increasing the
growth of less desireable invasion plants.  The settlement to a
recent lawsuit calls for the establishment of stormwater
treatment areas - 32-34,000 acres - to begin to address the
discharge problems.

       Conservationists are calling for a total redesign of the
plumbing system to save this unique water system from collapse. 
Sophisticated computer modelling is needed as a foundation to
undertake integrated management planning for the entire system.

5.     American River (California)

       The American River, flowing through Sacramento, is
threatened by a proposed 40-story U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
flood control dam that, once built, could easily be converted
into a permanent reservoir for irrigation water or hydropower. 
The dam would flood at least 34 miles of river and canyon,
critical wildlife habitat, outstanding scenery hiking trails, and
other recreational opportunities.  

       In close proximity to the Sacramento metropolitan area, the
North and Middle forks of the spectacular American River provide
outstanding recreation for more than 500,000 people each year. 
Whitewater boating, hiking, horseback riding and gold panning are
a few of the myriad activities this beautiful canyon has to
offer.  In addition, the area provides habitat for mountain
lions, river otters and golden eagles as well as hundreds of
historic and cultural sites.

        It would be one of the most expensive dams ever built in
this country, ultimately costing over $700 million, $490 million
of which would come at taxpayer expense.

       While residents of the area deserve flood protection, this
white elephant is not the solution.  A recent study done by a
private consultant for the project proponents indicates that the
Corps proposal for Auburn dam cannot handle the flows of a 200-
year storm citing problems with their levy design.  The report
goes on to say that cheaper, quicker, more reliable and less
environmentally destructive solutions exist to Sacramento's flood
control problems by making adjustments to flood control
facilities already in place, such as the Folsom Reservoir.

       Ignoring the warnings from its own consultants, the project
proponents voted on March 26 to go forward with the Corps' ill-
advised plan and ask Congress to cough up $457 million towards
its construction.  Local Congressmen are expected to follow up on
this request shortly by introducing legislation to authorize the
Auburn dam.  

6.     Colorado River (Arizona)

              The Grand Canyon is one of our national treasures and
one of the most spectacular natural areas on earth.  Yet the
canyon and the Colorado River ecosystem remain threatened by
operations of Glen Canyon Dam, 16 miles upstream of the Grand
Canyon National Park.  These flows have degraded riverside
habitat, fish species and Native American sacred sites, among
other resources.  Although Interior Secretary Manuel Lujan set an
interim water flow regime for the river last July, this action
did not go far enough, nor was it permanent.  

       Fluctuating water releases from the dam, the result of
"peaking" operations for production of hydroelectric power, have
severely impacted the canyon's fragile beaches and vegetation,
Native American religious sites, and river recreation, including
a world-class trout fishery.  They also threaten an endangered
fish species, the humpback chub.  The Glen Canyon environmental
studies have documented that the past operations of the dam have
caused serious damage to the environmental and recreational
resources of America's premier western river.  Last year,
American Rivers listed the Colorado as this country's most
endangered river.

       On July 30, 1991, we obtained a major but temporary victory
when Interior Secretary Lujan agreed to establish an interim flow
regime for Glen Canyon Dam that would reduce the fluctuations in
the flows from the dam until an environmental impact study could
be completed.

       The Secretary's action, while helpful, is not sufficient to
assure that an environmentally acceptable dam operation plan will
be permanently implemented.  Indeed, the Secretary has already
violated the intent of the interim plan by allowing deviations
from the interim flow regime "for the specific purpose of
avoiding a high-cost replacement (firm) power purchase."  These
highly subjective economic criteria, which could cause
significant damage to the resources the interim agreement was
intended to protect, were put in place to preserve the cheap
power now available to local ratepayer.  Even with the interim
flow regime in place, purchasers of Glen Canyon power pay only
1/3 to 1/2 that of other ratepayer in the market area.

       American Rivers continues to strongly support the enactment
of the Grand Canyon Protection Act, sponsored by Senator John
McCain (R-Arizona) and Representative George Miller (D-
California).  The bill is still stalled in Congress and now
burdened by unacceptable amendments that put the burden of cost
of environmental studies and mitigation on the taxpayers rather
than on those who benefit from the cheap, federally subsidized
power produced at Glen Canyon.

       The legislation would direct the Secretary of the Interior
to develop a plan to operate the dam in a manner which provides
permanent protection for the Grand Canyon's environmental,
recreational, Native American, and cultural resources and
mitigate damage downstream of the dam, rather than giving power
generation precedence over these concerns. The current stated
purpose of the EIS does not assure that these values are given
equal consideration. It also requires that the EIS be completed
by December 31, 1993.

       Thus, despite some progress since last year, the Colorado
River-Grand Canyon ecosystem will remain endangered until a
strong fiscally fair Grand Canyon Protection Act is adopted by
Congress and signed by the President.

