The iconic American rivers becoming so filthy with pollution they are ... trends now
Rivers across the US have been deemed endangered due to extreme pollution and reduced clean water protections.
A report released by the American Rivers Association found all of New Mexico's Rivers, which include the Rio Grande, Gila, San Juan and Pecos, are the most at-risk in the nation - and more than 85 percent of residents in the state rely on these systems.
Experts blame a loop hole in the 2022 Clean Water Act that means rivers that only run seasonally are not protected from run-off of wastewater treatment plants, mines and industrial sites.
Under the rollback of the Clean Water Act, the rivers that supplies millions of people with drinking water will become polluted, making people sick and harming the ecosystem.
Other endangered rivers were identified as the Tijuana River in California and the Santa Cruz River in Arizona.
All rivers in New Mexico are endangered after the Supreme Court stripped safeguards from the Clean Water Act that protect rivers and wetlands from pollution run-off from wastewater treatment plants, mines and industrial sites
Rivers throughout the US provide drinking water to local communities, serve as a habitat for wildlife and are stopovers for major migratory birds. Pictured: Trinity River in North Carolina
The Duck River in Tennessee (pictured) is one of the top three most biodiverse rivers in the world used for drinking water, agriculture and large-scale manufacturing
'All water is connected. We cannot allow pollution anywhere without risk to the rivers we rely on for our drinking water,' said Tom Kiernan, President and CEO of American Rivers, a nonprofit environmental advocacy organization focused on protecting the nation's rivers.
'Our leaders must hold polluters accountable and strengthen the Clean Water Act to safeguard our health and communities.'
The Supreme Court's decision in 2022 removed protection for rivers that only run seasonally - in the fall and winter - when there are higher levels of precipitation.
And that largely affected systems in New Mexico, because of the state's dryer climate, the rivers only run during the rainy season or due to snowmelt.
'These rulings fly in the face of established science and ignore the value that small streams and wetlands have to their broader watersheds, communities, and economies, particularly in places with dry climates like New Mexico,' the report said.
The rivers in New Mexico provide clean drinking water, irrigation, rich cultural resources and house fish and wildlife habitat, making them essential to the environment and roughly 87 percent of the population that relies on the rivers.
More than providing resources to the immediate
