Clean Water Victories

 (Photo Credit: Ben Morton)

Our fellow water lovers at American Rivers dubbed 2011 "the year of the river" because of huge successes for river restoration across the country, including dam removals on the White Salmon and the Elwa (the largest dam removal in history!)


It seems like the "year of the river" continues as we move into a new year, and the ACA is proud to help keep the clean waters flowing in 2012! Earlier this year, the ACA put in calls to senators and representatives to oppose proposed uranium mining around the Grand Canyon. On Monday, January 9th, Secretary Salazar formally signed a 20-year moratorium, the longest allowed by law, on new uranium and other hard rock mining claims on a million acres of federal land around the Grand Canyon. Salazar said it was "a serious and necessary step" to preserving the canyon, an American natural icon, and the river that runs through it.


And yesterday President Obama rejected the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline.  The proposed pipeline would have crossed major rivers, including the Missouri, Yellowstone, and Red rivers, as well as critical sources of drinking and agricultural water, such as the Ogallala Aquifer, supplying water to more than two million Americans.

Check out other ACA Stewardship Initiatives!