7.     Mississippi River (Midwest)

       Old Man River - the Mighty Mississippi - is 2,350 miles in
length, boasts the largest watershed in the nation (draining 1.1
million square miles), and discharges an average of 593,000 cubic
feet per second into the Gulf of Mexico.  The river serves as a
critical flyway for over 40% of the nation's migrating waterfowl. 
It hosts several species of endangered mussels and the
paddlefish.  
       
       It faces threats including: possible oil spills from single-
hulled barges; pollution from industrial chemicals and run-off;
levee systems that exacerbate rather than improve flooding; and
erosion along the Louisiana Coast due to an interruption of
natural beach and delta-building sedimentation.

       The river is threatened by proposed hydroelectric projects,
barge spills, pesticides, sedimentation and industrial
discharges.  According to 1989 GAO figures, 27 federal Superfund
sites have been identified along the river.  Over 1 billion
gallons of oil or hazardous materials ply the river annually.
       
       In addition, other threats plague the Upper Mississippi: the
siting of high-level nuclear waste on Prairie Island in upper
Minnesota, the construction of new locks and dams and channels,
continued sediment loading (with 6.4 million tons - twice the
national average) from agricultural fields choking sensitive
backwater areas, unabated sewage and toxin problems, and new
hydroelectric power projects.   

       The Lower Mississippi suffers from poor basin-wide
agricultural practices, which result in suspended sediments,
nutrient loading and insecticide residue in fish.  150 major
chemical manufacturers located along the river cause an
accumulation of chemicals in the river.  Of these, 47 generate
1.1 billion pounds of toxic chemicals annually, of which 296
million pounds go directly into the river or to sewage treatment
plants (which discharge into the river).  An additional 591
industries discharge contaminated wastewater into the river  -
giving the Lower Mississippi the sobering nickname "Cancer
Alley".  Recently, conservationists and human health advocates
began working cooperatively to address these basin-wide concerns. 
Continued construction of levees and flood control devises alter
the natural channel of the river and contribute to the annual
loss of Louisiana coast line.  

8.     Penobscot River (Maine)

       The Penobscot River,  a national model for Atlantic salmon
restoration, is threatened by the proposed Basin Mills Dam, which
would dramatically cut the chance of re-establishing a self-
sustaining salmon run, and by a coal-fired power plant.  On the
West Branch of the Penobscot, there is an opportunity to improve
the operation of one of the region's largest hydroelectric
systems through the federal hydropower relicensing process.

       The Penobscot River in Maine is a national model for the
restoration of Atlantic salmon.  The U.S Fish and Wildlife
Service designated the Penobscot a model restoration effort for
New England in the late 1960's, and the State of Maine and the
Fish and Wildlife Service have expended decades of effort and
millions of dollars to successfully initiate the restoration
program.  Today, thousands of fish are returning to the Penobscot
River to spawn each year, up from a few hundred just twenty years
ago.  

       The Penobscot River is endangered, however, by Bangor
Hydroelectric Company's proposal to build a new mainstem dam, the
Basin Mills project, that would eliminate 3.6 miles of free-
flowing river and create a new impediment to fish migration.  
Construction of the Basin Mills project would substantially
reduce the likelihood that a self-sustaining run of salmon can be
re-established.  Even if state-of-the-art fish passage were
installed, the probability of successful Atlantic salmon
restoration would fall from 72% to 39% if the Basin Mills project
is built, according to a study conducted by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service in cooperation with Bangor Hydroelectric Company
and Maine State fisheries agencies.  

       American Rivers, the Atlantic Salmon Federation, and other
groups are intervening in federal and state proceedings to block
the dam.  During 1992, conservationists will work to block
issuance of the State permits on the basis that the project would
dash the hopes of successful Atlantic salmon restoration to the
river and because there is no demonstrated need for the project's
power.  Bangor Hydroelectric Company is expected to refile in
1992 for two State permits for the project that were denied in
1991. 

       The Penobscot is also threatened by a proposed 180 Mw coal-
fired generating plant which would be constructed on the lower
Penobscot near the town of Bucksport.  The plant would generate
125,000 gallons of wastewater per minute, threatening fisheries
and aquatic life with harm from increased water temperatures and
entrainment in the plants pumping system.

       On the West Branch Penobscot, licenses to operate the
nation's largest hydroelectric system used solely for the benefit
of a private company will expire in December, 1993.  Over the
next two years, the Federal Government will review applications
to relicense six of the eighteen dams that constitute the Bowater
Company's hydropower system.

       Environmental groups including American Rivers, the
Appalachian Mountain Club, Conservation Law Foundation, and the
Maine Audubon Society, support the Company's need for power, but
believe that there are many environmental enhancements which
could be implemented to provide long-term protection for the
land, fish, wildlife, and economically valuable recreational
resources of the West Branch watershed, consistent with the
continued use of the river to power Bowater's paper mills.


9.     Lower Beaverkill and Willowemoc River system (New York)

       The Lower Beaverkill & Willowemoc River system, in the
Catskill Mountains near New York City, arguably has been the most
significant site for the evolution of fly fishing technique and
freshwater fisheries conservation.  Pollution from run-off and
other sources, and rampant clearing of riparian vegetation and
woodlands, are degrading the river and trout fishery.  

