The Wild and Scenic Act was signed into existence in 1968 to protect rivers of outstandingly remarkable value. The Wild and Scenic Act prohibits any development that would change the flow or negatively impact the stream. The rivers protected under the act, have a 1/4 mile average corridor that is strictly protected from any type of development. 

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Less than one half of a percent of our rivers our protected by the Wild and Scenic act. On the flip side of that, about 17% of our countries rivers are dammed for hydroelectric power. Quite the differential!

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Under the Wild and Scenic Act, there are three different river classifications: Wild, Scenic or Recreational. These classifications are defined by the National Wild and Scenic River System as the following:

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Wild River Areas – Those rivers or sections of rivers that are free of impoundments and generally inaccessible except by trail, with watersheds or shorelines essentially primitive and waters unpolluted. These represent vestiges of primitive America.

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Scenic River Areas – Those rivers or sections of rivers that are free of impoundments, with shorelines or watersheds still largely primitive and shorelines largely undeveloped, but accessible in places by roads.

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Recreational River Areas – Those rivers or sections of rivers that are readily accessible by road or railroad, that may have some development along their shorelines, and that may have undergone some impoundment or diversion in the past.

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As we explore the rivers of our country, we hope to bring some more light to the specifics of what these classifications truly mean.