Salmon Trout River Among America's "Most Endangered"
U.P.'s Salmon Trout River #4 on American Rivers' Annual List Released Today
Contact:
Gary Belan, American Rivers, (202) 347-7550, ext. 3027
Brad DeVries, American Rivers, (202) 243-7023
Carl Lindquist, Central Lake Superior Watershed Partnership, (906) 228-6095
Cynthia Pryor, Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve, (906) 345-9223
Todd Warner, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, (906) 524-5757 ext. 13
Reporters can download copies of the report, photos & supporting materials at http://www.AmericanRivers.org/MER2006PressRoom
WASHINGTON The State of Michigan is considering a mining permit that could bring large-scale industrial development to one of the Upper Peninsula’s most pristine wild areas and could permanently harm the beloved Salmon Trout River, which American Rivers listed today as America’s #4 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.
The Salmon Trout River flows through the Huron Mountains and empties into Salmon Trout Bay on Lake Superior. The headwaters of the river begin in the Yellow Dog Plains, in the heart of one of the Midwest’s few and most significant remaining wildernesses, with abundant wildlife such as moose and wolves. Home to the only known breeding population of the native coaster brook trout on Lake Superior’s south shore, the Salmon Trout River is currently in excellent ecological health.
The Kennecott Minerals Company’s proposed Eagle Project would convert roughly 92 acres of forest and wetlands at the Salmon Trout River’s headwaters into an industrial zone. The underground mine would extract about 4 million tons of sulfide ore containing nickel and copper from bedrock below the surface. Kennecott, a subsidiary of London-based Rio Tinto, plans to operate the mine for six to eight years, and then spend another two years attempting to restore the area to its natural state.
“The Salmon Trout River is one of the gems of the U.P., a jewel worth a lot more to Michigan than a small amount of copper and nickel,” said Rebecca Wodder, president of American Rivers. “There are some places that sulfide mining just doesn’t belong, and the headwaters of the Salmon Trout River would have to be near the top of that list.”
The threat of contamination from acid mine drainage is a concern in any sulfide mining operation, and the proposed Eagle Mine project is no exception. Because the ore body is located directly under the river, and the mining site will be directly adjacent to this, any acid mine drainage that occurs would have a direct impact on river and groundwater quality. Such contamination in the river could bring serious harm to water quality — potentially contaminating the drinking water supply, and seriously harming the natural habitat of the unique native species. Even minute quantities of these toxins are deadly to juvenile coaster brook trout.
“Stakeholders from the United States and Canada developed a vision for Lake Superior that is based upon sustainability; clearly there is nothing sustainable about sulfide mining. The fate of the Salmon Trout River is the fate of Lake Superior.” Carl Lindquist, Director of the Central Lake Superior Watershed Partnership.
The organizations said that the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is likely to rule on an application for a mining permit by the Kennecott Company sometime in summer 2006. They encouraged Michigan citizens to contact the governor’s office and speak out at public hearings on the permit application, and urged MDEQ to reject it.
“The Salmon-Trout River represents the best of what is left of our wildlands in Michigan. We thank American Rivers for recognizing the importance of the issue facing this river, the upper Midwest and our greatest of national assets the Great Lakes," said Cynthia Pryor of the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve, Inc.
Halting the proposed mine proposal is the only way ensure the long-term health of the Salmon Trout River, the groups said.
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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