       Although there may be more productive and secluded trout
fisheries in America, none have been more significant to the
evolution of fly fishing lore and freshwater fisheries
conservation.  It was on the Beamoc system that dry fly fishing
in America was born, and on the Beamoc that the first no-kill,
catch and release areas were introduced in 1962.

       A few old-timers still recall when acid factories, mills,
and tanneries threatened the viability of the Lower Beaverkill
and the Willowemoc.  Incredibly, the system survived these and
major highway construction, and continued to support the prolific
mayfly, caddis, and stonefly hatches that drew thousands of
fishermen every year.  The streams also sustained their
beautiful, wild brown and brook trout populations, seemingly
against all odds, as the fisheries are located less than a three
hour drive from New York City and within seven hours drive of
some 42 million people. 

       Hence, as renowned fly fisherman and writer Art Lee
explains:  "The Lower Beaverkill and Willowemoc are as much
symbols as trout streams."  This is what makes more recent events
within the Beamoc drainage so frightening.  There are estimates
of a 50% to 79% mortality in the Beamoc's trout population in
1991 alone -- due primarily to low flows, high water
temperatures, and increasing habitat degradation.  The question
is: if the Beamoc system is lost, what streams in America are
safe?

       The threats to the Lower Beaverkill and the Willowemoc are
symbolic of problems imperilling free flowing rivers in
developing areas.  Approximately 80% of the Beamoc system is on
public access, privately owned land.  Some townships lack local
zoning ordinances or regulations that would require land owners
to develop streamside areas in an ecologically responsive manner. 
Large segments of riparian areas, traditional floodplain, and
woodlands are being cleared to the detriment of the Beamoc
system, as well as the economic well-being of such historically
prominent angling communities as the Villages of Livingston Manor
and Roscoe, the latter long designated as "Trout Town U.S.A.."

       Beamoc regulars estimate that along some stretches, up to
one foot of streambank is eroding per year.  Without stable
streambanks and healthy riparian zones to hold soil during runoff
periods, excessive sediment enters the streams and eliminates or
degrades critical spawning and rearing habitats.  Streamside
vegetation also provides important cover and shade.  

       Fortunately, a Crisis Committee of the New York Council of
Trout Unlimited is developing a comprehensive regional river
management plan.  The plan, among other critical items,
identifies point and non-point source pollution and recommends
legislative and regulatory strategies to resolve them.  The
program also develops biological solutions to complex ecological
problems, which will not only secure the streams, but will
integrate the vitality of the fisheries in local and regional
economies in order to secure these priceless resources for future
generations.  

10.    Blackfoot River (Montana)

       The Blackfoot River, considered one of the West's
outstanding trout streams, and also known from the book A River
Runs Through It by Norman Maclean, is threatened by massive
timber harvests, cattle grazing, poor agricultural practices,
stream diversions, mining activities, and over-fishing.  

       The Blackfoot flows free for 132 miles from its headwaters
at the Continental Divide to its confluence with the Clark Fork
of the Columbia River, 7 miles north of Missoula, Montana.  In
addition to sustaining important populations of native west slope
cutthroat trout, the Blackfoot River also supports one of
Montana's largest populations of bull trout, a species likely to
be soon petitioned for addition to the Endangered Species list.  

       The Blackfoot River is also a river of great scenic values,
including views of the northern Rocky Mountains and the
Scapegoat, Bob Marshall and Great Bear Wilderness Areas.  The
river's historic values include the 1806 visit by Meriwether
Lewis, the first European explorer to enter the Blackfoot Valley.

       Despite excellent land management on specific stretches of
the river and organized protection efforts, it is a river that
has been in decline for decades.  Threats to the river include
massive timber harvests, cattle grazing, poor agricultural
practices, stream diversions, mining activities (historic and
newly proposed) and over-fishing.  The cumulative effects of
these impacts has been a significant decline in water quality and
trout populations.

       A massive rupture of a mine tailings dam in 1975 released
millions of tons of toxic mine tailings, including large
quantities of heavy metals, into the river's headwaters.  Heavy
metals have been discovered in fish 65 miles downstream from the
failed dam.  Acid mine drainage flows free from the Mike Horse
and other abandoned mines in the headwaters.  Mining companies
are now conducting extensive gold exploration and plan to extract
the mineral through cyanide heap leaching technologies.  In
addition, oil and gas development is a growing concern in the
headwaters.  

       Indeed, by last year, the Blackfoot River had become so
degraded that the fishing scenes in the filming of A River Runs
Through It had to be shot on another river.

15 HIGHLY THREATENED RIVERS
(In Alphabetical Order)

Animas River (Colorado)

       The Animas rises near the continental divide and flows
through Silverton, Colorado, where it follows the famous narrow
gauge railroad for 50 miles to Durango.  It support a growing
commercial rafting industry and paddle sports center, including
international whitewater kayaking competitions.  From Durango,
the Animas flows into New Mexico, providing much of the flow for
the San Juan, one of the West's most popular year-round
recreational rivers.

