US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

16 U.S.C. § 1271

Congressional declaration of policy

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. The Congress declares that the established national policy of dam and other construction at appropriate sections of the rivers of the United States needs to be complemented by a policy that would preserve other selected rivers or sections thereof in their free-flowing condition to protect the water quality of such rivers and to fulfill other vital national conservation purposes.

Pub. L. 90–542, § 1(b)82 Stat. 906(, , .)

Editorial Notes

Codification

section 1 of Pub. L. 90–542section 1272 of this titleSection consists of subsec. (b) of . Subsecs. (a) and (c) of section 1 are classified to and as a note under this section, respectively.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title of 2018 Amendment

Pub. L. 115–229, § 1132 Stat. 1629

section 1274 of this titlesection 1274 of this title“This Act [amending and enacting provisions classified as a note under ] may be cited as the ‘East Rosebud Wild and Scenic Rivers Act’.”
, , , provided that:

Short Title of 2014 Amendment

Pub. L. 113–244, § 1128 Stat. 2864

section 1274 of this titlesection 615i of Title 43section 1274 of this title“This Act [amending and , Public Lands, and enacting provisions classified as a note under ] may be cited as the ‘Crooked River Collaborative Water Security and Jobs Act of 2014’.”
, , , provided that:

Short Title of 2009 Amendment

Pub. L. 111–11, title V, § 5002(a)123 Stat. 1147

section 1274 of this titlesection 1274 of this title“This section [amending and enacting provisions classified as a note under ] may be cited as the ‘Craig Thomas Snake Headwaters Legacy Act of 2008’.”
, , , provided that:

Short Title of 2006 Amendment

Pub. L. 109–452, § 1120 Stat. 3363

section 1274 of this titlesection 1274 of this title“This Act [amending and enacting provisions classified as a note under ] may be cited as the ‘Musconetcong Wild and Scenic Rivers Act’.”
, , , provided that:

Pub. L. 109–370, § 1120 Stat. 2643

section 1276 of this title“This Act [amending ] may be cited as the ‘Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2005’.”
, , , provided that:

Short Title of 2005 Amendment

Pub. L. 109–44, § 1119 Stat. 443

section 1274 of this title“This Act [amending ] may be cited as the ‘Upper White Salmon Wild and Scenic Rivers Act’.”
, , , provided that:

Short Title of 2002 Amendment

Pub. L. 107–365, § 1116 Stat. 3027

section 1274 of this titlesection 1274 of this title“This Act [amending and enacting provisions classified as a note under ] may be cited as the ‘Caribbean National Forest Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 2002’.”
, , , provided that:

Short Title of 2001 Amendment

Pub. L. 107–65, § 1115 Stat. 484

section 1276 of this title“This Act [amending ] may be cited as the ‘Eightmile River Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2001’.”
, , , provided that:

Short Title of 2000 Amendments

Pub. L. 106–418, § 1114 Stat. 1817

section 1274 of this titlesection 1274 of this title“This Act [amending and enacting provisions classified as a note under ] may be cited as the ‘Lower Delaware Wild and Scenic Rivers Act’.”
, , , provided that:

Pub. L. 106–357, § 1114 Stat. 1393

section 1274 of this titlesection 1274 of this title“This Act [amending and enacting provisions classified as a note under ] may be cited as the ‘White Clay Creek Wild and Scenic Rivers System Act’.”
, , , provided that:

Pub. L. 106–318, § 1114 Stat. 1278

section 1276 of this title“This Act [amending ] may be cited as the ‘Taunton River Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2000’.”
, , , provided that:

Pub. L. 106–299, § 1114 Stat. 1050

section 1274 of this titlesection 1274 of this title“This Act [amending and enacting provisions classified as a note under ] may be cited as the ‘Wekiva Wild and Scenic River Act of 2000’.”
, , , provided that:

Pub. L. 106–192, § 1114 Stat. 233

section 1274 of this titlesection 1274 of this title“This Act [amending and provisions classified as a note under ] may be cited as the ‘Lamprey Wild and Scenic River Extension Act’.”
, , , provided that:

Short Title of 1999 Amendment

Pub. L. 106–20, § 1113 Stat. 30

section 1274 of this titlesection 1274 of this title“This Act [amending and enacting provisions classified as a note under ] may be cited as the ‘Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Wild and Scenic River Act’.”
, , , provided that:

