Paddlers, passionate about wild and free-flowing rivers, have long advocated for their inclusion in the Wild and Scenic Rivers system. Witnessing the loss of hundreds of miles of rivers to development and hydropower projects, they were among the earliest activists pushing for a national system to protect our last free-flowing rivers. In the 1960s, Oz Hawksley and others, through the American Whitewater Journal, highlighted the beauty of rivers like the Selway. Oz kept paddlers informed on the progress of Wild Rivers legislation, culminating in the signing of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act on October 2, 1968. Affiliate clubs also played pivotal roles, such as the Kayak and Canoe Club of New York’s trip down the Hudson River with Senator Kennedy and Interior Secretary Udall to promote the Wild Rivers Bill. Today, paddlers remain actively involved, advocating for the protection of numerous ‘eligible’ Wild and Scenic Rivers that await formal designation.
In addition to the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, American Whitewater uses other protection tools including Wilderness designation, National Monuments, Outstanding Resource Water designations, and state scenic waterway designations to protect river corridors with management guidance to protect and enhance opportunities for the public to enjoy these rivers.
We have current Wild and Scenic Rivers campaigns underway to protect rivers that include the Wild Olympics in Washington State, Gila in New Mexico, rivers in Montana, and rivers throughout California. We have additional river protection efforts underway for the Dolores in Colorado and Owyhee in Oregon. We are also actively advocating at the state level for Outstanding Resource Waters designations in Washington, Oregon, New Mexico, and Colorado.