       The Animas La Plata project, which Congress authorized in
1988 to provide irrigation water to marginal Colorado farmland,
not only threatens the Animas River in southwestern Colorado but
also carries a huge price tag.  The project will cost over $500
million, or about $5,800 per irrigated acre for farmland valued
at a few hundred dollars per acre after irrigation.  The project
would divert an average of one third of the Animas River's water
during normal flow and more than one half of the volume during
dry summer months.  In addition, the Animas La Plata project
would inundate the Bodo Wildlife Preserve and damage an important
sport fishery.

       In May 1990, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service put an
indefinite halt on the project with a finding that it would
threaten the survival of the endangered Colorado squawfish. 
However, the F.W.S. and the Bureau of Reclamation (BuRec) have
now agreed to a "reasonable and prudent alternative" to overcome
the jeopardy opinion and allow construction to commence on the
pumping station, dam, and reservoir.  F.W.S. will begin a seven-
year study of the impacts of the project on the endangered
squawfish.  Recently, a number of citizens' conservation groups
filed suit to block construction, claiming that BuRec has not
complied with the Endangered Species Act and section 404 of the
Clean Water Act.

       American Rivers is working with members of Congress and
local and regional organizations to halt the project as now
designed, and to recommend that a full range of alternatives be
considered in order to achieve the project's purposes without
destroying the river.

Clavey River (California)

       The Clavey River, a major tributary of the Tuolumne National
Wild and Scenic River, flows through California's Stanislaus
National Forest near Yosemite National Park. The recent final
Forest Plan for the Stanislaus National Forest determined that
the Clavey River is eligible for inclusion in the National Wild
and Scenic Rivers System due to its spectacular and unique
resource values.  The Forest Service study documents that the
Clavey's scenic values include the most dramatic displays of
seasonal colors in the entire Sierra Nevada.  It may also be the
only stream left in the Sierra Nevada with its original fish
species intact and unaffected by introduced species.  

       However, the Forest Service declined to find the Clavey
suitable for inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers
System because of pending and possible water resource projects
proposed for the Clavey.  American Rivers, Friends of the River
and other conservation groups have filed administrative appeals
of the Clavey River decision with the Chief of the Forest
Service.  

     Similarly, American Rivers and local conservationists have
intervened in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission licensing
proceeding initiated by the Turlock Irrigation District to
construct a hydro-electric project on the Clavey River. As
proposed, this project includes a 4l3 foot high dam, a re-
regulation dam, two reservoirs, diversions of three creeks, an
intake and ll-mile power tunnel and other facilities. The
coalition is working to block this license and protect the
Clavey.

Elwha River (Washington)

       From its headwaters in the Olympic Mountain highlands, the
Elwha River flows 50 miles north into Strait of Juan de Fuca.  It
comprises the largest watershed within Olympic National Park,
itself a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve. 
In its prime, the Elwha was one of the few rivers in the Pacific
Northwest to sustain healthy runs of all five species of Pacific
salmon (chinook, coho, sockeye, pink, and chum) as well as three
species of anadromous trout (steelhead, cutthroat and Dolly
Varden char).  The river's massive spring chinook salmon, which
could weigh over 100 pounds, were especially revered among Native
tribes.

       In 1914, the 105-foot high Elwha Dam was erected, and in
1927, a dam twice that high was completed upstream at Glines
Canyon.  Contrary to state law, neither dam allowed passage for
anadromous fish, and the fabled salmon runs for the Elwha were
soon decimated.  To this day, over 240 miles of river habitat are
completely blocked to salmon and steelhead.

       Built before operating licenses were required under the
Federal Power Act of 1920, the Elwha never received one.  The
original 50-year license for Glines Canyon expired in 1976; since
then, both dams have operated under temporary "annual" licenses
while the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) tackles the
question of what to do with the dams.

       The two large dams now provide only a small amount of energy
to the Daishowa pulp mill in Port Angeles, which could meet its
energy needs with either conservation or from other sources. 
Glines Canyon Dam lies within the Olympic National Park
boundaries (established in 1938), making it illegal for FERC to
grant it a new operating license.  Federal law requires FERC to
order removal of dams that do not hold a license, but FERC has
asserted jurisdiction to license both dams.

        Since 1986, environmental groups (including American Rivers
and Friends of the Earth), the Lower Elwha Tribe and federal
agencies have intervened in FERC proceedings, seeking removal of
the dams to restore Elwha salmon runs.

       Experts agree that, if the dams are removed, prospects for
restoring native salmon runs to the Elwha River are very good. 
In fact, a draft environmental impact statement issued by FERC
stated that:  (1) removal would not harm the pulp mill,  (2) 
leaving the dams in place and adding fish passage facilities
cannot successfully restore the runs, and, (3) dam removal is the
only way to bring back wild salmon.  These archaic and harmful
dams have no place on a pristine river in a national park.  

