The St. Croix, one of the state’s cleanest and most beautiful waterways, made the list of the top ten most endangered rivers in the country Tuesday.

Unlike the other nine, however, the problems facing the St. Croix are political, not environmental, according to American Rivers, the group that each year puts out a list of the most trouble rivers in the country.

It’s all about the bridge. Rolling back the longstanding Wild and Scenic protections on the river to allow the construction of a four lane bridge from Wisconsin to Stillwater would “gouge taxpayers, harm the river, and create a harmful precedent for Wild and Scenic rivers nationwide,” the environmental group said Tuesday.

Most of the others on the list were put there because of environmental concerns. Two, the Susquehana in the east and Hoback in Wyoming, are threatened by fracking, or natural gas extraction. The Chicago River is polluted with harmful bacteria, and Ozark National Scenic Riverway has been harmed by overuse and mis-management, the organization said.

But the threat to the St. Croix lies in the future,” the group said.

“Our organization recognizes the need for a new bridge in Stillwater,” said Deb Ryun, Executive Director of the St. Croix River Association. “Amending the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to allow the current proposal to be built is not the right decision for this important river.”

The St. Croix, which originates in northwest Wisconsin and flows south, was named of the the original eight Wild and Scenic Rivers in 1968. It is the only river in Minnesota to get such a designation, which comes with legal protections related to use and development. It is one of two such rivers in Wisconsin.

Earlier this month U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann introduced a bill with bipartisan support from key congressional leaders that would exempt the river form the scenic rivers act as well as from both states’ governors.

For a complete list of rivers listed as endangered by American Rivers go to www.americanrivers.org

Josephine Marcotty • 612-673-7394