The potential repeal of the Roadless Rule by the Trump administration could jeopardize the drinking water supply for approximately 25 million Americans, according to a new study. The rule, established in 2001, protects over 81,000 miles of rivers by designating Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs) with specific regulations.
A team of researchers analyzed 2,488 protected roadless areas to assess their contribution to river protection, their role in supplying drinking water, and their importance for aquatic biodiversity, hunting, and fishing. The findings indicate that IRAs safeguard roughly 2.5% of the total river length in the contiguous United States.
Thirty-eight states benefit from the river protection offered by IRAs, with western states such as Idaho, Utah, and Colorado having the highest proportion of protected river length. However, the dependency on these watersheds for drinking water varies significantly by state. Five states—Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, and North Carolina—each rely on roadless areas for drinking water for over 1 million people.
In California, 24% of the state's population sources drinking water from IRA-influenced watersheds. Colorado sees 58.9% of its population dependent on these sources, while New Mexico has 38.7%. The proximity of National Forests to urban centers means that even states with smaller IRAs can have a large percentage of their population relying on these waterways. For instance, the Angeles National Forest in southern California serves over 4 million public water service customers.
The study underscores the critical role of these protected forest areas in maintaining the quality and availability of drinking water for a substantial portion of the U.S. population.