Gunnison River (Colorado)

       The Gunnison River rises high on the western slope of
Colorado's Rocky Mountains and makes its way some 250 miles to
its confluence with the Colorado River.  Along the way, the
Gunnison Flows through the magnificent Black Canyon of the
Gunnison National Monument, where imposing geologic formations
are set against a backdrop of canyon walls rising 2,000 feet
above the raging river.  A 26-mile stretch of the Gunnison in and
below the Canyon has been recommended for inclusion in the
National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.  The river support a
gold-medal trout fishery, a growing commercial rafting industry,
and numerous threatened and endangered species.  The unique
qualities of the Gunnison represent a treasure of national
importance.

       The Gunnison is seriously threatened by the proposed AB
Lateral Hydropower Project, which would divert immense amounts of
water from the Gunnison to the Uncompahgre River, decreasing the
flow in the Gunnison from 1,000 cfs to 300 cfs for half of the
year.  Reduced flows in the Gunnison would likely result in
impacts on the trout fishery and also dramatically reduce the
river's value to whitewater rafters and boaters.  Yet the 45
megawatts of power generated by the project would be unneeded, as
the western Colorado power grid already has excess energy supply.

       On December 20, 1991, the Bureau of Reclamation (BuRec)
issued a Record of Decision (ROD), recommending that construction
of the AB facility proceed and listing several environmental
commitments and requirements geared to protect Gunnison Gorge,
the Gunnison River, and the Uncompahgre River.

       The sponsors of the project have submitted to the Army Corps
of Engineers a 404 permit application dealing with bank
stabilization and wetlands replacement along the Uncompahgre
River.  Public comments on the permit have focused on NEPA
requirements and the fact that mitigation of adverse effects is
not possible.  The Corps can now hold more hearings, conduct a
supplemental EIS, or approve/reject the permit.  If the
Environmental Protection Agency does not veto the project, AB
Lateral construction could begin in the spring.

       The Gunnison is still seriously threatened by other efforts
to "dewater" its magnificent canyon in favor of more urban growth
and unneeded power.  American Rivers is working with local
residents and organizations to oppose the projects.

Illinois River (Oregon)

       The Illinois River flows primarily through the Siskiyou
National Forest of southwestern Oregon.  Designated a National
Wild and Scenic River in 1984, the Illinois River is a major
tributary of the Rogue River.  The Illinois River is noted for
its excellent diversity of wild salmon, steelhead and cutthroat
trout.  

       Today, however, the wild fish populations of the Illinois,
are severely depressed.  Winter steelhead, coho and fall chinook
populations are all at dangerously low populations.

       The Illinois River is threatened by excessive water
withdrawal for domestic use and irrigation, sometimes without
fish screens, and by mining and timber harvest.  Proposed timber
sale harvests, scheduled over the next several years, will
significantly alter the existing cold, clear water in the river,
which will in turn impact fish populations even more.

       The Illinois is an example of numerous Pacific Northwest
coastal streams that are experiencing similar threats to their
wild fish population.

Klamath River (Oregon) 

       The Klamath River in South Central Oregon is an outstanding
fishing and boating river.  A 19-mile river segment and its
outstanding whitewater canyon has been found eligible for
inclusion in the national Wild and Scenic Rivers System.  The
Klamath also contains the only year-round whitewater rafting in
the southern Oregon/northern California area, and is a blue
ribbon trout fishery.  

       A major, federally licensed hydropower diversion, known as
Salt Caves, proposed by the City of Klamath Falls, Oregon,
continues to threaten this exceptional river.  In 1990, the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) completed an
Environmental Impact Statement that recommends licensing of the
project.  The Klamath, which was the Most Endangered River of
1990, received a major reprieve in 1991 when the Oregon
Environmental Quality Commission voted to uphold the State
Department of Environmental Quality's earlier denial of a State
water quality permit for the project.  Without this state water
quality permit, FERC cannot issue a final license for the
project.  The City of Klamath Falls has challenged the
Department's decision, and if successful, could receive a license
to construct the project from the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission.  

       American Rivers is working with other organizations to
permanently halt the hydropower project, and to have the river
added to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.  

New River (North Carolina)

       Originally part of the ancient Teays river system, the New
is the oldest river on the continent, and second oldest in the
world.   It is the only river to cut the Appalachian Mountains
east to west.  The river spans the Appalachian plateau, and its
gorge ties together ecological zones from the North Carolina
Piedmont, Ohio Valley, and other geological regions.  The New has
enjoyed high water quality, and provides premier smallmouth bass
and good muskie fishing.  It is also excellent for canoeing and
rafting.  A 26-mile section of the New in North Carolina was
added to both North Carolina's Scenic Rivers system in 1975, and
the National Wild and Scenic system in 1976.

       The primary threat to the New is unchecked residential
development and its adverse effect on water quality.  The lack of
restrictions on development has led to a 300 percent increase in
the number of landowners in the last decade within the Wild and
Scenic River valley.  North Carolina has been slow in moving to
purchase scenic easements along the river, where land values have
increased dramatically since Wild and Scenic designation. 
Another concern is Appalachian Power's plan to lay a power line
across the northern portion of the river in West Virginia, which
is a potential Wild and Scenic portion.  

