Photo by Stone Nature Photography.
Strong, overdue protection for our most cherished rivers, lakes, streams and wetlands in the Northwest
It’s been said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Nowhere is that more apt than in protection of our healthiest and most ecologically important rivers.
The goal of the Clean Water Act is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters. Its backbone is the three-tiered Antidegradation Policy, which requires states to:
Many states around the country have protected rivers, lakes, streams, and wetlands as Outstanding Resource Waters (ORWs). They are as far flung and different as Maine, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Colorado, Louisiana, Utah, North Carolina, and Kansas. At least 12 Tribes with Clean Water Act authority have also designated ORWs.
Alas, until fairly recently, no states in the Northwest had protected any ORWs. The state of Oregon designated its first ORW - the North Fork Smith River - in 2017 and has designated only two other bodies of water since then. Washington just approved its first ORW designations at the end of 2023 with the designation of portions of the Napeequa River and its tributaries, the upper watershed of the Green River, and the upper watershed of the Cascade River.
The goal of the Clean Water Act is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters. Its backbone is the three-tiered Antidegradation Policy, which requires states to:
- set minimum standards to protect all existing uses (such as fishing, swimming, and aquatic life “uses”) of all waters,
- provide additional protection to prevent or at least limit water quality “backsliding” where waters exceed minimum standards, and
- establish rules for the designation and strict protection of the water quality and aquatic ecosystems of “outstanding resource waters”, including those of “exceptional ecological significance” whose water quality may not be particularly high.
Many states around the country have protected rivers, lakes, streams, and wetlands as Outstanding Resource Waters (ORWs). They are as far flung and different as Maine, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Colorado, Louisiana, Utah, North Carolina, and Kansas. At least 12 Tribes with Clean Water Act authority have also designated ORWs.
Alas, until fairly recently, no states in the Northwest had protected any ORWs. The state of Oregon designated its first ORW - the North Fork Smith River - in 2017 and has designated only two other bodies of water since then. Washington just approved its first ORW designations at the end of 2023 with the designation of portions of the Napeequa River and its tributaries, the upper watershed of the Green River, and the upper watershed of the Cascade River.
Napeequa River near Lake Wenatchee. Photo by Thane Tuason.
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It is high time for us to secure the highest degree of protection for other outstanding waters of our region.
Our highest quality waters that have never been degraded should have it. Because an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, it just makes practical and economic sense to protect them. Many of our waters that are now high quality because we have worked hard to restore them should also have it. After all, the goal of the Clean Water Act is to restore and maintain the Nation’s waters – not to restore them so we can degrade them again. |
Many of our most ecologically significant waters, including those that provide critical habitat for threatened and endangered species, should have it. They are much too important to our environment, cultures, public health and economies to allow their degradation.
Many high quality drinking water sources should have it. They are irreplaceable and must be strictly protected.
Many designated Wild, Scenic and Recreational rivers should have it, too. While new dams on river segments in the national system are prohibited, and some lands along them are managed by federal agencies, these rivers typically enjoy no clear state water quality protection from activities in their watersheds.
Outstanding Resource Water classifications provide rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands meaningful watershed-scale protection by state and Tribal water quality management agencies. They prohibit new activities that would degrade water quality or other values central to a water’s ORW designation. They can also encourage and support state and local development of highly protective watershed plans and lead to dedication of additional federal and state resources for watershed protection and restoration.
Many high quality drinking water sources should have it. They are irreplaceable and must be strictly protected.
Many designated Wild, Scenic and Recreational rivers should have it, too. While new dams on river segments in the national system are prohibited, and some lands along them are managed by federal agencies, these rivers typically enjoy no clear state water quality protection from activities in their watersheds.
Outstanding Resource Water classifications provide rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands meaningful watershed-scale protection by state and Tribal water quality management agencies. They prohibit new activities that would degrade water quality or other values central to a water’s ORW designation. They can also encourage and support state and local development of highly protective watershed plans and lead to dedication of additional federal and state resources for watershed protection and restoration.
National Wild and Scenic designations require an Act of Congress. Rules for ORW designations vary by state. Typically, they are made by state and Tribal agencies to which the US EPA has delegated authority for setting water quality standards. Citizens may petition their state or Tribal officials for ORW protection of their most cherished rivers, lakes and streams.
This year, Pacific Rivers and our coalition partners formally proposed designation of Steamboat Creek, the critically important tributary of the North Umpqua River, as Oregon’s next ORW. Soon after, three of our southwest Oregon partner groups submitted another strong petition for the Illinois River, the largest tributary of the lower Rogue. Other proposals for Northwest rivers are now being considered. |
The upper reach of the Green River flows from the foothills of Mount St. Helens. Its ORW designation bolsters efforts to defend the watershed against mining threats. Photo credit: Cascade Forest Conservancy
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What regions have more outstanding waters than the Pacific Northwest? We admit our bias and proudly answer “None!”. In this issue of Free Flow we celebrate our region’s waters now protected as ORWs, highlight current proposals for future ORWs, and show how you can get involved in the work to protect others around the Northwest in the next few years.