Why do aquatic nuisance species and aquatic habitats deserve special attention?
Aquatic nuisance species deserve special attention because our nations’ waters are already severely degraded. Consider these statistics: • 92 to 98 percent of the linear miles of rivers and stream are so altered that they do not fit criteria for National Wild and Scenic Rivers or United States Geologic Survey Benchmark Streams. • An estimated 80% of natural riparian vegetation has been lost. • Only 42 Rivers across the United States still flow unimpeded by dams. • Twenty-two States have lost 50% of their original wetlands. Ten States have lost 70% or more. • Approximately ten thousand non-indigenous aquatic species are currently present in U.S. waters, many of them with severe ecological consequences. The result of this degradation is that between 33 and 75 percent of aquatic species are rare or extinct. More specifically, the Nature Conservancy’s 1997 Species Report Card found that: • 37% of the nation’s freshwater fish fauna are at risk of extinction. • 51% percent of U.S. crayfish s