       The State of North Carolina has identified the Wild and
Scenic portion of the New as possessing exceptionally high water
quality and recommended the New as eligible for "outstanding
resource waters" (ORW) designation.   ORW designation could help
control development and waste water discharges.  American Rivers
supports the local efforts to protect one of the nation's best
additions to the Wild and Scenic River System, but one that
continues to be threatened by the pressures of development.

Ohio River (Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia)

       Following many years of overuse and pollution, the Ohio
River has made a remarkable comeback in recent years.  Improved
treatment of municipal and industrial wastewater has improved
water quality to the benefit of the river's fisheries and other
resources.  Improvements in the water quality have resulted in a
comeback for important warmwater fish species such as bass,
channel and flathead catfish, and walleye.  The revived fisheries
of the Ohio has resulted in significantly more recreational use
of the river, and has made the river an important recreational
asset of the Ohio Valley region.

       The Ohio River is threatened, however, by proposals to
construct 16 new hydropower developments on the Ohio River system
and its tributaries in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.  The
proposed hydropower projects, by diverting water through
generating turbines, would reduce the amount of water spilled
over the existing dams, reducing the amount of oxygen in the
water and threatening the fish populations and the pink mucket
pearly mussel, a federally endangered species.  Fish in the river
are also drawn into the generating turbines and killed by the
turbine blades.

       American Rivers and other environmental groups, as well as
federal and state fishery agencies, challenged the issuance of
the licenses in Federal Court, alleging that the recommendations
of federal and state fish and wildlife agencies to mitigate the
projects' adverse affects were not accepted, and FERC failed to
resolve the impact of the dams on the warm water fisheries.  The
suit was unsuccessful and the dams on the Ohio, if constructed,
would seriously degrade important recreational and fisheries
values on the Ohio system.

Ouachita River (Arkansas, Louisiana)

       The Ouachita River, portions of which are located in
southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana, is characterized by
beautiful bottomland hardwood forests, ecologically important
wetlands, and recreational and significant fisheries.  The
Ouachita is imminently threatened by the completion of the Army
Corps of Engineers' Ouachita-Black River Navigation project,
which would include a massive series of bendway cutoffs and
channel widening to accommodate double barge traffic on the
Ouachita.  An average of 162,000 cubic yards of fill material
from each bend cut and widening will be pumped onto hardwood
bottomland forest and valuable wetlands.

       The Corps Navigation project has already destroyed sixteen
thousand acres of hardwood forests and wetlands.  The completion
of the project will increase the rate of bank erosion and
siltation, and significantly degrade the water quality of the
river.  The project will also adversely affect important
commercial recreation and fishing industries in Arkansas and in
Louisiana. 

       Currently, proponents of the Corps project are soliciting
federal funding for right-of-way acquisitions through the
Congressional appropriations process.  American Rivers will work
with other conservation organizations to defeat the funding
request.  In addition, American Rivers, along with the Sierra
Club and the National Wildlife Federation sent a letter on
February 26 asking Governor Clinton to reaffirm his opposition to
the project.  We have not yet received a response to that
request.  

Passaic River (New Jersey)

       The Passaic River, flowing through Paterson, New Jersey,
possesses good water quality and the second largest falls in the
US east of the Mississippi.  The fall is 70 feet high, 280 feet
across, and serves as the centerpiece of Paterson's new historic
district in the city.  The river is home to striped bass,
American shad, great blue herons, and other wildlife.

       The US Army Corps of Engineers, in order to solve flooding
problems caused by building homes and businesses in the Passaic
River floodplain, want to build a massive "storm drain" that
would cost taxpayers approximately one billion dollars and an
annual maintenance price tag of more than $2 million.   

       The proposed plan would merely move the floodwaters
downstream.  The tunnel would stretch nearly 20 miles to Newark
Bay, where flood waters would create local flooding.  To
eliminate problems at the bay would necessitate building 38 miles
of berm and floodwalls, eliminating resident's use of their
waterfront, and 6 miles of channels.

       The proposed tunnel could worsen water quality by
discharging stagnant waters and by disturbing sediments at the
bottom of the bay.  It would also drastically alter 50-70 acres
of the river's intertidal zone, threatening clam and salamander
species.  The project would destroy 600 acres and degrade 300
more acres of wetlands.

       Far cheaper alternatives exist; primarily moving people out
of the floodplain where homes and businesses should never have
been built.  Local activists are securing the support of the New
Jersey legislature to oppose the tunnel and secure federal and
state funding for a buy-out option.

Rio Conchos (Chihuahua, Mexico)/Rio Grande (Texas)

       The Rio Grande forms the border between Texas and Mexico. 
The Rio Conchos, arising in Mexico's Sierra Madre, provides more
than 70% of the flow to the Rio Grande National Wild and Scenic
River as it flows through Big Bend National Park.  The World Bank
is proposing to finance a massive timber program in the
headwaters of the Rio Conchos, threatening to disrupt the ecology
and hydrology of the Rio Conchos and the Rio Grande National Wild
and Scenic River.  Increased timber harvest, road construction
and sedimentation threatens to degrade water quality and
quantity. 

