The Wild & Scenic Rivers Act

Signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968, the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act is our nation’s premier river protection tool.  The Act:

• Bans all new dams and other potentially harmful water development projects
• Restricts activities that would impair a designated river’s “outstandingly remarkable values”
• Ensures that water quality at the time of designation is maintained and enhanced
• Creates a federal reserved water right for the amount of unappropriated water that is necessary to protect a designated river’s special values
• Requires the development of a cooperative river management plan to govern future management of a designated river  

Interestingly, the idea for a Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was first proposed by two of Jackson Hole’s most famous residents – brothers John and Frank Craighead – who later gained fame as two of the world’s most foremost wildlife biologists.  Today, the Craighead family continues to play an active role in moving CFSH forward.  

To date, 160 rivers totaling 11,292 stream miles have been protected under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.  Despite its wealth of spectacular waters, only one Wyoming river has been included in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.  In 1991, the 20-mile long canyon section of the Clarks  of the Yellowstone River northwest of Cody was designated following a decade long campaign by local anglers, hunters, and river advocates.

To view the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in its entirety, visit: http://www.nps.gov/rivers/wsract.html.