Volcano Country Wild Rivers Campaign

Washington's legendary volcanoes - Mount St. Helens, Mount Rainier and Mount Adams - are the source of wild, free-flowing rivers and streams that rush through deep gorges and basalt canyons on their way to the Columbia River. Major portions of the most unique and wild rivers in Volcano Country have no permanent protection from new hydropower, water storage dams, or other harmful projects. Protecting the wild rivers of southwest Washington's Volcano Country under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act - the strongest protection we can give to rivers - would permanently safeguard this region's unique and treasured natural heritage. As of 2008, the 40th anniversary of the Act, the National System protects more than 11,000 miles of 166 rivers in 38 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; this is a little more than one-quarter of one percent of the nation's rivers. By comparison, more than 75,000 large dams across the country have modified at least 600,000 miles, or about 17%, of American rivers.

Healthy rivers will be more precious than ever in the face of climate change. Free-flowing rivers with intact riparian corridors and protected headwaters like the Lewis River meadows shown here will be much more resilient to the pressures of a warming planet, and will provide important benefits such as flood control and critical refuges for fish and wildlife. Photo by Susan Saul.

The Gifford Pinchot National Forest features some of the nation’s most outstanding rivers. The unique geology that is responsible for excellent fish habitat, the scenic grandeur of these rivers, and the thrilling whitewater rapids has, however, also attracted considerable attention from hydropower developers. In the last two decades, there have been dozens of proposals for hydropower projects on Volcano Country rivers and their tributaries, including the Cispus, Wind, Cowlitz and Lewis. While we know of no hydropower projects currently proposed in Southwest Washington, there are several proposed for other parts of the state and in neighboring Oregon. Increasing concern over climate change as well as our nation’s current dependence on foreign oil is resulting in calls for new hydropower and water storage dams. Wild and Scenic River designation is the most effective way to ensure that they remain free-flowing and intact forever.

In 1990, the U. S. Forest Service evaluated over a dozen rivers in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and found them eligible for inclusion in the national Wild and Scenic Rivers system. The Gifford Pinchot Task Force and American Rivers are partnering to lead the campaign effort and are working with a diverse array of interested citizens and organizations to build the widespread public support necessary to pass legislation designating some of southwest Washington’s outstanding rivers as Wild and Scenic - thereby keeping them intact for fish, wildlife, and future generations.

Volcano Country Wild Rivers Coalition

• Gifford Pinchot Task Force
  
• Clark-Skamania Flyfishers
• Native Fish Society
• Lower Columbia Canoe Club
• Loo Wit Group Sierra Club
• Washington Trails Association
• American Rivers
• American Whitewater
• Clark County Trout Unlimited
• Washington Wilderness Coalition

If you are interested in learning more about this campaign and how to get involved please contact Lisa Moscinski at 503.221.2102 ext. 104 or lisa@gptaskforce.org. To learn more about the National Wild and Scenic River System please visit http://www.rivers.gov.

Click here to visit the campaign's web site.

For more information check out these links:

 Wild and Scenic Rivers Fact Sheet

Wild and Scenic Rivers Brochure

Wild and Scenic River Proposal Map