       The Bank's proposal also threatens water quality entirely
within Mexico, as well as aquatic and terrestrial endangered
species, such as endemic fishes, thick-billed parrots and Mexican
gray wolf.  Effects of this project upon the culture and ability
of the indigenous peoples to develop sustainable economies are
also a matter of serious concern.  

       The World Bank's proposal is also attracting additional
major timber and pulp mill development to the Rio Conchos
watershed.  The additional development, not subject to the
environmental constraints imposed by the Bank, threaten much
greater degradation of water quality, forest and other natural
resources.

       Another major threat to the water quality and health of
citizens on both sides of the Rio Grande is the proposed
development in Texas of three major radioactive and hazardous
waste landfills near the river, which threaten to contaminate the
Rio Grande as well as important groundwater aquifers.  Lack of
adequate municipal and industrial sewage treatment facilities
along the border continues to pose environmental and health risks
to local residents.

Savannah River (Georgia)

       The Savannah River, which forms an interstate boundary
between Georgia and South Carolina, has been an important
resource for the region historically, supplying drinking water,
fish and wildlife habitat, recreation and cultural values.  The
river is home to the short-nosed sturgeon, an endangered species,
and the river supplies and harbors important oyster beds. 
According to the South Carolina State Rivers assessment, the
Savannah is the most valuable resource river in the state.

       Today, the Savannah is threatened by a number of sources of
pollution.  The Department of Energy's (DOE) "Savannah River
Site" (SRS) was built in 1953, and is located on the South
Carolina side of the river, 100 miles north of Savannah.  The
plant is the only facility in the country that produces tritium
for nuclear weapons.  

       In December of last year, tritium-contaminated water leaked
into the river from a nuclear reactor that was being restarted. 
The radioactive contamination set off a new wave of concern in
the region about the dangers of water and air pollution from this
facility and brought opposition to DOE's decision to restart the
reactor.  High levels of radioactivity have been reported in fish
spawning in the river.  After the leak, oyster beds were closed
as were drinking water plants and industrial users of the river's
water.  Local opposition by political leaders, environmentalists
and businessmen to restarting the SRS reactor is growing.  A
Congressional subcommittee is holding a hearing on the issue this
week.

       Radioactive waste is not the river's only problem.  It is
estimated that 80% of all pollution in the lower portion of the
river is from non-point sources - urban run-off and upstream
agricultural practices.  Huge amounts of organic waste and
domestic sewage is discharged into the river in and around
Savannah and Augusta.  Both the sturgeon and striped bass
populations are estimated to have plummeted in the last 10 years,
most likely due to the increased pollution.  The Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and state agencies are now conducting a
use attainability study for the Savannah Harbor area and may
require higher water quality standards.

Susquehanna River (Pennsylvania) 

       The Susquehanna River is an outstanding river which flows
through parts of New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland to its
mouth at the head of Chesapeake Bay.  The river provides fully
one half of the fresh water that flows into the bay. 

       The Susquehanna is threatened by the proposed Dock Street
Dam hydroelectric project which would be located in the City of
Harrisburg, Pa.  The project would consist of a new dam about 17
feet high, constructed by using the structure of the unused
Conrail bridge, which crosses the south end of City Island.  The
primary function of the dam would be the generation of electrical
power and revenue for the City of Harrisburg.  The dam would
create a 3,800 acre reservoir stretching eight miles north to
Marysville.  The 34.4 megawatt generating facility would divert
up to 40,000 cubic feet per second of river through two
powerhouses.  

       However, the dam would cause immense damage to the
environment.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has stated
that the project may have "unacceptable adverse effects" on
municipal water supplies, fishery areas, wildlife and
recreational areas.  The project, for instance, would set back
efforts to restore American shad to the river.  The dam would
inhibit future upstream passage of pre-spawned adult American
shad, and potentially degrade or destroy over eight miles of shad
spawning habitat.

       The project also would have significant adverse impacts on
wetlands and aquatic resources.  The proposed 3,800 acre
reservoir would inundate approximately 208 acres of island and
other riverine wetland habitats, and eliminate approximately
2,310 acres of diversified aquatic habitat.  Other concerns about
the project that have been raised include destruction of one of
the rare heronries in the area and adverse impacts on resident
fisheries (including smallmouth bass), migratory birds and other
wildlife species.  

       The Susquehanna was on the American Rivers Most Endangered
List in 1991, but the hydropower project was dealt a blow that
year when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court refused to consider an
appeal by the City of Harrisburg of the denial of a State water
quality certification for the project (which is necessary in
order to obtain a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license). 
The case is now back before the State Environmental Hearing
Board.

