It is hereby declared to be the policy of the United States that certain selected rivers of the Nation which, with their immediate environments, possess outstandingly remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural or other similar values, shall be preserved in free-flowing condition, and that they and their immediate environments shall be protected for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.
The Congress declares that the established national policy of dams and other construction at appropriate sections of the rivers of the United States needs to be complemented by a policy that would preserve other selected rivers or sections thereof in their free-flowing condition to protect the water quality of such rivers and to fulfill other vital national conservation purposes.
In October of 1968, the President signed the national Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in response to the fact that our rivers were being dammed, dredged, diked, diverted and degraded at an alarming rate. The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act has been highly successful, and has helped to protect dozens of this nation’s premiere whitewater rivers.
American Whitewater has been a strong supporter of the Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Our members helped to get the original bill signed into law, and have helped to make sure that classic whitewater rivers like the Chattooga and Salmon were protected.
To find out more, link to the official Wild and Scenic Rivers web page at www.nps.gov/rivers/index.html.