Wild river
Encyclopedia
A Wild River or Heritage River (Canada) is a :river or a river system
designated by a government to be protected and kept "..almost untouched by development and .. therefore in near natural condition, with all, or almost all, .. natural values intact."
The IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas
categorizes areas across the world as Wilderness (IUCN Category 1b) protected area
s if they are:
Within some nation states
including in the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand, and the Commonwealth of Australia, governments have opted to focus on rivers and river systems as a kind of "unmodified or slightly modified" landscape feature to protect, manage and preserve in near 'natural' condition – variously labeling or formally declaring such areas to be "Wild Rivers" (or "Heritage Rivers").
The term Wild river may also more generically describe or identify rivers which provide a Wilderness (IUCN Category 1b) type experience or have a Wilderness type quality (in particular, free flowing waters without dams) which may be considered worth protecting and keeping for future generations.
Most recently, in Australia, following some declarations, and in the lead up to a number of other 'Wild River declarations using Queensland
's Wild Rivers legislation, Australia's Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
observed:
Following a Presidential Commission reviewing the outdoor recreational resources of the United States of America, the United States Congress
passed the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in October 1968, creating a National Wild and Scenic Rivers System as follows:
As at 2008 (after 40 years since the United States National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was first created), more than 11000 miles (17,702.7 km) of 166 rivers in 38 States plus the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
have been protected.
, damming of the Motu River
, and raising the waters of Lake Manapouri
(with the Save Manapouri Campaign
now regarded as a key milestone in New Zealand environmental protection, and the Lake itself ultimately ending up in the Te Wahipounamu
World Heritage Area
).
These wild river campaigns led, in 1981, to the passing of a Wild and Scenic Rivers legislation and, in 1984, to the Motu River
becoming New Zealand's first "Wild and Scenic River". Since then 14 other wild rivers have been protected in accordance with New Zealand's Wild Rivers legislation (with 'Water Conservation orders' being made), and in 2009 conservation groups have initiated a renewed and reinvigorated national scale "wild rivers" campaign with the following rationale:
Canada has been described as follows:
In 1984 Canada's federal, provincial and territorial governments established a Canadian Heritage Rivers System
as Canada's national river conservation program – to conserve and protect the heritage values and integrity of the best examples of Canada's large, free flowing rivers and river systems.
Canada's river conservation program was not established by statute
, but is instead a cooperative arrangement between Canada's ten provinces and three territories
establishing a fifteen member (appointed) Canadian Heritage Rivers board, to which participating members nominate rivers to be designated as heritage rivers, for which river management plans building on existing statutory powers are prepared, agreed, and endorsed.
The French River
in Ontario was the first river to be designated a Heritage River, in 1986, and since then 40 rivers have been designated across Canada:
In 1979, Tasmania
's Hydro-Electricity Commission released a proposal to dam and inundate the Gordon
(37 km) and Franklin
(33 km) Rivers, leading the Tasmanian Wilderness Society and other conservation groups to mobilize one of Australia's largest conservation battles and acts of civil disobedience, focused heavily on "..the protection of the Franklin River
, one of Australia’s last truly wild rivers.." resulting in the river being World Heritage listed (as part of the Tasmanian Wilderness
world heritage area
) and a subsequent Australian High Court
decision preventing the damming of this wild river.
The then Prime Minister of Australia
, in December 1992, gave a 'Statement on the Environment' speech committing the Commonwealth of Australia to identifying all of Australia's near-pristine rivers and to encouraging government agencies plus Australian peoples generally to more effectively protect and manage those rivers as total catchments. This commitment translated into the establishment of an Australian Heritage Commission Wild Rivers Project:
By 1998 the Australian Heritage Commission's Wild Rivers Project, working in cooperation with all states, had produced maps identifying Australia's wild rivers across all of the Commonwealth's States, plus "Conservation Guidelines for the Management of Wild River Values".
New South Wales opted to adapt, protect and declare wild rivers, including over 7600 km of waterways and tributaries of the Grose
and Colo
rivers, under its existing National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974.
Queensland identified an initial 19 rivers to be protected as wild rivers and, in September 2005, opted to enact "..Australia’s first comprehensive and stand alone legislation to identify, protect and preserve that State’s remaining wild rivers..". In 2007, Queensland declared its first wild rivers within the Gulf of Carpentaria
, as well as at Fraser Island, and Hinchinbrook Island
and in April 2009 a further three wild river areas have been declared in Cape York Peninsula
.
