On Monday, American Rivers released a listing of America’s Most Endangered Rivers © of 2021, and the Raccoon came in at number nine. They identified the threat to the waterway as pollution from industrial agriculture and factory farming. “The America’s Most Endangered Rivers report is a call to action to save rivers facing urgent decisions,” says spokesperson, Olivia Dorothy. “We’re sounding the alarm because pollution in the Raccoon River is putting drinking water supplies and public health at risk.” According to their report, the Raccoon River is being polluted by more than 700 factory farms that confine thousands of animals. The waste from these farms is spread on fields and there are times when the manure runs off into rivers and streams. They also claim that this, in combination with drought conditions, has increased outbreaks of toxic algae in the river. These harm the ecosystem’s health, limit the ability of people to safely enjoy river recreation and they claim it contributes to the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. American Rivers partners with Food and Water Watch and Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement. They have placed the Lower Missouri River in Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and Kansas on the list at number two, stating the threat to that waterway is outdated river management.
