WSP09783

• File Number: 7630.625
• Description: Wild and Scenic - Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 9/7/1982
• Author: DOI-USDA
• Title: Federal Register - National Wild-Scenic River System - Final Revised Guidelines for Eligibility Classification and Management of River Areas - From File Wild-Scenic Rivers Act - PL 90-542 As Amended
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

,)}3295

F':tllH';

!~ish~r I Vol. '\/, Nil. "1"1:\ I T\II~sd;\y. .1~lI\!WI 7. 1!11I!.. I No\ic(:s

:.m~155

The Study Process
'J'h,~ SIUI.ly Hcpurl
D{!~cripliun uf the Study ^rCiJ
Dclcnuillutiun of Eh~iujhlY
Clu:lsificution
^1I;dys\s of ^lIcmalivcs
SeL'lion III
M;ln..~cmcl1l
c.;cllcflIl M;:.llilgt:IIH~111 Jlnru.:ijJh~s

Tables
Table 1
At.:l,;c!l:rlllcd Study Schcduh:
Tahlu :J
Cluslilfil..:iJtiun Cnlcri.1 for Wild. SCC!\\{; am1
Recrel:llional River Arc1I8
Appendix
'flU! Wild und St:ClIIC Rive!'!; Al,;l (PliO. I.. Ill)....
542 ;IS illlll:ndcd through Ilull. I.. llU....IUi'J

Prul"m.:o
"fhl} Nalional Wild amI SC:t!nic: Jlivurs
SystL'/11
The Wiltl UI1U Scenic Hivcni Act, (plIL.
L. 90-542 uS amended; 16 U.S,C, 1271-
1287) established a ml:!lhod for providing
Federal protection for certain of our
l,;oulllry's rum.lining frc{:.nuwjl1~ nve!":;.
pl'l.:sel'ving t1W/ll ilnd Iheir illlmcJi:.Jtc
environments for the use and ~nioymcnt
of pre~elll <lnd future gcncriltiuns. Hivcrs
arc included in the system so Ihut they
may benefil frum the proleclive
n\ilnagl:mcnl and con\rol of
ucvfdupment fur which llll: A(;I I'rovide~.
TillJ pn;i1I11blc of the Acl ~Ialtl:i:
It IS hC~l'elJy t1ec:lal"l!d Iv be tlw j.JOlit:y of Ihe
Ul1i'.~d SllIll:S lhilll:t:rlilin titd.:t:ll!d l'iV(:l"!; uf
Ihl' Natiull whiL:h. wilh IIH!il ill\llll:diHlc
cnvirOllmellls, possess OUlstulluingly
renlllrkalJle scenic, rccrcutionlll.gcuJogic. fish
C1nu wildlife. histuric. t:ulturill. or uthe/'
similar values, Sh.lll ue presel'ved In frce-
flowing condition. and thai they ami their
Immediate environments shi.llllJe pru(et:!c!u
for Ihe uencfit and enjoymenl of present lmd
future Henerl:lllOns. The Congress dcclllres
thut the estublishcd national pulicy of dam
ami other cons\ruclion aluppropriute
sections of Ihe rivers uf the lJlIiled Stul(:s
IWI~\ts III be l:Ullll'h:rllclIlcd uya puJic;y Ihat
would prt~l>erv~ o\hcl. ::;dcchld rivers ur
secliun::; thereof in their fre.!.nllwill~
l.:unuillulI lu I'/'ultld the wi.llel'lluality uf such
rivers i.InulQ fulfill olhcr vilal n.iliorlill
cOllservulion ~urpllses.
Addition of HivNS 10 the Sy:Hl1m
The Wild and Sccni<: Hivel's Atl
provides \WQ me\hous for ut.Jding iI river
\0 \hc Nu.tLon;:\l Wild and Sc<:nic RiVHrS
System. The firslmethod is lJy iJlllll:1 of
Congress. Congress can de~ignille u
river directly or it c.:iln authorize u river
{ur s\udy .\S a po\enlia\ wild. scenic or
recreational river. Upon completion of l.J
.tudy conducled by the Deportment of
the Inleriar or lhe Deparlment of
,\gricuilurc. a sludy report is prep1f.red

-.

iJJl<IIr<lnsmittctl lu thc President who, in
tum, forwards il wilh his
n.!cUl1lnWndilliullS lu Congrv5s for
lIGliun.
The sucund m(~th()d for inclusion of iI
ri\ler in tilt! lli.ltiolJi.II syslem is thruugh
Ihe aulhority grantcd 10 the Sccretary of
till! Inll:rior ill ~et:liun llil)(ii) of Ilw Act.
Ul-lIJJl 'Ipplicatioll liy Ihe c.;UVUrIIOJ' or
Covel'110ft; 01 the 51.llc ur Slu\cs
involved. the Sccrel<Jry cun designute a
river as ;1 CUll1pOlwnt of tht? natiun.d
~y~~cm pl'u\'ideJ \\\\\1 \he rivl:r hus tH:ert
dcsiUllilterJ ;l~ it wild. :;ccni<<.; or
rc<<.;rca liunalriver liy ur lJurSuulll to an
uct of the legi::;luturc of the Slale or
Stutes through which if nows to be
pCI'l1wncnlly ;.,uminislcrcu as cl wild,
sccllic, ur l'llCI'(~i1ti{lnal rivcr by an
i111I!IIt;y Ill' IllJlltic.d tHlhdivi:iiunllf 11Il!
Sinh! ur Sllllt!S (;cJlIl.a:l'I!t:u.
To lie eligible fur illc.:lusion in the
SYSll!Jll through either melhud. rivers
1I111litlllcol ccrlllin criicl'ill tICI forth in
t>t;l:titJlt 2(ltJ of the At;!. JlI'ucellurcti fur
prupusing Statc.uumll1istercu rivcr~ for
designation hilve ueen issued by the
Deparlment of the lnleriur.

