July, 1998
Raleigh, North Carolina
On July 30 President Clinton declared North Carolina’s New River an
American Heritage River. The title is a newly created designation for rivers
that have historic and scenic value, and it is intended to highlight the
way rivers unite the regions through which they flow. The designation is
an effort to give federal recognition and support to local conservation
measures. Although designation as an American Heritage River brings no
federal funding or direct federal regulatory protection, supporters say
that national recognition will help unite local work 
that
has often been piecemeal and divided by institutional and geographic divisions.
A central aim of the American Heritage Rivers program is to help coordinate
efforts to improve water quality and scenic beauty along rivers.
Environmental quality of a river is frequently subject to the authority of state departments of commerce and transportation, pollution control, civil engineering and wastewater treatment, urban development, and more. Multiple administrative units in each of several states have partial control over river conditions, plus federal bodies such as the Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency. Private land owners also control the land uses that affect conditions on a river.
Local groups across the country made 126 proposals for American Heritage River designation after the call for nominations was made in 1997. Proposals entailed environmental and economic action plans to be carried out by groups along the rivers. From these proposals the administration selected 14 for initial designation, including some pristine rivers and some in need of substantial restoration.
In his declaration by the banks of the New River, President Clinton was quick to point out that designation does not impose on private landowners’ rights, nor does it involve federal mandates. Designation does help identify rivers of regional historic importance, he said.
The American Heritage River title will be bestowed initially on 14 rivers:
Blackstone and Woonasquatucket Rivers (MA, RI)
Connecticut River (CT, MA, NH, VT)
Cuyahoga River (OH)
Detroit River (MI)
Hanalei River (HI)
Hudson River (NY)
Upper Mississippi River (IL, IA, MN, MO, WI)
Lower Mississippi River (LA, TN)
New River (NC, VA, WV)
Potomac River (DC, MD, PA, VA, WV)
Rio Grande (TX)
St. Johns River (FL)
Upper Susquehanna and Lackawanna Rivers (PA)
To read more, see
Environmental Science, A Global Concern,
Cunningham and Saigo, 5th ed.
Water quality problems and protection: page
444
Environmental Science, Enger and Smith,
6th ed.
River protection: pages 306-308<
For further information, see these related web sites:
EPA
news on the American Heritage Rivers
American
Rivers home page
Proclamation
of American Heritage Rivers program
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