A new report from American Rivers ranks the Suwannee River as the 10th most endangered river in the country, citing nitrate pollution and heavy groundwater withdrawals. The Suwannee remains one of the Southeast’s few largely undammed rivers, beginning in the Okefenokee Swamp and flowing south into Florida.

Peter Raabe, the Southeast regional director for American Rivers, said problems originating upstream are affecting the entire watershed.

“It is not being able to serve all the purposes that it should be,” he said. “And so, because of some of the pollution that is going in there and some of the water management issues, we’re starting to see impacts to the health of the river.”

More than 300 freshwater springs feed into the Suwannee, but elevated nitrate levels — largely tied to fertilizers and livestock operations — are contributing to algae growth and raising concerns about drinking water quality.

Raabe described the river as an uncommon natural resource, pointing to its long, uninterrupted flow. 

“The Suwannee is really unique,” he said. “Whether it’s from its headwaters up in Georgia coming out of the Okefenokee Swamp and/or flowing all the way down to the Gulf, you’re talking about a river that is free-flowing, where it doesn’t have any dams, and that’s so rare. I think it’s 171 miles of free-flowing river, and that is something that not a lot of communities get to have that sort of a benefit.”

Although the river is designated as an Outstanding Florida Water once it enters Florida, both water quality and flow levels are under strain. The report says Florida has not consistently enforced its cleanup requirements, while Georgia remains critical as the steward of the river’s headwaters. The state’s regional water planning framework emphasizes conservation efforts and reducing pollution from diffuse sources.

Environmental advocates are calling on both states to step up protections by funding improved agricultural practices, upgrading wastewater systems, and expanding groundwater monitoring — steps they say are necessary to preserve the river’s future.