Australia's Wilderness Society (who find their early origins in the original Tasmanian Franklin Wild River campaign), also chose to renew and re-initiate its wild river campaigning "..to seek government action around a Wild Rivers framework building on the Australian Heritage Commission’s earlier work..", being an ongoing campaign as follows:
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
designated by a government to be protected and kept "..almost untouched by development and .. therefore in near natural condition, with all, or almost all, .. natural values intact."
The IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas
World Commission on Protected Areas
The World Commission on Protected Areas is one of six Commissions of the IUCN . WCPA is the world's premier network of protected area expertise...
categorizes areas across the world as Wilderness (IUCN Category 1b) protected area
Protected area
Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...
s if they are:
Large area[s] of unmodified or slightly modified land, and/or sea, retaining its natural character and influence, without permanent or significant habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural condition
Within some nation states
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
including in the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand, and the Commonwealth of Australia, governments have opted to focus on rivers and river systems as a kind of "unmodified or slightly modified" landscape feature to protect, manage and preserve in near 'natural' condition – variously labeling or formally declaring such areas to be "Wild Rivers" (or "Heritage Rivers").
The term Wild river may also more generically describe or identify rivers which provide a Wilderness (IUCN Category 1b) type experience or have a Wilderness type quality (in particular, free flowing waters without dams) which may be considered worth protecting and keeping for future generations.
Concerns about the term
Where rivers or river systems may be labeled 'Wild Rivers' with the intention of protecting them to a Wilderness (IUCN Category 1b) standard, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) warns:
"Indigenous and traditional peoples have often been unfairly affected by conservation polices and practices, which have failed to fully understand the rights and roles of indigenous peoples in the management, use and conservation of biodiversity"
Most recently, in Australia, following some declarations, and in the lead up to a number of other 'Wild River declarations using Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
's Wild Rivers legislation, Australia's Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
The Australian Human Rights Commission is a national human rights institution, a statutory body funded by, but operating independently of, the Australian Government. It has the responsibility for investigating alleged infringements under Australia’s anti-discrimination legislation...
observed:
"The Commission notes that Indigenous peoples of the Archer, Lockhart and Stewart River Basins disagree with the term ‘wild rivers’. They argue that the term is culturally inappropriate and implies that the land and waters in a proposed declaration were uninhabited and predominantly void of human activity. The use of the term ‘wild’ does not equate with Indigenous peoples’ perspectives and their continuing use of the rivers."
Wild Rivers in United States
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
passed the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in October 1968, creating a National Wild and Scenic Rivers System as follows:
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
As at 2008 (after 40 years since the United States National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was first created), more than 11000 miles (17,702.7 km) of 166 rivers in 38 States plus the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
have been protected.
Wild Rivers in New Zealand
Through to the 1970s in New Zealand a conservation movement formed around a number of largely unprecedented campaigns "..to save wild river landscapes.." including particularly campaigns to prevent damming of the Clutha RiverClutha River
The Clutha River / Mata-Au is the second longest river in New Zealand flowing south-southeast through Central and South Otago from Lake Wanaka in the Southern Alps to the Pacific Ocean, south west of Dunedin. It is the highest volume river in New Zealand, and the swiftest, with a catchment of ,...
, damming of the Motu River
Motu River
Motu River is a major waterway in the eastern portion of the North Island of New Zealand. It rises on the slopes of Maungahaumi on the southern side of the Raukumara Range south of Opotiki, heads east and cuts its way through the range and empties into the Bay of Plenty to the north.The Māori name...
, and raising the waters of Lake Manapouri
Lake Manapouri
Lake Manapouri is a lake in the South Island of New Zealand. Its name is Maori for "sorrowful heart", though this name is misapplied due to an early cartographical error...
(with the Save Manapouri Campaign
Save Manapouri Campaign
The Save Manapouri Campaign was an environmental campaign waged between 1959 and 1972 in New Zealand to prevent the raising of the levels of lakes Manapouri and Te Anau as part of the construction of the Manapouri Power Project....
now regarded as a key milestone in New Zealand environmental protection, and the Lake itself ultimately ending up in the Te Wahipounamu
Te Wahipounamu
Te Wāhipounamu is a World Heritage site in the south west corner of the South Island of New Zealand.Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1990 and covering 26,000 km², the site incorporates several National Parks:...
