Aquatic Biodiversity Management in the United States

A tremendous number of freshwater fish species, aquatic plants, and aquatic invertebrates are native to North America. The native fish alone number more than 1300 species. But across North America, this biodiversity faces a wide variety of threats, from invasive species to pollution to habitat loss. Freshwater species in the United States are disappearing at a rate two to five times higher than land animals and are the most imperiled species group in the country. This chapter provides background information on the aquatic biodiversity in the United States and the threats it faces, and then discusses the federal major laws and other approaches to mitigating those threats. The two primary laws are the Endangered Species Act, focused on protecting threatened and endangered species, and the Clean Water Act, focused on pollution prevention, wetland protection, and, to a lesser degree, habitat protection. The chapter also reviews other relevant laws and policies, including the Federal Power Act, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, federal funding for state aquatic conservation efforts through the Dingell Johnson Act and the Pittman-Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, and the Biden Administration’s 30 × 30 initiative.