America's Endangered Rivers

A recent report titled America's Most Endangered Rivers of 2000 released by a conservation group lists rivers that face serious environmental threats. The report blamesdams for North America's native freshwater species going extinct as fast as species in rainforests."We have blocked the flows, straightened the curves and hardened the banks of thousands of miles of waterways," says Rebecca Wodder, president of American Rivers. "By changing the most fundamental qualities of rivers--their natural shapes and flows--we've made it difficult for them to support life."