Protecting Rivers and Their Environs: The New York State River Program

In 1965, the Stat of Wisconsin enacted legislation designating three rivers in a wild river system, ensuring that they would remain “wild” by prohibiting new dam, bulkhead lines, and channel alterations. Three years later, congress passed the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act which establishes a national policy of protecting outstanding natural free-flowing rivers. The federal law gave rise to many of the 27 state river programs that exist today.