Our rivers should be fishable and swimmable, not flammable. That was the simple but powerful idea behind the Clean Water Act, even if the link between the 1969 Cuyahoga River fire and the 1972 passage of the CWA is not as strong as is often asserted.

Rivers, lakes, wetlands, estuaries, even groundwater caverns: these diverse water bodies are vital habitat for innumerable species, precious sources of clean water and food, irreplacable stores of culture, and critical balms for our bodies and souls. Yet they are also the recipients of numerous assaults: pollution, invasive species, water depletion, dams and levees, climate change, neglect and loss of memory. 

How can we protect and restore aquatic ecosystems – and in doing so protect our human communities and economies? The Clean Water Act is a start, but there is still far to go.