Fort McPherson (July 14/03) - The Peel River has been ranked seven on a 2003 National Endangered Rivers top 10 list released by EarthWild and Wildcanada.net.

The environmental groups compiled the list and an on-line profile to raise awareness about Canadian rivers most threatened by human activity.

"The idea is to raise the profile of rivers across Canada," said Stephen Legault, Wildcanada.net executive director.

"We want to encourage people to take interest in Canadian rivers, not only those on the list, but those in their own backyards."

The Peel River was nominated by the Tetlit Gwich'in Council in Fort McPherson and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society in the Yukon.

The Peel River ranked in the top five most endangered last year, said Legault.

Legault said the river dropped down by two spots not because it has improved but because there were more nominations this year.

"We're very concerned over the future of the Peel River," he said.

"It's one of the great wild and pristine watersheds in North America ... We look to it to see what rivers looked like one hundred years ago."

Legault said oil and gas exploration and the Mackenzie Valley pipeline could damage the quality of the watershed.

Over the next six months an action plan will be published on-line so Canadians can appeal to the federal, territorial and municipal governments to take notice of the river issues in their region, he said.

This is the second year the group has compiled a list. Forty Canadian rivers were nominated this year.

Number one on the endangered list is the Petitcodiac River in New Brunswick, the second most endangered river in Canada is the Eastmain and Rupert Rivers in Quebec.

For more information visit the Web site at endangeredrivers.net.