118 Fox River’s Endangerment Status David Love In 1999, Fox River was listed as the 7th most endangered river by American Rivers.1 This endangerment status had massive implications for the river and governments surrounding it. Fox River was not in a bad state at the time, but if efforts were not made to prepare for the future pollution would have been near inevitable. Growing population and land usage surrounding the river threatened the clean water of Fox River and conversely the growing population that utilized it. Fox River’s endangerment status was a significant move but was necessary to prevent the river from becoming polluted. American Rivers is a nonprofit national organization based in Washington, D.C. While American Rivers is not affiliated with the U.S. Government, they receive federal funding and grants to aid them in their conservation efforts. Every year, American Rivers publishes a list of the 10 most endangered rivers in America, as a way to bring attention to these rivers for both their volunteers and local governments. It is important to note that the endangered rivers list is not meant to be an attack on the people responsible for these rivers, but a way to call attention to these rivers and prevent them from becoming polluted or otherwise harmed. Additionally, the rivers put on this list are commonly not already in a polluted or unhealthy state but may be approaching this if action isn’t taken. This was the case with Fox River, where the river still had a relatively healthy ecosystem and the water was clean, as Jeff Stein of American Rivers stated in 2002 in a local newspaper article. 1David Sharos, “Fox River Cleanup Efforts Reflect 'a Trend to Celebrate,' Expert Says,” Chicago Tribune (Chicago Tribune, May 22, 2019), https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/ct-abn-fox-river-update-st0114-story.html.
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