WSP04519

• File Number: 7630.285
• Description: Wild and Scenic - General
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 5/22/1978
• Author: US GAO
• Title: Federal Protection and Preservation of Wild and Scenic Rivers is Slow and Costly - By the Comptroller General - Report to the Congress of the United States
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

000451

CHAPTER I

~TP'rus 0': THE tlP.TIOI.P.L wr:.,o ~mJ _~S:ENIC R!:.'{l,R~ SYST~~

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l"hin .Iort discGsses the progress ~ade in establi~~:~ng
a nationa .ild and scenic rivers syslem. The concEpt of a
system LO preserve the Nationls unique, scenic, and no:ural
rivers de""loped during the 1960s, T!>e Outdoor Recreation
Resources Review Commission and se~eral congressional COffimit-
tees endo.sed the wild rivers concept, an~ in 1568, after
years of discussion and debate. the Wild and Scenic RiveLs
Act (16 U.S.C. 12/1-87) became law. The act established
the policy chat ce.tain rivers whi~h, wich their imme~iate
environments, possess outstandingly rp.markable scenic,
recreation, g8010gic, fis!> and wildlife, historic, cultural,
Or other similar ~alues, shall be preserved in free-flowing
c0ndition and protected for the ben~fit and enjoyment of
present and future generations. The Congress declared that
this new policy was needed to complement the estoblished
national policy of dam and other construction on rivers.

Our review covered lnatterq concerning rivers being
considered for addition to th~ national system and rivers
al~eady in the national system. Ou~ ob~pctives w~[e to
examine the progress made in (1) adding-rivers tJ the sys-
tem a.'" the effectivenp.sR of the processes available to add
rivers to the system (see ch. 2) ~nd (2) protecting rivers
currently in the national system and the efficiency of the
metrods used to provide peotection. (See en. 3.) The scope
of cur review is described in cllapter 4.

NATIONAL WILD AND ECENIC RrVL; ~ SYSTEM

TI.~ Wild and Scenic P.ivers _l\-.:t imple;nenteil il nen-
national policy of preserving selected rivers by ;nstttuting
a national wila and scenic rivers syst~m. C~[t~in s=~ectea
rivers of the Nation, which are free-flowing or restorable
to such condition, are eligible for inclusion in the natiG~~1
system and, if incl'lded, are to be designated as wild, scen!c,
or recreational and administered acco[din~ to the three clas..
sifications. Wl~d river areas are the most primitive (gener-
ally inaccessibl~ except by trdil) and managed to preserve
and enhance the primitive quaJities. Scenic river areas a~~
accessible irl places by ~oad~ man~gcd try preserve and enhance
a natural, if modified, environment~ and provide 3 modest
range 0f fucil1~ies far recreatia~. Recreational river ~reas
140rmally provide rl widt=;> ra;lgp of readily ac:ce::i.'-.~~:.lr::' rF-_.~..~-
ti0nal opportunities, including more elabccu"..t.. al.d ~Ol.:
numerous facilities ~n an enY~rOnmEnt which mev rcilect :~l)-
stantial evidence of man's activity, yet renlai~ estheticdil~

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