The rivers of New Mexico are the most threatened waterways in the country, according to a recently released report by advocacy group American Rivers.
The report ranks the Top 10 most endangered waterways in the United States, noting that pollution, climate change, and reduced clean water protections all contribute to their decline.
American Rivers cited the Supreme Court decision last May in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency for the reason rivers across the entire state of New Mexico were ranked first on the list.
The ruling limits how the Environmental Protection Agency can enforce provisions under the Clean Water Act for streams, rivers and wetlands.
As part of the ruling, protections were scrapped for waterways that only run during the rainy season or periods of the year due to snowmelt, according to the report.
In arid states like New Mexico, rivers and streams typically flow only during certain times of the year.
The decision also stripped away protections for “isolated” wetlands, which are not physically connected to streams or surface water bodies and also exist in the state.
On top of this, the report cites a 2006 Supreme Court decision that rolled back protections to closed basins as another reason for the state’s top spot on the list.
“These rulings fly in the face of established science and ignore the value that small streams and wetlands have to their broader watersheds, communities and economies, particularly in places with dry climates like New Mexico,” according to the report.
Here are the most endangered rivers in the U.S., according to America’s Most Endangered Rivers 2024 report:
- Rivers of New Mexico
- Big Sunflower and Yazoo rivers, Mississippi
- Duck River, Tennessee
- Santa Cruz River, Arizona
- Little Pee Dee River, South Carolina and North Carolina
- Farmington River, Connecticut and Massachusetts
- Trinity River, California
- Kobuk River, Alaska
- Tijuana River, California
- Blackwater River, West Virginia
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