Columbia River Ranked 2nd Most Endangered American River

Tuesday, April 07, 2015

Annie Ellison, GoLocalPDX Reporter

Two Oregon waterways have placed in the top ten of an annual ranking of the nation’s most endangered rivers.

The Rogue River in Southern Oregon is the 7th most at-risk river in the United States, according to American Rivers. Photo: American Rivers

According to a ranking by American Rivers, a river protection advocacy organization, the Columbia River which runs just North of Portland was ranked as the second most endangered river in the nation. Further south, the Rogue River, ranked seventh. According to American Rivers, the Columbia is at risk of depleting fish stocks from over-damming.

Oregon’s Rogue River, and Smith River in California, are threatened by a proposed nickel mine.

The Columbia River Treaty, an agreement between the United States and Canada, is currently being renegotiated. For the past 60 years, the treaty emphasized hydropower and flood control, which American Rivers said has adversely impacted the environmental health of the river.

Dams and reservoirs have significantly altered the course of the Columbia. As Oregon readies for a drought-intensive summer, some lawmakers advocate for more damming to mitigate losses to agriculture.

Meanwhile, the Rogue River is experiencing unseasonably low water levels due to a lack of snowpack.

Read the full list:

1. Colorado River in the Grand Canyon (Arizona)
2. Columbia River (Washington, Oregon)
3. Holston River (Tennessee)
4. Smith River (Montana)
5. Edisto River (South Carolina)
6. Chuitna River (Alaska)
7. Rogue-Smith Rivers (Oregon, California)
8. St. Louis River (Minnesota)
9. Harpeth River (Tennessee)
10.Pearl River (Louisiana, Mississippi)

Columbia River Ranked 2nd Most Endangered American River

Related Slideshow: 20 Oregon Facilities With The Most EPA Fines

#20

Jasper Wood Products LLC, Jasper

#19

RSC Dairy LLC, Tillamook

#18

Oak Lodge Sanitary District, Milwaukie

#17

Forrest Paint Co., Eugene

#16

East Side Plating Inc. Plants, Portland

#15

Darigold, Portland

#14

Owens-Brockway Glass, Portland

#13

Oregon Door Inc., Dillard

#12

Export Global Metals, Hillsboro

#11

Crop Production Services, Tangent

#10

Kanto Corporation, Portland

#9

Cascade Plating & Machine, Eugene

#8

Gunderson Inc., Portland

#7

U.S. Army Umatillla Chemical Depot, Hermiston

#6

RSG Forest Products, Molalla

#5

Johnson Crushers International, Eugene

#4

Jeld-Wen, Klamath Falls

#3

Ash Grove Cement Co., Durkee

#2

TDY Industries Inc., Albany

#1

ATI Allvac Albany Operations, Albany

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