World Heritage Area
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
).
These wild river campaigns led, in 1981, to the passing of a Wild and Scenic Rivers legislation and, in 1984, to the Motu River
Motu River
Motu River is a major waterway in the eastern portion of the North Island of New Zealand. It rises on the slopes of Maungahaumi on the southern side of the Raukumara Range south of Opotiki, heads east and cuts its way through the range and empties into the Bay of Plenty to the north.The Māori name...
becoming New Zealand's first "Wild and Scenic River". Since then 14 other wild rivers have been protected in accordance with New Zealand's Wild Rivers legislation (with 'Water Conservation orders' being made), and in 2009 conservation groups have initiated a renewed and reinvigorated national scale "wild rivers" campaign with the following rationale:
"..despite current legislation, and despite our history of protection, many of our remaining wild rivers face threats. Every river dammed for power is one less river unmodified and free. Every river modified is one more wild landscape lost... Unless we arrest this slide, our grandchildren may be left to defend the last wild river in New Zealand."
Heritage Rivers in Canada
"Canada is a land of rivers. White ribbons cascading through endless boreal forestTaigaTaiga , also known as the boreal forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests.Taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome. In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States and is known as the Northwoods...
. Silver ribbons sliding down broad, glacierGlacierA glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
-carved valleys. Meandering muddy rivers sweeping across the prairies. Ribbons of green linking a labyrinth of lakes, ponds and bogBogA bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s on the Canadian ShieldCanadian ShieldThe Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien , is a vast geological shield covered by a thin layer of soil that forms the nucleus of the North American or Laurentia craton. It is an area mostly composed of igneous rock which relates to its long volcanic history...
. Sparkling brooks cascading to the ocean. Rivers are everywhere imprinted on the Canadian landscape – and in the hearts and minds of its people."
In 1984 Canada's federal, provincial and territorial governments established a Canadian Heritage Rivers System
Canadian Heritage Rivers System
The Canadian Heritage Rivers System was established in 1984 by the federal, provincial and territorial governments to conserve and protect the best examples of Canada's river heritage, to give them national recognition, and to encourage the public to enjoy and appreciate them. It is a cooperative...
as Canada's national river conservation program – to conserve and protect the heritage values and integrity of the best examples of Canada's large, free flowing rivers and river systems.
Canada's river conservation program was not established by statute
Statute
A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations...
, but is instead a cooperative arrangement between Canada's ten provinces and three territories
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
establishing a fifteen member (appointed) Canadian Heritage Rivers board, to which participating members nominate rivers to be designated as heritage rivers, for which river management plans building on existing statutory powers are prepared, agreed, and endorsed.
The French River
French River (Ontario)
The French River is a river in Central Ontario, Canada. It flows from Lake Nipissing west to Georgian Bay. The river largely follows the boundary between the Parry Sound District and the Sudbury District, and in most contexts is considered the dividing line between Northern Ontario and Southern...
in Ontario was the first river to be designated a Heritage River, in 1986, and since then 40 rivers have been designated across Canada:
"The CHRS [Canadian Heritage River System] is a public trust. Local citizens champion the program. Actions taken are grass roots driven. Governments – federal, provincial and territorial – lend support and guidance, and provide approvals as required. Communities, Aboriginal Peoples, landowners, and other stakeholders have their rights and concerns respected. These cornerstones make the CHRS an open and effective forum for collaboration and partnership on river conservation.
Wild Rivers in Australia
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
's Hydro-Electricity Commission released a proposal to dam and inundate the Gordon
Gordon River
The Gordon River is one of the major rivers of Tasmania, Australia. It rises in the centre of the island at Lake Richmond and flows westward for about 193km where it empties into Macquarie Harbour on the West Coast of Tasmania. Major tributaries include the Serpentine River and the Franklin...
(37 km) and Franklin
Franklin River
The Franklin River lies in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park at the mid northern area of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Its source is situated at the western edge of the Central Highlands and it continues west towards the West Coast of Tasmania...
(33 km) Rivers, leading the Tasmanian Wilderness Society and other conservation groups to mobilize one of Australia's largest conservation battles and acts of civil disobedience, focused heavily on "..the protection of the Franklin River
Franklin River
The Franklin River lies in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park at the mid northern area of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Its source is situated at the western edge of the Central Highlands and it continues west towards the West Coast of Tasmania...
