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Four thousand miles of rivers and creeks. That’s just about the number of river miles identified in Friends of the River’s (FOR) latest publication, "Potential Wild and Scenic Rivers in California – A Statewide Inventory."
The statewide river conservation group recently released its new rivers report in an effort to broaden awareness about California's incredible natural resources and the need to protect them.
Led by FOR’s conservation director Steve Evans, a complete list of the rivers eligible for federal protection under the 1968 Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was finally brought together in one document. This unprecedented compilation is based upon recommendations by both government agencies and citizen activists. It is something that provides a foundation for any future legislative efforts to preserve these special waterways.
Friends of the River's inventory of eligible rivers also comes on the heels of an August poll showing that 72 percent of voters in California support protecting more public lands and rivers.
“We have identified several thousand miles of free-flowing rivers and creeks that qualify for national protection,” said Evans, “and it's heartening to see the public support our nation’s strongest legal tool for protecting rivers from dams, diversions, unwise development and mining.”
The inventory consists of 326 river and stream segments totaling 3,992 miles. That’s less than two percent of the entire river mileage in the state. These rivers also are a key part of what's being called the "California Wild Heritage Campaign," which is a multi-year effort aimed at obtaining both additional wilderness and wild river protection throughout the state.
You can find out more about the overall wild rivers and wilderness campaign, view regional maps of eligible rivers, or download the Wild and Scenic inventory report by visiting www.friendsoftheriver.org.
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