Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of River Protection

Our nation’s water protection story began in the 1960s when outdoor enthusiasts and visionary congressional leaders demanded the creation of a protected system of free-flowing rivers to balance America’s policy of rampant dam building. The passage of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 created a national river system that today protects more than 12,000 miles of rivers in 40 states and Puerto Rico for water quality, recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, and scenery. Yet, this is little more than ¼ of 1% of our nation’s rivers.Your purchase of anniversary logo themed merchandise supports river protection work by: American Whitewater, American Rivers, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, National Park Service, River Management Society, River Network.

Owyhee River, Oregon(Credit: Thomas O’Keefe)

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of River Protection

Our nation’s water protection story began in the 1960s when outdoor enthusiasts and visionary congressional leaders demanded the creation of a protected system of free-flowing rivers to balance America’s policy of rampant dam building. The passage of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 created a national river system that today protects more than 12,000 miles of rivers in 40 states and Puerto Rico for water quality, recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, and scenery. Yet, this is little more than ¼ of 1% of our nation’s rivers.Your purchase of anniversary logo themed merchandise supports river protection work by: American Whitewater, American Rivers, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, National Park Service, River Management Society, River Network.

Rogue River, Oregon(Credit: Thomas O’Keefe)