'/'hu Guidalilll.'.<;

SUUtieqllcn! to cuaclmtml of \hc WHO.
amI. Sl.:cnit.; Rivers Al.:l in October 191.iG.
Ilw Departments of Agriculture und Ihe
In~crior ini\ialcd Btudies of twenly-seven
rivers which the Act uuthorized fur
lituuy a.s pOlentiul ..dditions 10 the
N...liulllll Wilt..! ,lilt! St;eni<<.; Riven;
Sy~lt!nl. A:i lhc:i<: stuuies prugl'C58eU, it
tU.lGUl1\C evidcnt lhat :ipccific
requirellwllls uf Ilw Al;l t:ollt:emiJl~ the
eViJluution. dus~ifj(;ution und
ffianugemcnt of these rivers were
suujcc.:1 to diffcring interpretations
wilhin and uelwe.en ~hc \Wl)
ucpartllHmts.
It wus therefore ug:rl:cd that u unifurm
e\'ul\\il\ion and mi:llHl.gement upprouch
should be formulated for use by the two
deparlmenls, und through u cooperative
drml, Guidelilws for f.:vuluulillg Wi/d.
.''It:auit: 1I11l11l'.'(.-rt.'utiul/ul /liveJ' A reus
fJ/'()jJu~wd fin' Il/clusiUII ill the Notiullol
Wild (II/(/ S{:{:lIi~: Ilivl!rs Syste/1/ U11ller
,':h!{:tioll:!, l'uhJi(,' l.uw ljlJ--!j'12 wafi
prepiJred iJnd prolllulgated in Feurllary
1970.
The guitldinc3 nut only provide
guitlance fur the congressionally
mandated stuJies unoer sectiun 5(u) of
the Act. uul af(: also useful for
cViJ!uilliol1s l;ulHha:lcd uy Willer
rm;uur(~c dcvdopl1um\ ilgencies under
~ccti(JiI 5(tlJ and fol' Sti.ltes applying fur
inclusion uf Sltlle~tlesigniJtcd rivcrt; in
Ihe niltiunul system.

Revision o{ the Guidelines

While lhese ~uidelines were effective
throughout a d<;:'ijde. i! became clear

thiJl rcvi~ion wu~ ncceSS,l.ry 10
incorporale changf.ls idenuficd through
use and to renecl rcquireJltcl1l~ of n~w
liJWS /.Inti regul.1Iions. Thert:fore. on
^"gLJ~t Z, 11.170, (h~ J'n:sitll!l1l directed in
his Environmuntal Me:lsoge thai "the
Sccretilry uf Agriculture ilnd the
Scc.:rc(ary uf till! Inlerior sh.11I juintly
revitie their gualeilneti fur cv:..du<lling
wild. scenic anti recreiltional rivers to
ent;urc consideration of river
ecusystcllls und to l:ihorten the time
cUl'rcnlly used \0 ~ludy rivers for
ue~ignatioll."
Thi~ revision of the guidelines hus
been prepared in response 10 Ihe
Prcsidenl's 1979 directive und includes:
Cli.lrificillion of the fuet lhal free-
nUWill/o: rivcrs which (:oillllill
u\ltslulldll~Hly I'~ll\ill'kl.lull.: l:cologiclll
vulues urc eli~iLle for uUUlliOI1 lu the
niJlionc.1I syslem.
. r.liJrificutiul1 of th~ fucllllilt fruo-
f1uwillH river SIJ~lIlCllls ill or nCiJr
urban areali IhiJI possess
outstantlingly remarkable vlllucs ijre
eligible for uddillon to the national
8yslem.
. Elimillution uf the 25-mile minimum
length guitleline.
. Revision of Ihc definilion of sufficient
river flow or volume of wu\er in Ihe
river. Suffidcnl now wus nut Jldined
in the Act aIH.l1hc definition in the
existing guiJelines WiJS unnece::;siJrily
limiting.
Revised wuler qUiJlily guidelines to
alluw illl:luliioll III lbe ~ystem of rivers
whcrv rcstuJ'utiun tu high waler
quality is planned.
. A revised seclion on managemenl of
des\gouted river i.l.r~lIS.
A study st:hcdulc 10 acccleriJte
complelion of the river studies
authorized by Congress.

Section I-Definitions

The following tldiRilions are provided
for the purpose of Ihc~e guiJcllOes only.
Ac;t: The Wild i.lnd Scenic Rivers Act.
Carrying capacity: The quantity uf
rccreutlun use which iJn area C<J1t
suslilin withoul adverse imp<lct on the
uulst.IJtJingly remarkulilc vulues and
rr~e-nowing character of the river area,
the qualily of recrcution experience. ilnd
public he.llh ""d sllfuly.
C/ussificatioll crit(Jl'iu: Criteria
specifIed in Scclion 2(b) of \hc Ac\ for
uetcrlllil1in~ the c1,lssiflCi.llion (wild.
scenic ur rccrcationiJl) of eligible rivcr
scgmcnls.
Class/ficatiun: The process of
deterrnjning which of the classes
outlined in sectiun 2(b) of the Acl (wild,
scenic. or recreational) best fit the r\ver
or Hs various segmcnls.