Years ago, when "environmental concern" was born, the Cuyahoga River (western Pa or eastern Ohio, I think) was a symbol of river degradation — parts of it were aflame because of the flammable chemicals it carried. Fortunately most of that sort of abuse has been halted, but despite a host of laws such as the Clean Water Act, our rivers still suffer from abuse.
American Rivers, a nonprofit "river-saving" organization, tracks the health of American rivers and keeps a "Ten Most Endangered Rivers" list at its informative web site. That same web page also lists another 20 rivers considered to be the "most threatened." For each river, American Rivers provides, among other things, information on location, characteristics, historical use, modern use (such as dams), threats, potential for better management, and what can be done. Here are some of the better known river problems.
PCBs
Some rivers, such as the Upper Hudson in New York state, are haunted by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are carcinogenic. These chemicals were once used to help cool industrial machinery and are commonly found in electrical equipment, such as capacitors and transformers. Today, industries are getting rid of old equipment that contains PCBs. Both the federal Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Health and Safety Administration, as well as the states, have strict regulations for handling PCBs in the workplace.
Dams and other diversions
When Lewis and Clark and others explored the New World, raging rivers were common. Today, particularly out west, many have been tamed with dams and other diversions. This interrupts the natural travel of fish such as salmon, alters river habitats once dependent on natural flood surges, contributes to flooding of developed and agricultural areas adjacent to rivers, alters water tables, and influences infiltration of salt water, among other effects.
Zebra mussels
Zebra mussels. There's a real pest for you. Brought to the United States as a stowaway aboard the hulls of ocean-going ships, this tiny, quickly-growing and quickly spreading shellfish has been making itself at home in river after river. It is so small and prolific that it makes its way through industrial filter screens on water intake systems, attaches itself to intake pipes, multiplies and clogs the intakes. Industries must spend thousands of dollars trying a variety of methods (including chemicals and backwashing) to dislodge the mussels. If they aren't in your river yet, rest assured they're coming soon.
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