The Lower Colorado River, seen here as it carves a path at Dead Horse Point in Colorado, was named the most endangered river in the United States for 2017.

(Gary Gray/Getty Images)

A river advocacy group has announced its 10 most endangered rivers list for 2017.

Since 1984, by American Rivershas been used to help local communities protect and save their threatened rivers.

Riverson the endangered list are selected based on whether a major policy decisionis in the works about a river forthe coming year. Other factors include the significance of the river to human and natural communitiesand the magnitude of the threat to the river and nearby communities, especially in light of a changing climate.

The report "encourages decision-makers to do the right thing for the rivers and the communities they support. It 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."

Here is the countdown of this year's list, released Tuesday:

10. MenomineeRiver, Upper Michigan, Wisconsin

The riveris threatened by a proposal by the Canadian company, Aquila Resources, to create an open pit sulfide mine adjacent to the river near the town of Stephenson, Michigan.

"This open pit sulfide mine would use cyanide to extract and process ore (gold, zinc, copper and silver) on site. Wastewater would be discharged into the Menominee River," according to the report. "Groundwater, rivers and ultimately Lake Michigan would become contaminated if acid mine drainage were to seep into surface and groundwater, posing a significant danger to fish and other aquatic."

9. Buffalo National River, Arkansas

In 2013, a 6,500-head hog CAFO was constructed along one of Buffalo National River’s main tributaries, Big Creek. According to the report, millions of gallons of liquid hog waste are sprayed onto pastures and fields each year.

"This manure spreading is particularly harmful in areas where topsoil is thin and the underlying geology is a porous limestone (karst) that is prone to fissures, sinkholes and rapid transmission of groundwater into the water table," notes the report.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are one of the largest contributors of pollutants to streams and waterways across the U.S.

"The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality must deny the project’s permit for continued operation in order to safeguard this national treasure for today’s communities and future generations," the report says.

8. Middle Fork Flathead River, Montana

Reflections of the sky in Middle Fork Flathead River in Glacier National Park, Montana.

(Peter Unger/Getty Images)

The biggest concern at Middle Fork Flathead River in Montana is the numerous trains carrying crude oil near the river. Each week, up to 18 trains of 100 tank carspass along the Middle Fork Flathead. One tank car can carry 30,000 gallons of crude oil and each train can haul up to three million gallons, notes the report.

There have been several close calls, including a derailment in 2016, but no oil spills to date. However, river advocates fear the outcome of a spill in the future.

"The river’s swift current would carry toxic material many miles downstream to Flathead Lake before an adequate response effort could be deployed," notes the report. "Thus, when it comes to protecting the river and its clean water, it is critical that we prevent oil train derailments rather than rely on a response plan. This special place deserves a collaboratively developed, science-based plan to protect it from an oil train disaster."

7. Neuse and Cape Fear Rivers, North Carolina

As the second leading producer of hogs and the third leading producer of poultry in the country, North Carolina has numerous CAFOs that produce millions of gallons of wet animal waste that are held in open lagoons and nearby fields.

"The waste contains bacteria, pathogens, concentrated levels of nutrient pollution and residual antibiotics that if released into nearby rivers and streams would cause significant contamination," says the report.

The Neuse and Cape River basin and CAFO lagoons are particularly vulnerable to hurricanes.

"In 2016, flooding caused by Hurricane Matthew overwhelmed 15 CAFO waste lagoons, spilling waste into public waterways.These lagoons were located in the floodplain and have yet to be moved out."

6.Green-Toutle River, Washington

Lush foliage surrounds the Green River as it flows through Kent, Washington.

(gmc3101/Getty Images)

American Rivers chose the Green-Toutle River as the 6th most endangered river because of an industrial hard rock mine located near the headwaters of the Green River, which the report says would be a "significant threat to water quality, drinking water and fish habitat throughout the watershed."

The report notes that hard rock mining and acid mine drainage can increase copper levels in the water, which can be toxic to salmon and steelhead even at low concentrations.

"To protect the health of the Green River watershed and its irreplaceable values for future generations, the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management must deny the exploratory drilling permits and the area must be protected long-term from future mining proposals," the report says.

5. Rappahannock River, Virginia

Fracking is the biggest concern for the Rappahannock River in Virginia. According to the report, there areapproximately 85,000 acres in five counties leased for oil and gas exploration and hydraulic fracturing along the tidal Rappahannock and many of its tributaries.

Despite years of protests against the practice, fracking continues, along with concern for the health of the river and residents who reside nearby.

"It is clear that the threats that industrial gas development and fracking pose to the rural and agricultural communities along the Rappahannock River are not going away," the report says. "The first line of defense lies with local government, which has the power to establish local protections to protect the drinking water for millions of citizens."

4.Mobile Bay Basin, Alabama

Mismanagement of water resources has placed a burden on the Mobile Bay, the Delta and the rivers that sustain them, according to the report, which has altered the flow of the river in numerous places.

"In Alabama, which is responsible for the vast majority of the watershed, the state does not protect the amount of water it has at all," says American Rivers. "Alabama’s failure to meet this responsibility is repeatedly highlighted during droughts, which are occurring with greater frequency."

The organization says last year, 10 percent of Alabama streams that feed the watershed set new record lows due to unsustainable water consumption.

"The utility must abandon this unnecessary project and Washington’s Governor Inslee, the State Department of Ecology and the state legislature must uphold existing instream flow rules to protect the river," the report says.

3. South Fork Skykomish River, Washington

Skykomish River, Washington.

(Samson1976/Getty Images)

Conservationists are fighting a battle againstthe Snohomish County Public Utility District (SnoPUD), whichbegan a regulatory process in 2011 to construct a hydroelectric facility that would remove water froma 1.1 stretch of the river and send it through a tunnel to turbines just downstream. Advocates for the river fear the move will endanger aquatic wildlife, salmon in particular.

"The proposed SnoPUD project has many flaws, but the project poses the greatest threat to fish and wildlife," notes the report. "In the Pacific Northwest, salmon are important economically, culturally and environmentally."

2. Bear River, California

For more than 200 years, gold mining and the construction of numerous dams has left only a few free-flowing sections of California's Bear River.

Now, a new dam being considered in Nevada — the Centennial Dam — threatens what little free-flowing portions of the river remain. These sections of the river are vital fornative Nisenan tribe communities, as well as wildlife.

"Instead of rushing to build an expensive, damaging and unnecessary new dam, Nevada Irrigation District must consider other water supply solutions, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must fully analyze alternatives at a critical time for water planning in California," the report notes.

1.Lower Colorado River, Arizona, California, Nevada

One in ten Americans gets their water from the Lower Colorado River. Water demands have grown considerably over the past decade in the Southwest basin that serves Arizona, California and Nevada. Combine that with climate change and the situation has become more urgent in recent years, the report notes.

"The river is at a breaking point, with looming shortages in supply that could threaten the security of water and food supplies and a significant portion of the national economy," notes the report. "The Trump Administration, state water leaders and the congressional delegations of Arizona, Nevada and California must prioritize innovative water management solutions to ensure the Lower Colorado can continue to sustain the Southwest and the nation as a whole."