Environmental Issues: Water

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All Documents in Water Tagged conservation and restoration

Re-Envisioning the Chicago River
Adopting Comprehensive Regional Solutions to the Invasive Species Crisis
Fact Sheet

In response to a public health emergency more than 100 years ago, engineers reversed the Chicago River and built the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to carry wastewater away from Lake Michigan, the city’s source of drinking water. The canal also provides a shipping link between the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes, opening navigation not only to recreational boats and commercial barges, but also to invasive species, and it diverts massive amounts of water from Lake Michigan. The unfolding Asian carp crisis reveals more than just the challenges faced by local, state, and federal agencies in stopping invasive species from entering the Great Lakes. It also exposes critical infrastructure deficiencies in the region’s wastewater, stormwater, and transportation systems.

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Florida Everglades
FAQ

Answers to questions including: What is the Everglades? What types of environmental threats does the region face? What's being done today to save the Everglades?

Clearing the Waters
From the Chesapeake to California, NRDC is fighting to restore America’s threatened waterways
Overview

The United States has made significant progress cleaning up the nation's waterways since Congress passed the Clean Water Act in 1972, but much more remains to be done. Although some of the most obvious signs of contamination have disappeared, other sources of pollution persist, and water resources are frequently overtaxed, particularly in the West.

Fish Out of Water
How Water Management in the Bay-Delta Threatens the Future of California's Salmon Fishery
Issue Paper

This July 2008 issue paper examines the operation of water management projects in California as one of the most significant -- and reversible -- causes of fishery collapse and provides comprehensive policy recommendations for restoring and sustaining this treasured resource.

Restoring the San Joaquin River
Following an 18-year legal battle, a great California river once given up for dead is on the verge of a comeback.
News

In the 1940s, a giant dam nearly killed California's San Joaquin River and its legendary salmon run. A court ruling could bring the river back to life, restoring the salmon fishery, providing clean irrigation water for farms and improving drinking water quality for millions of Californians.

Energy Down the Drain
The Hidden Costs of California's Water Supply
Report

In the western United States, water utilities use large amounts of energy to treat and deliver water, and consumers burn more energy to heat, cool and use it. This August 2004 report from NRDC and the Pacific Institute shows how water planners in California have largely failed to consider the energy implications of their decisions. Integrating energy use into water planning can save money, reduce waste, protect our environment and strengthen our economy.

Land of Little Rivers: Fly Fishing in the Catskills
Photo Album

Fly fishing enthusiasts are among the most ardent advocates for clean and healthy rivers. These photos illustrate fly fishing on the rivers and streams of the Catskill mountains, including the still undammed Beaverkill River, one of the country's best known and most beloved trout streams.