Earth Focus - American Rivers: Challenges of the Colorado and Potomac

May 18, 2012 from Earth Focus

Two iconic American rivers are under threat. The Colorado River, a lifeline for the expanding population of seven US and two Mexican states, faces an increasing demand for water for drinking, sanitation, agriculture, and energy generation. Yet the Colorado already runs dry before reaching its natural end at the Gulf of California. Jamie Redford and Mark Decena discuss their new film Watershed: Exploring a New Water Ethic for the New West, which explores sustainable solutions to help address this pressing problem. The Potomac provides water for 4 million people in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Once so polluted that it was called a "national disgrace," the river made a dramatic comeback over the years. But now it tops the 2012 list of America's Most Endangered Rivers. Pollution is a growing concern and may be a reason why the majority of male bass in the river now exhibit female traits such as egg production. Alexandra Cousteau discusses her film The Nation's River, which looks at the state of the Potomac and what can be done to protect it.

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Potomac River

The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately 405 miles long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles. In terms of area, this makes the Potomac River the fourth largest river alo... Explore this topic

Alexandra Cousteau

Alexandra Marguerite Clémentine Cousteau is the daughter of Philippe Cousteau and the granddaughter of world famous French explorer and filmmaker Jacques-Yves Cousteau. An environmentalist, Cousteau advocates the importance of conservation, restoration and sustainable manageme... Explore this topic

Water pollution

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies. Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds. Water pollution affects plants and organisms living in these bodies of w... Explore this topic

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east. Maryland was the seventh state to ratify the United Sta... Explore this topic

Jacques Cousteau

Jacques-Yves Cousteau AC was a French naval officer, explorer, conservationist, filmmaker, innovator, scientist, photographer, author and researcher who studied the sea and all forms of life in water. He co-developed the Aqua-Lung, pioneered marine conservation and was a membe... Explore this topic

West Virginia

West Virginia (/ˌwɛstvɚˈdʒɪnjə/(helpinfo)) is a state in the Appalachian, Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia on the southeast, Kentucky on the southwest, Ohio on the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland on the northeast. The c... Explore this topic

Clean Water Act

The Clean Water Act is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Passed in 1972, the act established the goals of eliminating releases of high amounts of toxic substances into water, eliminating additional water pollution by 1985, and ensuring tha... Explore this topic

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the Residence Act approved the creation of a capital district located along the Potomac River on t... Explore this topic

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the west an... Explore this topic

Virginia

Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state located in the South Atlantic region of the United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there. The geography and climate of the Co... Explore this topic

Also See

Water pollution

Environment

Colorado River

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