Take me to the river.

For my first twenty-one years of life, I did not live in a river town—the result of a decision, on my parents’ part, that now seems almost criminally negligent. Now that I’ve lived in a river town for a few years, it’s hard to go back to being landlocked. No cooling breezes during the summer. No easily accessible beaches to walk your dog and dip your toes. No bridges on which to stand and watch sailboats pass underneath.

Blackfoot River, Montana

Perhaps river towns aren’t the vital transportation hubs that they used to be. Trains and planes have taken the place of the river barge and steamship. But they are still uniquely enchanting places, where a complex and fragile riverside ecology provides limitless recreational opportunities, that in turn fuel a bustling local economy.

Boise River, Idaho

American River, California

That’s why Outside magazine has partnered with American Rivers, the nation’s leading river-conservation organization, to launch the “Best River Town” contest. American Rivers helped Outside magazine select towns on the basis of three criteria: Whether the town met quality-of-life standards; whether the town used its river recreationally; and, most importantly, whether or not the town has taken action to preserve its waterway.

Animas River, Colorado

“It’s important for us to celebrate good news and success stories, since so often we’re sounding the alarm about threats. We hope this contest draws attention to the value of healthy rivers in our lives, and the value of rivers to our economy, health, and quality of life. We hope it inspires people to get out and enjoy a river, wherever they live.” said Amy Kober, a spokesperson for American Rivers.

Taughannock Creek, Ithaca, New York

Milwaukee River, Wisconsin

After evaluating river towns all over the country, Outside and American Rivers narrowed the list to ten towns: Hood River, Oregon; Nevada City, California; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Asheville, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Boise, Idaho; Missoula, Montana; Durango, Colorado; Ithaca, New York and Richmond, Virginia. After coming up with the finalists, Outside called upon the public to make the final decision.

James River, Virginia

To participate in the contest, which is sponsored by Good N’ Natural, sign into your Facebook account and visit Outside’s Facebook page. You vote by clicking the link of your favorite town. A panel of Outside editors will select the winner, both by counting the number of votes and by judging the creative content of the pictures, videos and comments on the Facebook page.

Cumberland River, Tennessee

The winning town will be on the cover of Outside’s October 2012 issue. And every voter in the contest will have a chance to win a five-day trip to one of the top ten towns. The contest will remain open through July 10, 2012.

If, in the meantime, you’d like to take direct action towards helping preserve America’s rivers, Kober has some other suggestions. Following American Rivers on Facebook or Twitter is a great way to track the projects that they’re working on, either the various political campaigns—for example, cutting water infrastructure spending in the upcoming House Interior Appropriations Bill, or local river restoration campaigns. Otherwise, Kober adds, “Summer is a great time to organize a river cleanup!”

French Broad River, North Carolina

Top image: Hood River, Oregon

Images: MrTopher, Bitterroot, The Knowles Gallery, uvw916a, Musebrarian, Squash713, Atelier Teee, trepelu, SeeMidTN.com, BillRhodesPhoto

The post Outside Magazine Focuses on the Best River Towns appeared first on EcoSalon.

The fight for clean water in America.

In 1965, high levels of sewage and toxic waste in the Potomac River led President Lyndon B. Johnson to call it “a national disgrace.” Several years later, Congress passed the Clean Water Act, a landmark piece of legislation that has been instrumental in ensuring the safety and cleanliness of America’s bodies of water for the past 40 years.

But the fight for clean water is far from over. Today, American Rivers released a list of the nation’s Most Endangered Rivers, with the Potomac topping the list. Not only does the river have high pollution levels, but its location in the heart of Washington, D.C., is emblematic of the recent Clean Water Act rollbacks in Congress, which will cut funding for river restoration projects nationwide. Take a look at the other rivers on the list, then join American Rivers’ efforts to preserve them.

(above) Potomac River (Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Washington D.C.)

Green River (Wyoming, Utah, Colorado)

Chattahoochee River (Georgia)

Missouri River (Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming)

Hoback River (Wyoming)

Grand River (Ohio)

South Fork Skykomish River (Washington)

Crystal River (Colorado)

Coal River (West Virginia)

Kansas River (Kansas)

ALSO CHECK OUT:

View more photo collections here. 

Images: Craig Pennington, David, Viswanath Duvvuri, Darren Blackburn, US Army Corps of Engineers, pfly, The Greater Southwestern Exploration Company, apliiq, Patrick Emerson, American Rivers

The post 10 Most Endangered Rivers in America appeared first on EcoSalon.