Diversion Dam

Learn

On March 30, 2009, the upper section of the Virgin River and its tributaries were designated as Wild and Scenic Rivers. But what makes rivers “wild and scenic”? 

The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was approved by Congress in October, 1968. Its purpose: to maintain the integrity of rivers and tributaries, and their surrounding environments. Every Wild and Scenic River is classified into one of three categories:

• Wild Rivers: Rivers or sections of rivers that are free of impoundments (like dams and channels) and generally inaccessible except by trail, with watersheds or shorelines essentially primitive and waters unpolluted. 

• Scenic Rivers: Rivers or sections of rivers that are free of impoundments, with shorelines or watersheds still largely primitive and shorelines largely undeveloped, but accessible in places by roads.

• Recreational Rivers: Rivers or sections of rivers that are readily accessible by road or railroad, that may have some development along their shorelines, and that may have undergone some impoundment or diversion in the past.

Utah has 81,899 miles (131,804 kilometers) of river, but Zion National Park is one of the only places in the state that has a Wild and Scenic River. 

Look

How do you think this section of the Virgin River would be classified? Look at the shoreline and surrounding area for signs of development.

This section of river is classified as a recreational river area because it is readily accessible by road and there has been development along the shoreline. There are 12.6 miles (20.3 kilometers) of recreational river area in Zion National Park. 

Connect

What else does it take to become a wild, scenic, or recreational river? Not every river in the United States receives these designations, or the national protection that comes with them. 

Think about what values make the Virgin River remarkable. Is it important culturally, recreationally, or scenically? What about for ecological processes, wildlife, and geology? As you walk along the river, think about what the river means to you.