California’s Tuolumne River: Wild and Scenic or Dammed?

The 1968 Wild and Scenic Rivers Act has been neglected under the Reagan administration—no rivers have been added since December 1980.

Conservationists with the American River Conservation Council claim that rivers across the country, including the Tuolumne, are threatened by the construction of hydropower projects. Although the National Park Service and the Forest Service have recommended that these rivers receive scenic status, Congress has yet to designate them as such. In addition, the Reagan administration has cut back the budget for rivers and trails.

The Tuolumne River provides drinking water to 8% of California’s residents and irrigates about 230,000 acres of farmland. For recreation, it provides superb white-water rafting and trout fishing—in addition to being a very scenic canyon.

Senate Bill 142, sponsored by Sen. Alan Cranston, would place all 83 miles of the Tuolumne River into the National Wild and Scenic River System. If this bill passes, it is hoped that other scenic rivers might also receive this designation.

Editor’s Note: An article on this topic was published in The Boston Globe, Jan. 26, 1983, titled “Dam dispute spurs charges against government,” by Gale Warner. Due to copyright issues, we are unable to reproduce it as published.