National Wild and Scenic Rivers System

National Wild and Scenic Rivers System
Name	National Wild and Scenic Rivers System
Established	1968
Governing body	National Park Service
Designation	Federal law
Location	United States

Contents

National Wild and Scenic Rivers System is a United States federal program created to preserve certain free-flowing rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a manner that protects their water quality and special characteristics. The system operates through cooperative relationships among the United States Congress, National Park Service, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, United States Forest Service, and numerous state park agencies to balance protection for segments of the Missouri River, Columbia River, Colorado River, Snake River, and tributaries such as the John Day River.

Overview

The system identifies and protects river segments under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act enacted by the 90th United States Congress and signed by Lyndon B. Johnson to counter large-scale water projects exemplified by the Glen Canyon Dam and proposals on the Green River, Yampa River, and Gunnison River. Protected reaches are administered via designations like wild river, scenic river, and recreational river and often overlap lands managed by National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, United States Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and state entities such as the Oregon State Parks and California Department of Parks and Recreation.

Origins trace to conservation campaigns led by organizations including the Sierra Club, The Wilderness Society, National Audubon Society, and activists like David Brower and Howard Zahniser who opposed dams on the Colorado River and Glen Canyon. Legislative milestones include the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968, amendments by the 93rd United States Congress and later bills debated in the United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the United States House Committee on Natural Resources. High-profile hearings referenced projects on the Columbia River Basin, controversies over the Alaskan National Interest Lands Conservation Act, and conservation fights involving the Appalachian Mountains and western river basins such as the Missouri River Basin.

Designation requires a river to be free-flowing and possess one or more "outstandingly remarkable values" as recognized by agencies like the National Park Service and United States Fish and Wildlife Service; values often cited include wildlife habitat for species such as the bald eagle and bull trout, geologic features like those in Grand Canyon National Park and Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, or cultural resources tied to Native American tribes, including the Nez Perce and Yurok. Nominations originate from the President of the United States, state governors, or bills introduced in the United States Congress and are evaluated through environmental reviews under statutes such as the National Environmental Policy Act. The process involves coordination with agencies including the Bureau of Land Management, United States Forest Service, and state commissions such as the California Coastal Commission.

Management uses cooperative agreements, memoranda of understanding, and river management plans developed by partners like the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, United States Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, state parks systems (e.g., Oregon Parks and Recreation Department), and tribal governments such as the Yakama Nation and Umatilla Indian Reservation. Federal oversight is provided by the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture when respective lands are involved, with technical support from agencies including the United States Geological Survey and Environmental Protection Agency for water-quality monitoring and restoration projects tied to programs like the Clean Water Act.

Categories include "wild", "scenic", and "recreational" designations applied to rivers like the Salmon River (Idaho), Middle Fork of the Salmon River, Frank Church—River of No Return Wilderness corridors, the New River (Virginia and West Virginia), the Merced River in Yosemite National Park, the Wild and Scenic Rogue River in Oregon, the Arkansas River in Colorado, the Chattooga River on the Georgia–South Carolina border, and portions of the Upper Delaware River shared with New York (state); international comparisons reference protections like the Ramsar Convention for wetlands and the European Union Water Framework Directive though distinct from federal designation. Important tributaries and systems under protection include segments of the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, reaches adjacent to Yellowstone National Park, and the St. Croix River bordering Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Threats include water diversions tied to projects like the Central Arizona Project, contamination issues linked to mining histories such as Gold King Mine and acid mine drainage in the Upper Animas River, invasive species exemplified by zebra mussel and quagga mussel infestations, climate change impacts documented by researchers at institutions like Scripps Institution of Oceanography and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and development pressures from transportation corridors like the Interstate 90 and urban sprawl in regions including Los Angeles and Denver. Legal and policy challenges arise in litigation before the United States Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States over water rights, federal preemption, and tribal treaty rights such as those litigated by the Makah and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

Recreation on designated rivers supports activities such as whitewater rafting on the Colorado River (Arizona–Utah) and Middle Fork of the Salmon River, angling for species like steelhead and chinook salmon, and cultural practices by tribes including the Hoh, Tlingit, and Miwok. Management balances visitor access at sites like Yosemite National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Glacier National Park, river outfitters in Moab, Utah, and community groups in towns such as Jackson Hole, Wyoming with conservation priorities enforced by agencies including the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management. Interpretation and education draw on partnerships with organizations like the Sierra Club, American Rivers, The Nature Conservancy, and university programs at University of Montana and Colorado State University.