| Oregon Dominates Federal
Protected Streams List By Fred Delkin
“I had no idea!” exclaimed veteran river rafting impresario Ken Streater when we informed him that Oregon claims far more federally designated “wild and scenic rivers” than any other state. Oregon has more than twice as many protected rivers than the runner-up, Alaska. All or portions of 41 Oregon streams are protected from adverse environmental
impact under the “Wild and Scenic Rivers Act” passed by Congress in 1968.
Alaska has 25 protected rivers. The 50th state does exceed Oregon
in protected river mileage, roughly 3,000-1,500. To join the National
Wild and Scenic Rivers System, a waterway must posess Protected streams are managed by one of four federal agencies: Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Agency. Protection extends into every region of our state (see following rivers list). The Wild and Scenic designation does not lock up a river, but has the goal of “preserving its charm.” Management plans are tailored to the characteristics of each stream and encourage recreational use, as in rafting and fishing. Salient no-no is the curtailing of free-flow, as in no dams, now or forever. Latest Oregon designation was for the Klamath River, following a bitter 15-year political battle over the proposed Klamath Basin Salt Caves Hydroelectric Project. A current regional nomination for a Wild and Scenic designation covers the last naturally flowing section of the Columbia in southern Washington state, within the confines of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation where the explosive end of World War II was crafted. John Day mileage tops East central Oregon’s John Day river system boasts the most protected mileage hereabouts( 241), with the North and South Forks plus the main river under federal guard. The main Deschutes (173 miles) and the Owyhee (127) are the other triple digit protected Oregon river lengths. Proximity to population doesn’t disqualify a river from protection. Sections of Oregon’s Willamette, Sandy, Clackamas and McKenzie are within minutes of the state’s greatest population concentrations, but have earned safeguarding of their most charming mileage. While the wild west dominates the Wild & Scenic listing, no less
than 38 Oregon’s Wild & Scenic streams & mileage protected Big Marsh Creek (15) Metolius (30)
(C) 2002 Oregon Magazine |
“outstandingly
remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic,
cultural or similar values and shall be preserved in a free-flowing condition…and
immediate environments shall be protected for the benefit and enjoyment
of present and future generations.” (Photo: Owyhee
R.)
states
claim protected streams. Joining Oregon and Alaska in double figure
totals are Michigan (16) and California (14). Arkansas leads the
rest with 8, followed by Idaho, with a surprisingly few 5, and New Mexico
with 4.