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Endangered Rivers: The US' Most At-Risk Waterways

April 25, 2025

The Juice
Most Endangered Rivers in the US, 2025

Coursing through the US Midwest, the “Mighty” Mississippi River has played a major role in the growth of the US. Like many of the nation's rivers, the Mississippi suffers from a host of modern problems. Those include pollution, crumbling bridges and dams, and harm from factories. That’s why the 2,350-mile river tops this year’s list of “America’s Most Endangered Rivers.”

The list highlights bodies of water that most threaten the lives of humans and wildlife. It's published yearly by the nonprofit American Rivers.       

"Our water wealth is one of our greatest assets as a nation," Tom Kiernan said in a press release. He's the CEO of American Rivers. "But pollution and extreme weather are putting our rivers, clean water, and public safety at risk. When our rivers are sick, our own health and prosperity suffers."

Here are the rivers that make up the top 10 most-endangered. It also includes the main reasons for their rankings:

Mississippi River: Increased flood risk and poor disaster response levels.

Tijuana River: Severe pollution from industry and farming that threatens the Pacific Ocean.

Rivers of Southern Appalachia: Flooding and landslide threats after Hurricane Helene in 2024. 

Passaic River: Pollution from the chemical manufacturing industry.

Lower Rio Grande: Record low water levels and overuse. 

Rappahannock River: Lack of infrastructure and overuse by a growing population.

Clearwater River Basin: Commercial logging and dredge mining.

Susitna River: Pollution from road building, mining, and oil production.

Calcasieu River: Chemical and plastic pollution.

Gauley River: Pollution from coal strip mining. 

Reflect: What do you think people can do to help protect important natural places like rivers?

Question
If readers wanted to know the specific threat to the Tijuana River they would reference _______. (Common Core RI.5.7; RI.6.7)
a. the infographic only
b. the article only
c. the article and the infographic
d. neither the article nor the infographic
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