The Lehigh River, which flows from the Poconos to Easton, has been named one of America’s most endangered rivers by a leading environmental organization.

American Rivers released its annual report of the nation’s 10 most polluted, dry or unhealthy rivers today.

“Healthy rivers are essential to human health and public safety. When rivers are sick, people suffer,” said Tom Kiernan, president and chief executive officer of American Rivers. “This report sounds the alarm. It is a national call to action to defend these rivers and all of the life they support.”

The list, which has been published annually since 1984, underscores how rivers’ health and safety are threatened by climate change, pollution, dams and other threats.

For the Lehigh River, the organization reports that the biggest threat is poorly planned development of warehouse and distribution centers that can impact the river’s water, fish and wildlife habitat.

“The Lehigh is the backyard river for half a million people, and the keystone to Northeastern Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation industry. But unprecedented development of open space for warehousing and distribution centers now threatens the region’s clean water and wildlife, and the communities and economies that rely on them,” said Lia Mastropolo, director of clean water supply at American Rivers.

In recent years, the Lehigh Valley has become the logistics hub of the Eastern Seaboard, with warehouses and distribution centers covering more than four square miles of land within the watershed. Another square mile of development is in the works, according to the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.

“Distribution centers, in their scale and speed paving over land in the Lehigh River watershed, are permanently altering how the water flows across the landscape,” said Donna Kohut, campaign manager for the Delaware River Basin at PennFuture.

According to American Rivers, the development threatens the Lehigh River by converting critical forest and wetlands to hard surfaces such as roofs and parking lots. The impervious surfaces prevent rainwater from soaking into the ground. Instead, warm, salty, dirty water runs off the pavement directly into the river and its tributaries. This flooding and pollution, and the paving of the remaining open space in the urban stretches in the Lehigh Valley, disproportionately impact downstream communities that have already borne the brunt of environmental degradation and climate change.

It’s quite a concern, since the Lehigh River flows 109 miles and passes Allentown and Bethlehem on its way to Easton. It is a direct drinking water source for hundreds of thousands of people, and as a tributary to the Delaware River, supports the drinking water supply of 15 million.

Part of the Lehigh River is designated as one of Pennsylvania’s Scenic Rivers, and the headwaters are designated as Exceptional Value.

In her role at PennFuture, most of Kohut’s work has focused on protecting water quality in the Poconos. A native of Tamaqua now living in the Lehigh Valley, she’s also an avid kayaker.

“The Lehigh River has had to be resilient for centuries now - between coal and timer and cement and steel,” she said. “And now we see that this is kind of the next wave - industry moving in.”

She knew residents in the Poconos were concerned about the warehouse build out just like those downstream in the Lehigh Valley. She also knew that groups, individuals and organizations who are concerned about the state of a river can nominate rivers for the American Rivers list.

“So, when the opportunity to nominate the Lehigh River arose, I took it, in an effort to use our work to elevate the voices and concerns of these two regions as they face down a massive industry that threatens this beloved and valuable watershed,” Kohut said, noting that the nomination was from her position at PennFuture.

“We’ve seen the impact that unchecked distribution center development has had on the Lehigh River valley,” added Jim Vogt of the Aquashicola/Pohopoco Watershed Conservancy. “As the industry has its sights set on cheaper land up north, we must hold strong against this tide in the upper Lehigh River watershed and protect Poconos headwaters from this same degradation.”

Kohut is hopeful now that the Lehigh has made it to the list.

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.

“By no means does this have to be a death sentence for the Lehigh River or for the watershed,” she said.

And that’s what the purpose of the “endangered” list is: bringing attention to the rivers and finding solutions.

American Rivers and partners have called on state and federal leaders to make crucial funding and legislative decisions to protect water quality from land development throughout the watershed.

This includes fully funding the Delaware River Basin Commission, which oversees water quality protections for the Lehigh and other rivers in the basin, and supporting other state and federal programs to manage development wisely.

“By recognizing how these land use changes endanger the Lehigh - a river that has long suffered from harmful industry impacts - we can focus on prioritizing solutions to protect it from further degradation. We must educate local municipalities and residents about the impacts and pass statewide legislation to ensure these waterways have forested riparian buffers that protect water quality and wildlife habitat,” Kohut said. “And we must protect what is already pristine so we can invest in the downstream waters that are increasingly impaired and degraded.”

American Rivers noted that two-thirds of the nation’s water comes from rivers. But 44% of waterways are too polluted for fishing and swimming, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

Other rivers in the region listed as endangered in recent years include the southern Youghiogheny River (2020) and Susquehanna River (2016).

More information, along with how to take action, is available at americanrivers.org/LehighRiver2023.