, one of Australia’s last truly wild rivers.." resulting in the river being World Heritage listed (as part of the Tasmanian Wilderness
Tasmanian Wilderness
The Tasmanian Wilderness is a term that is used for a range of areas in Tasmania, Australia.The World Heritage Areas in South West, Western and Central are the most well known. However, there are also other areas in Tasmania that have the elements of being known as wilderness areas, the Tarkine...
world heritage area
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
) and a subsequent Australian High Court
High Court of Australia
The High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and...
decision preventing the damming of this wild river.
The then Prime Minister of Australia
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...
, in December 1992, gave a 'Statement on the Environment' speech committing the Commonwealth of Australia to identifying all of Australia's near-pristine rivers and to encouraging government agencies plus Australian peoples generally to more effectively protect and manage those rivers as total catchments. This commitment translated into the establishment of an Australian Heritage Commission Wild Rivers Project:
"1. to identify Australia's wild rivers;
2. to develop a voluntary code of conservation management guidelines for wild rivers; and
3. to promote awareness of the values of wild rivers"
By 1998 the Australian Heritage Commission's Wild Rivers Project, working in cooperation with all states, had produced maps identifying Australia's wild rivers across all of the Commonwealth's States, plus "Conservation Guidelines for the Management of Wild River Values".
New South Wales opted to adapt, protect and declare wild rivers, including over 7600 km of waterways and tributaries of the Grose
Grose River
The Grose Valley is a rugged valley in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia. It has been formed by the Grose River, the headwaters of which are in the Mount Victoria area...
and Colo
Colo River
The Colo River is a river in New South Wales, Australia.The Colo River begins at the confluence of the Wolgan River and the Capertee River, which respectively drain the Wolgan and Capertee Valleys north of Lithgow. The river flows eastwards and then south through a deep gorge in the northern...
rivers, under its existing National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974.
Queensland identified an initial 19 rivers to be protected as wild rivers and, in September 2005, opted to enact "..Australia’s first comprehensive and stand alone legislation to identify, protect and preserve that State’s remaining wild rivers..". In 2007, Queensland declared its first wild rivers within the Gulf of Carpentaria
Gulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea...
, as well as at Fraser Island, and Hinchinbrook Island
Hinchinbrook Island
Hinchinbrook Island lies east of Cardwell and north of Lucinda, Queensland Australia. Hinchinbrook Island is part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and wholly protected within the Hinchinbrook Island National Park, except for a small resort. It is the largest island on the Great Barrier Reef...
and in April 2009 a further three wild river areas have been declared in Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
.
Australia's Wilderness Society (who find their early origins in the original Tasmanian Franklin Wild River campaign), also chose to renew and re-initiate its wild river campaigning "..to seek government action around a Wild Rivers framework building on the Australian Heritage Commission’s earlier work..", being an ongoing campaign as follows:
"From the days of the Franklin River campaign in Tasmania, wild rivers have captured the imagination of Australia. Little known is that the majority of Australia’s wild rivers are in the tropical north. The natural river flows that are the heartbeat of the North’s diverse ecosystems and lifeblood for many existing communities are under threat from dams, irrigation schemes, and land clearing in their catchments"
See also
- Canadian Heritage Rivers SystemCanadian Heritage Rivers SystemThe Canadian Heritage Rivers System was established in 1984 by the federal, provincial and territorial governments to conserve and protect the best examples of Canada's river heritage, to give them national recognition, and to encourage the public to enjoy and appreciate them. It is a cooperative...
- List of National Wild and Scenic Rivers
- National Wild and Scenic Rivers System
United States
Canada
Australia
- Maps of Australia's identified "wild" rivers
- Commonwealth Conservation Guidelines for Wild River management
- Queensland Government's Wild Rivers website
- Wilderness Society's Wild Rivers website
- Cape York 'Give us a Go' Wild Rivers website
- Wild Rivers Code
- Submissions to Australian Senate Committee hearing into Wild Rivers (Environmental Management) Bill 2010
- Submissions to Australian House of Representatives Standing Committee of Economics Review of the Wild Rivers (Environmental Management) Bill 2010
- Sound Recording of Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) Radio Report and Interviews on Wild Rivers (Qld)