Short Title of 1994 Amendments

Pub. L. 103–313, § 1108 Stat. 1699

section 1274 of this titlesection 1274 of this title“This Act [amending and enacting provisions classified as a note under ] may be cited as the ‘Farmington Wild and Scenic River Act’.”
, , , provided that:

Pub. L. 103–242, § 1108 Stat. 611

section 1274 of this title“This Act [amending sections 1274 and 1276 of this title and enacting provisions classified as a note under ] may be cited as the ‘Rio Grande Designation Act of 1994’.”
, , , provided that:

Short Title of 1993 Amendment

Pub. L. 103–170, § 1107 Stat. 1986

section 1274 of this title“This Act [amending ] may be cited as the ‘Red River Designation Act of 1993’.”
, , , provided that:

Short Title of 1992 Amendments

Pub. L. 102–275, § 1106 Stat. 123

section 1274 of this titlesection 1274 of this title“This Act [amending and enacting provisions classified as a note under ] may be cited as the ‘Arkansas Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1992’.”
, , , provided that:

Pub. L. 102–249, § 1106 Stat. 45

section 1274 of this title“This Act [amending sections 1274 and 1276 of this title and enacting provisions classified as a note under ] may be cited as the ‘Michigan Scenic Rivers Act of 1991’.”
, , , provided that:

Short Title of 1991 Amendments

Pub. L. 102–215, § 1105 Stat. 1664

section 1276 of this title“This Act [amending ] may be cited as the ‘White Clay Creek Study Act’.”
, , , provided that:

Pub. L. 102–214, § 1105 Stat. 1663

section 1276 of this title“This Act [amending ] may be cited as the ‘Lamprey River Study Act of 1991’.”
, , , provided that:

Pub. L. 102–50, § 1105 Stat. 254

“This Act [amending sections 1274 and 1276 of this title and enacting provisions classified as notes under sections 1a–5 and 1274 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Niobrara Scenic River Designation Act of 1991’.”
, , , provided that:

Short Title of 1990 Amendments

Pub. L. 101–628, title VII, § 701104 Stat. 4497

section 1276 of this title“This title [amending ] may be cited as the ‘Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Wild and Scenic River Study Act’.”
, , , provided that:

Pub. L. 101–628, title XIII, § 1301104 Stat. 4509

section 1274 of this title“This Act [probably should be “this title”, amending ] may be cited as the ‘Clarks Fork Wild and Scenic River Designation Act of 1990’.”
, , , provided that:

Pub. L. 101–357, § 1104 Stat. 418

section 1276 of this title“This Act [amending ] may be cited as the ‘Pemigewasset River Study Act of 1989’.”
, , , provided that:

Pub. L. 101–356, § 1104 Stat. 417

section 1276 of this title“This Act [amending ] may be cited as the ‘Merrimack River Study Act of 1990’.”
, , , provided that:

Pub. L. 101–306, § 1104 Stat. 260

section 1274 of this title“This Act [amending ] may be cited as the ‘East Fork of the Jemez River and the Pecos River Wild and Scenic Rivers Addition Act of 1989’.”
, , , provided that:

Short Title of 1988 Amendments

Pub. L. 100–557, title I, § 101102 Stat. 2782

section 1274 of this title“This title [amending sections 1274 and 1276 of this title and enacting provisions classified as notes under ] may be referred to as the ‘Omnibus Oregon Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1988’.”
, , , provided that:

Pub. L. 100–547, § 1102 Stat. 2736

section 1274 of this titlesection 1132 of this title“That this Act [amending and enacting provisions listed in a table of Wilderness Areas set out under ] may be cited as the ‘Sipsey Wild and Scenic River and Alabama Addition Act of 1988’.”
, , , provided:

Short Title of 1986 Amendment

Pub. L. 99–590, title II, § 201100 Stat. 3332

section 1276 of this title“This title [amending ] may be cited as the ‘Farmington Wild and Scenic River Study Act’.”
, , , provided that:

Short Title of 1972 Amendment

Pub. L. 92–560, § 186 Stat. 1174

section 1274 of this titlesection 1274 of this title“That this Act [amending and enacting provisions classified as a note under ] may be cited as the ‘Lower Saint Croix River Act of 1972’.”
, , , provided:

Short Title

Pub. L. 90–542, § 1(a)82 Stat. 906

“This Act [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Wild and Scenic Rivers Act’.”
, , , provided that: