Happy Birthday Clean Water Act!

There’s no doubt that the river you love to play on would be very different today if not for the Clean Water Act. On this 40th anniversary of the Act, American Whitewater gives a nod to the signficance of the law in our work, knowing the majority of what we do has a connection to this important piece of legislation. This is particularly true where we work to restore flows through the hydropower relicensing process. The hydropower dams and diversions that were built throughout the 20th century to provide electricity unfortunately left many rivers and the communities that depended on them high and dry. Thanks to the Clean Water Act, and other related legislation that followed, our nation has spent the past three decades breathing new life into these rivers.



You can also see our connection to the Act in our most recent post on supporting stricter disinfection standards at a wastewater treatment plant in California, which were proposed with the intent of protecting the health of those who paddle the affected reach. Provisions of the Act protect on-water recreation, and today, many rivers that were once too polluted to paddle draw people from around the country, boosting local economies and fostering a sense of stewardship for the river and the surrounding communities. 



Today, there are numerous political and legal challenges to the Act. At the same time, there is still much work to be done to clean up our nation’s waterways. Many of our members report continued health problems from paddling polluted rivers, and avoid some runs altogether because of poor water quality. Keeping the key provisions of the Clean Water Act enforceable and strong continues to be incredibly important, and is something American Whitewater will continue to work for. 

On this 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, American Whitewater celebrates the environmental, public health and economic benefits that the Act has brought to our rivers and communities.