America's 'Most Endangered River' in 2020: The Mighty Mississippi

The 2020 list of America's Most Endangered Rivers, published annually by American Rivers, includes sections of two of the most environmentally, geographically, economically, historically, and culturally significant rivers in the United States—the Mississippi and the Missouri. 

A year after catastrophic following up and down the Mississippi River watershed, projections for flooding along the two watershed look dire again. In 2020 that risk is combined with the added public health threat of the coronavirus, influencing the selections on the list this year. Here's the complete list, with links to detailed pages for each:

1. Upper Mississippi River
2. Lower Missouri River
3. Big Sunflower River, Mississippi
4. Puyallup River, Washington
5. South Fork Salmon River, Idaho
6. Menominee River, Michigan and Wisconsin
7. Rapid Creek, South Dakota
8. Okefenoke Swamp and St. Marys River, Georgia and Florida
9. Ocklawaha River, Florida
10. Lower Youghiogheny River, Pennsylvania

While climate change and flooding are the risks mentioned for the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, mining is listed as the threat for the plurality of rivers listed here.

American Rivers is a national advocacy organization devoted to the protection, restoration, and conservation of the country's watersheds. Planetizen shared news of previous Endangered Rivers lists in 2019, 2018, and 2015. The mainstream media also picked up coverage of the 2020 list, including with the following articles:

• Upper Mississippi River named 'most endangered river' in the United States (Chicago Tribune)
• Upper Mississippi River is the nation's 'most endangered river' of 2020 (USA Today)
• Portions of Mississippi and Missouri Rivers Are Most Endangered in U.S. (Scientific American)