• Listen to this segment

• Listen to the entire program

GUEST: Rebecca Wodders, President of American Rivers

Today we’re following up on an interview we did earlier this week with Dr Jeffrey Mount on the state of California’s levees. American Rivers, a national non-profit conservation organization, has just released a new report entitled, “America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2006.” The report suggests that, in terms of flood protection, there has been an over-reliance on engineering projects and that U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ approach to river management is outdated. California’s Pajaro River, cited by the study as the nation’s most endangered river, is a prime example of river mismanagement. Despite more than twenty-two miles of levees built to prevent flooding; Parajo River experienced severe flooding in 1995 and again in 1998. American Rivers suggests that the safety of riverside communities could be better ensured by working with nature. Two suggestions for better river management include restoring wetlands and allowing rivers to follow their natural course.

For more information, visit www.americanrivers.org.

Download the Report: America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2006