40th Anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. There are 14 Wild and Scenic Rivers (WSR) on the National Forests in California, totaling 1,100 miles, almost 10 percent of the country's entire WSR system.

Wild and Scenic Rivers – Fact Sheet
River Name National Forest State(s) Miles
Big Sur Los Padres California 20
Black Butte Mendocino California 21
Eel 1 Six Rivers California 35
Feather Plumas California 78
Kern Sequoia California 124
Kings Sierra California 26
Klamath 1 Klamath California 211
Merced Sierra California 30
North Fork American Tahoe California 26
Sespe Creek Los Padres California 32
Sisquoc Los Padres California 33
Smith Six Rivers California 296
Trinity 1 Shasta-Trinity California 135
Tuolumne Stanislaus California 26
Total Miles 1,093

1 State administered, federally designated river

Anniversary Activities

Students Clean-up Wild and Scenic River

Photograph of 3 students holding a large pile of green and yellow vegetation.

Senior high school students from Dunn School in Santa Barbara worked with Klamath National Forest employees recently to remove noxious weeds and perform trail maintenance work along the Klamath River, a designated Wild & Scenic River. They collected piles of Scott's Broom, four pickup truck loads of mustard, dug up Knapweed and performed trail maintenance work on a river access trail.

Big Rock River Access Open to the Public

Photograph of Big Rock River Access new picnic area in a fresh, clean condition.

Contractors completed the final phase of improvements to the Big Rock River Access on the Wild and Scenic Trinity River. "This river access receives year round use and provides recreation opportunities for rafting, kayaking, tubing, swimming, exercising and fishing. The site has long needed permanent facilities," according to Orleans and Lower Trinity Recreation Officer Bob Hemus.

Related Information

National Wild & Scenic Rivers System

Logo for the National Wild and Scenic Rivers system.
"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." (Wild & Scenic Rivers Act, October 2, 1968)

Contacts

Regional wild and scenic rivers program manager: