Holiday Expeditions | River Life

Our Rivers' Fish and Wildlife in Trouble

Floating down the wilderness riverways of Utah and Idaho, with big horn sheep scurrying up canyon walls, birds swooping and flitting about, and grasses and bushes covering the riverbanks, it's hard to imagine that these beautiful places are in danger. In our commitment to preserve and conserve our wild places, we thought we'd share with you the Most Endangered Rivers List for 2000, produced by American Rivers, North America's leading river conservation organization. If you've experienced portions of the rivers on this list, we hope you will appreciate what is and what could be again, as we work to restore the natural riverways. More information can be found on American Rivers web site at: www.americanrivers.org.

By Rebecca Wodder, President, American Rivers 2000

It's true all over: Dams, dikes, ditching, and draining have altered our rivers to such an extent that today in America, our native fish are homeless in most parts of the country. We have built 75,000 dams over 6 feet tall on America's rivers — on average, one a day since the Declaration of Independence. Such dams threaten 4 of the 5 most endangered rivers on this year's Most Endangered Rivers list. Incredibly, we are still building more.

Because of these dams and physical changes to riverways, as well as pollution and threats from exotic species, more than a third of our freshwater fish species are at risk of extinction. But it's not just our fish that are in trouble÷it's everything that lives in rivers. Scientists tell us that North America's freshwater wildlife, as a whole, is one of the most endangered groups of animals on the planet. Mussels to grizzly bears are vanishing as quickly as the species that live in tropical rainforests.

Scientists now know what went wrong. When you build a dam, and manipulate the flows to maximize barge traffic, you stop the cycle that triggers fish reproduction and builds wildlife habitat. You flatline the river, and you start losing the life that fills it.

Thankfully, rivers are resilient÷with a little help from us, they can heal themselves (for proof, just look a the fish coming back to the Kennebec River following the removal of Edwards Dam). Scientists tell us that the key to a healthy river is to protect its source, restore its flow, and reconnect it to its floodplain so that nature can do its work.

Healthy rivers can provide us with open space; close-to-home recreation; safe drinking water; enhanced flood control; and plenty of healthy habitat for fish and wildlife. Today, at the dawn of the 21st century, our rivers deserve a new lease on life.

Contact holiday@bikeraft.com for a free catalog or with any questions. This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 2000-2007 by Holiday Expeditions, 544 East 3900 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84107. All Rights Reserved. 1-800-624-6323.