A new analysis from the Center for American Progress raises alarms about how the Trump Administration’s plans to shrink or eliminate national monuments could impact drinking water for millions of people across the country.
Researchers looked at 31 national monuments designated since the Clinton Administration and found they’re the only layer of protection for more than 21,000 miles of rivers and streams that feed downstream communities. According to the study, watersheds within or immediately downstream from these monuments supply drinking water to more than 13 million Americans, and roughly 83 percent of that water has no other protection beyond the monument status.
The concern is that downsizing monuments opens the door to extractive industries like mining and drilling along river corridors, activities that can contaminate or drain scarce water sources—especially in regions already facing shortages due to climate change. Groups working to protect places like Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah say this is about more than scenery and science; it’s about safeguarding the water resources rural communities rely on every day.
The Trump Administration is currently weighing monument reductions, and conservation groups say the stakes include the long-term stability of Western water supplies.