Verde River (Arizona)

       From its origin in the Big Chino Valley of Arizona, the
Verde flows south through 125 miles of deep canyons, sharp peaks,
pinion juniper and Sonoran desert vegetation and a dry semi-
desert climate.  The Verde River supports 25 species of fish,
provides essential habitat for southwestern bald eagles and over
60% of the area's wildlife, at least nine threatened or
endangered plant species, and a wealth of prehistoric and
historic sites.  It also provides recreation opportunities,
including white water rafting and canoeing, for northern and
central Arizona.

       The majority of lowland riparian vegetation in the southwest
has been destroyed or degraded.  The 125 miles of perennial free-
flowing water provided by the Verde River is essential to
preserving a little of what remains of this critical habitat for
future generations.

       Proposals for upstream residential developments and
increasing groundwater withdrawals threaten to severely curtail
the natural flow of the river, have potential water quality
impacts from sewage and pesticides, and adversely affect the
fragile headwaters area.  This is a classic example of the type
of insidious degradation that occurs on desert rivers in the
southwest that are not actively managed; it is often too late to
stop it by the time it becomes apparent.

       There are several proposals on both the federal and state
level which could help the Verde River.  Additional federal Wild
& Scenic designation on the Verde would ensure a management plan
for the future for the river.  A section of the Verde River was
added to the National Wild & Scenic River System in 1984.  The
current proposal, endorsed by American Rivers and the Arizona
Rivers Coalition, would add 43 miles of protection under the
federal Wild & Scenic Rivers Act.  

       In addition, the Arizona state legislature is considering a
proposal to study the impact of groundwater withdrawals on
surface water - an obvious connection which needs to be
established in state law in order to protect the critical flows
of the Verde River from upstream groundwater pumping.  American
Rivers supports this legislative effort as a first step in
protecting the Verde.

Virgin River (Arizona, Nevada, Utah)

       The Virgin River runs through three of the most arid states
in the nation:  Utah, Arizona and Nevada.  One of the few
remaining wild tributaries of the Colorado River, the Virgin is a
vulnerable river; there is no interstate compact governing its
usage, and its water claims have never been adjudicated.  There
is, moreover, intense competition for its water.

       The Virgin supports a large number of threatened and
endangered species, including the Virgin River chub and Woundfin
minnow.  It flows through Zion National Park and outstanding
wilderness areas.

       The threats to this river are numerous and from a variety of
potential users.  Las Vegas, Nevada desperately needs more water
and is looking to the Virgin to supply 70,000 acre-feet.
Moreover, the Utah Division of Water Resources has a list of 92
potential dam sites, with nine proposals currently on the drawing
board, and a long list of water rights applications for various
tributaries of the Virgin.  Various plans to develop and transfer
ground water from the river basin could, if implemented, directly
and severely impact the river.

       American Rivers supports the efforts of the Southern Utah
Wilderness Alliance, the Arizona Rivers Coalition, and other
groups that are trying to stem this raid on one of the West's
most unusual free-flowing rivers.  An environmental impact study
on an existing dam proposal should be extended to include an
analysis of the cumulative impacts of all the proposed dams and
diversions.  Moreover, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) should
not consider issuing any right-of-way permits to allow a dam on
the Virgin until it has thoroughly studied the suitability of
Wild and Scenic designation on the entire river and its
tributaries.

5.  Actions being taken to save rivers
   (And how to get the American Rivers T-shirt)
       
       Rivers need your help!  We need to continue to spread the
word about our rivers and gain much more public support so we can
pressure our officials (national and local) as well as for-
profit companies to preserve our public rivers and waters for the
public good.  Through lawsuits against government agencies,
changing government regulation, getting rivers "off limits" to
change by getting them passed through Congress as Wild and Scenic
-- by exerting moral pressure and exposing schemes to destroy
rivers for profit -- American Rivers is saving rivers for beauty
and recreation now and for future generations.  

       And since river creatures and plants are at the bottom of
the food chain, saving rivers in their natural state is at the
heart of saving our ecosystem and all species, including
endangered ones.
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Here's how you can help rivers -- and get the "blue-on-blue"
American Rivers T-shirt.
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       We invite you to join American Rivers and be a part of
preserving the freshwater ecosystem we are all a part of.  We
will send you our quarterly newsletter on river conservation, a
window decal, a list of river-saving and river recreation groups
near you, and the distinctive blue-on-blue, all cotton, American
Rivers T-shirt.  (Info requests only, include SASE and $1 -- we
are a small group and cash is limited).  Send the form below to: 
American Rivers, Room 9, Suite 400, 801 Pennsylvania Ave, SE,
Washington, DC 20003.

Your Name ___________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________

City____________________________ State_______ ZIP _______

Name of Bulletin Board you donwloaded from __________________

Phone ________________________

__ check/money order enclosed for $15 annual dues OR,

__  (circle one) VISA/Mastercard # ___________________________

    Expiration date___________   Signature ____________________

IMPORTANT!  NOTE YOUR T-SHIRT SIZE:  MEDIUM  LARGE EXTRA-LARGE
       