WSP12021

• File Number: 7630.285
• Description: Wild and Scenic - General
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 9/1/1973
• Author: DOI-USDA
• Title: Wild and Scenic Rivers - Authorized by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act - PL 90-542 - 10-2-1968 - Information Brochure
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

000649

In hi:'l February 10. 1970, )Iessage on
the Environment. President ~ixon ~mid,
. we came only lately to a recognition
of how precious and how vulner~tble our
resources of land. water ;tlld air really are.
"The tasks that need tloinR' r{,(lllire
money. re~oJve and ingenuity-and they
:Ire too big to be done by government
alone. They call fur fundamentally new
philosophies of land. air and water use,
for :'ltricter regulation. ivr expanded RO\'"
ernment action, for greater citizen ~n\'ol\'e-
mt-nt. and for new pro~rams to ensure
that g()n~rnment. indm;try and individuals
all are called on to do their share of the
job. . :'
Today a number of rivers have been
preserved in the ~ational Wild and Scenic
Rivers System.
Others remain. flowing through re-
mote wildernesl'! area~ or rurallandseapes,
and even close to crowded urban centers,
But they are endanJ(ered resourcell as
our needs for jXJwer and livinJt and indus-
tri:.ll ;o;pace expand, and their numbers con.
tinue tn diminis.h :1:\ the rE'Creational need
for them ~rows.
We haw enjoyed wild rivers as have
our forebears for generations.. Our de-
scendants deserve the same opportunity,
I f they are to know that heriul.Re, our
remaininl{ wild and free-tlo\'.'ing rivers,
or portions of them. should he pres.er....ed
in ewry se('tion of our land.
Only through conserv:ltion now can
these natural treasures. . . "clean rivers
to fii'h in and sit by" . . . be protected from
uscs that will destroy their beauty and
important recre:ltional v:l.lues.

'\

THE NATIONAL WILD AND
SCENIC RIVERS SYSTEM
Public Law 90-542

Tht' Wild and Scenie H.iver,; Act declares:
. ct'rtain sf'lpcted rivers of the 1":1-
tilln which. with their immediate envi-
rUllnwnt:-;. pos:-;e:-\:,; olltstandinl{ly remark-
ahle scenic. recrentiomll. J{eolo~dc. fish and
wildlife. hbtorie. cultural or other simi.
lar values, shall he preSeI'H'(\ in free-flow-
inJ( condition, and that they and their im-
nwdi;ltt' environments :-lhall be protected
for the Iwnerlt and t'nj()~'nH'nt of present
and future generation". The Congre:,s de-
cl:ln's that the t'stablished national policy
of dam and other construction at :tppro-
priate s(.ction:, of the river;;; of the United
States needs to lit' complemented by a
policy that would pre"ef\"e other i'elected
rin'r;o; or scction~ thereof in their free-
llowin~ condition to protect the water
quality of sllch riwr:-\ and to fulfill other
vit.ll national con;;;ervatinIl purposes."