Embargoed Until

April 19, 2006, 12:01 a.m. Eastern

Contact:

Lindsay Martin, American Rivers, (202) 347-7550 ext. 3066

Brad DeVries, American Rivers, (202) 243-7023

Wendee Holtcamp, San Jacinto Conservation Coalition, (281) 798-8417

Jennifer Lorenz, Legacy Land Trust, (713) 524-2100

SAN JACINTO RIVER AMONG AMERICA’S “MOST ENDANGERED”

San Jacinto #9 on American Rivers’ Annual List Released Today

Reporters can download embargoed advance copies of the report, photos & supporting materials at http://www.AmericanRivers.org/MER2006PressRoom

Report available to the public April 19, 2006 at http://www.AmericanRivers.org

WASHINGTON – Unregulated sand mining in the river’s headwaters has fouled the San Jacinto River and dramatically increased the risk of flooding, leading American Rivers to list this storied waterway today as America’s #9 most endangered river for 2006. The annual America’s Most Endangered Rivers report highlights ten rivers facing a major turning point in the coming year, where action by citizens can make a huge difference for both community well-being and river health.

American Rivers and its partners on the San Jacinto River — the San Jacinto Conservation Coalition and Legacy Land Trust - today called on the Texas Legislature to develop effective state sand mining regulations, and on the U.S. Congress to fund acquisition of a key piece of the remaining bottomland hardwood forest along the San Jacinto. Protecting this habitat will ensure that Houston area residents benefit from the flood protection and natural water filtration that riparian forests provide to the river and surrounding communities.

“Politicians here may not care for the laws of physics, but water runs downhill, even in Texas. It’s time for the state to recognize that fact and have a say in these unregulated sand mines that are fouling the San Jacinto for people downstream,” said Rebecca Wodder, president of American Rivers.

The Republic of Texas was born on the banks of the San Jacinto, and the river and its tributaries still nurture the remnants of the state’s fabled Big Thicket bottomland hardwood forests. But unregulated sand mining, in which companies peel off huge swaths of forest to excavate the sand beneath them, threatens the health of this storied river and the people who depend on it for drinking water and recreation.

“The amazing, centuries-old bottomland hardwood trees, which make up this critical, vanishing ecosystem, need to be protected,” said Jennifer Lorenz, executive director of Legacy Land Trust. “At the very least, a buffer needs to be put in place to help maintain the water quality and keep the sediments out of this river before they fill in this important water source for the City of Houston.”

According to the report, it is incumbent upon the Texas Legislature to develop effective state sand mining regulations. These standards should require a buffer between water bodies and mining operations and require reclamation measures to return the nutrient-rich topsoil and to replant native trees and vegetation after mining operations have ended. Until then, decision makers should insist that the Corps and the TCEQ impose penalties on violators whose non-permitted sand mining operations deposit sediments into the state’s rivers and wetlands.

"Protecting the riparian forests along the San Jacinto and demanding responsible practices by sand mining companies is critical for the health of our drinking water, for healthy bays which need the freshwater, and for fish and wildlife that depend on clear, flowing water rather than muddy, sediment-laden water," said Wendee Holtcamp of the San Jacinto Conservation Coalition.

The organizations also urged U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) to add the 10,000 acres wedged between the San Jacinto River and its tributary Spring Creek — also referred to as Little Thicket — to other parcels he is working to include in the Big Thicket National Preserve.

About America’s Most Endangered Rivers

Each year, American Rivers solicits nominations from thousands of river groups, environmental organizations, outdoor clubs, local governments, and taxpayer watchdogs for the America’s Most Endangered Rivers report. The report highlights the rivers facing the most uncertain futures rather than those suffering from the worst chronic problems. The report presents alternatives to proposals that would damage rivers, identifies those who make the crucial decisions, and points out opportunities for the public to take action on behalf of each listed river.

This year’s report details how nearly a century of federal flood damage reduction efforts poured tons of concrete and billions of dollars into massive engineering projects that too often destroy natural flood protection and lure communities into harm’s way. The rivers named in this year’s America’s Most Endangered Rivers report are: Pajaro River (Calif.), Upper Yellowstone River (Mont.), Willamette River (Ore.), Salmon Trout River (Mich.), Shenandoah River (Va. & W. Va.), Boise River (Idaho), Caloosahatchee River (Fla.), Bristol Bay (Alaska), San Jacinto River (Tex.), Verde River (Ariz.).

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