American Rivers * Friends of the Santa Clara River * Santa Clara River Alliance * Center for Biological Diversity * Heal the Bay *

Ventura Coastkeeper * Santa Clarita Org for Planning and Environment

Embargoed Until Wednesday, April 13, 12:01 a.m. Eastern

Contacts:

Serena McClain, American Rivers, (202) 347-7550 ext. 3004

Eric Eckl, American Rivers, (202) 347-7550 ext. 3023

Teresa Savaikie, Santa Clara River Alliance Coordinator, (661) 263-9624

Ron Bottorff, Friends of the Santa Clara River, (805) 498-4323

Peter Galvin, Center for Biological Diversity, (707) 986-7805

Dr. Shelly Luce, Heal the Bay, (310) 453-0395

Mati Waiya, Ventura Coastkeeper, (805) 382-4540

Lynne Plambeck Santa Clarita Org for Planning and the Environment (SCOPE) (818) 845-7651

California’s Santa Clara River “Most Endangered”

Santa Clara # 10 on annual list released today-www.americanrivers.org

(Washington, D.C.) American Rivers and its partners today named California’s Santa Clara River as one of the nation’s Most Endangered Rivers for 2005, citing plans for a massive expanse of housing developments and shopping strips will ruin the river and potentially increase the frequency and severity of flash floods. The annual America’s Most Endangered Rivers report, now in its twentieth year, highlights rivers with the most uncertain futures rather than the worst chronic problems. The groups called on Los Angeles County officials to hold new development to high standards, and theU.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deny developers permits to fill in wetlands and modify the shoreline along the river.

“Time may be running out for Southern California’s last natural river,” said Rebecca R. Wodder, president of American Rivers. “The government should show some backbone and put the brakes on more development until the consequences have been carefully studied and disclosed to the public.”

Developers are seeking to develop four massive housing projects along the Santa Clara River. The Newhall Ranch Project, one of the largest urban development project ever proposed in Los Angeles County, is of the most immediate concern. The proposed Newhall Ranch would replace 19 square miles of natural areas straddling the upper Santa Clara River, including 141 acres of the river’s floodplain. The project will smother 15 miles of tributary streams with concrete and channelize 17 more.

“Already, these heavy-handed and outmoded development practices have ruined almost every other river in Southern California,” said Teresa Savaikie, Friends of the Santa Clara River Coordinator. “The community already feels a loss, even though construction has yet to start.”

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Santa Clara “Most Endangered”

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Newhall has already closed about 15 miles of the Santa Clara River and its shoreline to the public. Another 8,500 acres of development are planned.

“The flash floods that occurred earlier this year could only become more frequent if we continue to develop Santa Clara’s floodplain,” said Ron Bottorff with Friends of the Santa Clara River.

Newhall Land and Farming has already secured preliminary approval for their project from Los Angeles County and are awaiting final County approval to begin the first stage of development. Newhall is also awaiting permits from the Corps of Engineers to fill wetlands and modify shoreline along the Santa Clara River.

“By fragmenting the land along the river and adding more polluted runoff to the river, these developments could push endangered species in the river’s habitat even closer to extinction,” said Peter Galvin with the Center for Biological Diversity.

American Rivers and its partners called on the Corps to deny floodplain development permits along the Santa Clara until it has completed an $8.2 million river study launched last year in partnership with Ventura and Los Angeles counties. The groups urge the agency to identify opportunities for sound watershed planning and manage growth in the area to protect the Santa Clara for future generations.

Early this summer, the Corps and Newhall Land will each release environmental studies of the Newhall Ranch project. The conservation groups urged that both documents disclose the full range of consequences of the proposed project, and include strong provisions to prevent development in the river’s floodplain.

Santa Clara not alone

Communities along the Santa Clara River will need state-of-the-art sewage treatment plants to preserve their water quality in the face of future growth. Unfortunately, President Bush has asked Congress to cut clean water assistance to the state of California by more than $25 million in 2006. Congress should reject those proposed cuts and increase funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund to $3.2 billion nationwide of which $96.3 million would go to California.

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 form 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.

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