American Rivers names Boundary Waters among America’s most endangered rivers

(This press release has been edited for length)

On April 13 American Rivers named the BWCAW among America’s most endangered rivers of 2021, citing threats by proposed copper mining to the clean water and the country’s most popular wilderness.

The Boundary Waters and the Kawishiwi River are threatened by a massive sulfide-ore copper mine proposed on the South Kawishiwi River and Birch Lake, which flow into the Boundary Waters. Hardrock mining poses an unacceptable risk to the region’s clean water, economy and cultural values. Acid mine drainage harms water, aquatic and terrestrial species, forests and soils, and poses a serious risk to human health by, among other things, increasing mercury in fish. Studies show that sulfide-ore copper mining along lakes and streams that flow into the Boundary Waters would put at risk not only premier fishing, hunting and other recreation on Superior National Forest lands, but also the sustainable economy of northeastern Minnesota.

An independent peer-reviewed economic study by Harvard Professor James Stock demonstrated that a ban on copper mining in the Boundary Waters watershed would result in more jobs and more income for the region.

“The nation’s most polluting industry is seeking to build sulfide-ore copper mines at the doorstep of the nation’s most visited Wilderness Area,” said Amanda John Kimsey, Campaign Manager with The Wilderness Society. “The consequences of building this type of toxic mining on the edge of the Boundary Waters would have cascading effects on regional tourism, recreation and hospitality industries, endanger beloved wildlife, and cause irreparable damage to lands and waters where Anishinaabe people retain fishing, hunting and gathering rights. This is the wrong place for the wrong mine. Pollution from sulfide-ore copper mining is nearly impossible to contain and can last for hundreds, sometimes thousands of years. This report rightfully acknowledges the urgent threat facing the Boundary Waters and should reaffirm to Congress that it’s time to pass legislation that permanently protects the Boundary Waters watershed.”

The annual America’s Most Endangered Rivers report is a list of rivers at a crossroads, where key decisions in the coming months will determine the rivers’ fates. Over the years, the report has helped spur many successes including the removal of outdated dams, the protection of rivers with Wild and Scenic designations, and the prevention of harmful development and pollution.

With 1.1 million acres of interconnected rivers and lakes along the U.S.-Canada border, the BWCAW lies within the Superior National Forest and has more than 1,200 miles of canoe and kayak routes and 237.5 miles of hiking trails. Its granite cliffs, boreal forest and clean waters are home to moose, black bear, lynx, bald eagles, loons, wolves, walleye, lake trout and smallmouth bass.

The Boundary Waters attracts more than 150,000 visitors per year for its world-class canoeing, kayaking, camping, hiking, fishing and other outdoor recreation activities. This, in turn, has created vibrant, wilderness-edge communities that thrive in a clean environment, but will be devastated with the opening of a mine.

The Boundary Waters is America’s most popular Wilderness, a vibrant and fragile ecosystem, and a cornerstone of a local economy that sustains thousands of livelihoods,” said Tom Landwehr, Executive Director of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters. “It needs to be permanently protected from the threat of sulfide-ore copper mining.”