Wild and Scenic Rivers

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORBUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

Wild and Scenic Rivers

On October 2, 1968, President Johnson signed the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, sponsored by Senator Frank Church. The Act currently protects more than 200 rivers in 35 states and Puerto Rico. The Act’s legacy is one of protecting the special character of certain rivers, while recognizing the potential for use and development.

"It is hereby declared to be the policy of the United States that certain selected rivers of the Nation which, with their immediate environments, possess outstandingly remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural, or other similar values, shall be preserved in free-flowing condition, and that they and their immediate environments shall be protected for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Congress declares that the established national policy of dam and other construction at appropriate sections of the rivers of the United States needs to be complemented by a policy that would preserve other selected rivers or sections thereof in their free-flowing condition to protect the water quality of such rivers and to fulfill other vital conservation purposes."

Below you will find information about the various Wild and Scenic Rivers that BLM manages, and online resources that provide more information about the program.

National Conservation Lands

The Act provides three levels of protection: wild, scenic, and recreational. “Wild” rivers are free of dams, generally inaccessible except by trail, and represent vestiges of primitive America. “Scenic” rivers are free of dams, with shorelines or watersheds still largely primitive and shorelines largely undeveloped, but accessible in places by roads. “Recreational” rivers are readily accessible by road or railroad, may have some development along their shorelines, and may have been dammed in the past.
The Bureau of Land Management has the responsibility of managing 69 Wild and Scenic rivers in 7 states including more than 2,400 river miles and approximately 1,165,000 acres (19% of the national system). The Bureau’s National Conservation Lands provide national level management and policy guidance for these rivers and represents the Bureau on the Interagency Wild and Scenic Rivers Coordinating Council.
Learn more about these rivers by viewing them by state below or the online resources at the bottom of the page!

Partners in Protection - Volunteer Opportunities

The Bureau of Land Management has the responsibility to protect the unique values that have been identified for each river segment. Monitoring each river segment to ensure key values are protected is an ongoing task requiring input from a variety of BLM staff specialists. BLM cannot do this job alone and relies on a variety of partners to assist them in monitoring and restoration activities. If you are interested in volunteering to assist BLM in monitoring and protecting a BLM Wild and Scenic River, contact your nearest BLM office for details or by linking to the webpages for states or specific rivers below.

Rivers by State

Alaska California Idaho Montana New Mexico Oregon Utah

Alaska

(State Page)

Beaver Creek Fortymile
Birch Creek Gulkana
Delta Unalakleet

California

(State Page)

Amargosa North Fork American
Cottonwood Creek
Merced
Eel
Trinity
Klamath (also in OR) Tuolumne

Idaho

Summary of Mileage by State

STATE
Number of Rivers
Wild(miles)
Scenic(miles)
Recreational(miles)
Total
Miles
Acreage
Protected
Alaska
6
697.0
227.0
28.0
952
608,400
California
8
46.9
16.6
44.4
107.9
34,528
Idaho
16
306.3

5.7
313
123,936
Montana
1
64.0
26.0
59.0
149
89,300
New Mexico
2
56.5
12.0
2.5
71
22,720
Oregon
23
333.1
71.9
406.8
811.8
256,656
Utah
11
20.12
0.1

20.22
28,474
Total BLM Administered WSRs
69
1517.37
353.6
548.1
2419.07
1,164,014

Detail Table - BLM Wild and Scenic Rivers (PDF) - Provides mileage per river.

Legislation and Management Policies

Wild and Scenic River Act - The Wild and Scenic River Act

43 CFR 8350 - Title 43 Chapter II - Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior - Part 8350 - Management Areas

BLM WSR Manual 8351 (200KB PDF) - Wild and Scenic Rivers - Policy and Program Direction for Identification, Evaluation and Management

Instruction Memorandum 1998-129 - Protective Management Policy and Guidance for Identified BLM Elibible RIver Segments Evaluated Pursuant to the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act

Instruction Memoranda 2004-196 - Clarification of Policy in BLM Manual Section 8351, Wild and Scenic Rivers, with Respect to Eligibility Criteria and Protective Management

Other Online Resources

National Wild and Scenic River System - Interagency website that provides details about wild and scenic rivers

BLM Floatable Rivers - Website that provides details on floatable rivers that BLM manages (Not a BLM Administered site)