Convert your lawn into a rainwater sponge; join with friends to enjoy and protect a local “blue” trail.

Save water: Work with friends to create a "trail" in a local waterway.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Without healthy, flowing rivers, we don’t have clean water, and you can just imagine the widespread consequences of that. Development, poor water and flood management, climate change, our nation’s crumbling water infrastructure, oil and gas exploration, and dams are among the main reasons many of our nation’s rivers need our attention. A new list points out 10 waterways most in need.

THE DETAILS: Using criteria including the magnitude of its threats, major decisions likely to take place in the next year, and a river’s regional and national significance, American Rivers, a leading conservation group in the United States, released America’s Most Endangered Rivers: 2009 Edition. The list spotlights 10 rivers confronted by decisions in the coming year that could determine their future, and offers solutions.

Here’s a rundown of the 2009 rivers that warrant the attention of the nation: