Wild & Scenic Eligibility Rivers Act Wild and Scenic Rivers To be eligible for The National Wild and designation, a river must Scenic Rivers System was be free-flowing and created in 1968 to possess one or more preserve certain rivers Outstanding Remarkable with outstanding natural, Values (ORVs). In order cultural, and recreational to be assessed as values in a free-flowing outstandingly condition for the remarkable, a river- enjoyment of present and related value must be a future generations. unique, rare or The Act is notable for exemplary feature that safeguarding the special is significant at a character of these comparative regional or rivers, while also national scale. recognizing the potential French Broad River for their appropriate use and development. Upper Nantahala River Outstanding Remarkable Values DRAFT - Best available data as of July 2014. Map may have been • Scenery developed from different sources, • Recreation accuracies and modeling, and is French Broad River subject to change without notice. • Geology • Fish • Wildlife Evaluation of Rivers • Historic and Cultural Three step process: • Other Values • Determination of Eligibility – including assigning ORVs • Assigning of Potential Classification River Classifications • Determination of Suitability • Wild • Scenic 1982/1993 National River Inventory for Western North Carolina • Recreational River County ORVs Big Laurel and Puncheon Fork Madison S, R, G, F, W, H, C Little Tennessee River Elk River Cane River Yancey S, R, G, F, W Chattooga River Catawba River McDowell S, R, G, F, W, H, C Designated Wild and Scenic Rivers Outstanding Remarkable Values Catawba River, Henry Fork Catawba, Burke S, R, F, W Upper Nantahala River Eligible Wild & Scenic Rivers – 1987 LMRP River Legislative Cheoah and Snowbird Creek Graham S, R, F, W, H, C Name Scenic Rec Geo F&W H/C Bot Length Action Cold Springs Creek Haywood S, R, F, W Chattooga X X X X X X Total of 58.7 miles from 0.8 Added to WSR River Name Scenic Rec Geo F&W H/C Bot miles below Cashiers Lake in Big Laurel X X X X X X system – May 10, Cullasaja River Macon S, R, G, F, W, H, C, O North Carolina to the Big Snowbird X X X 1974 French Broad River Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, Transylvania S, R, G, F, W, H, C Tugaloo Reservoir. The West Fork from its confluence with Johns River Burke, Caldwell S, R, F, W, H, C Davidson X X X Horsepasture River the main stem upstream 7.3 miles. Little Tennessee River Swain, Macon S, R, G, F, W, H, C E. Fork Pigeon X X X Wild - 41.6 miles; New River, South Fork Watauga S, R, G, F, W, H, C Dark Prong X X Scenic - 2.5 miles; Yellowstone Prong X X X North Toe River Yancey, Mitchell, Avery S, R, G, F, W Recreational - 14.6 miles; French Broad X X X X X X Oconaluftee River Swain S, R, G, F, W, H, C Linville X X X X Horsepasture X X X X X X Total of 4.2 miles between Added to WSR Nantahala – above lake X X X Pigeon River, East Fork Haywood S, R, F, W Bohaynee Road #218 to Lake system – October Jocassee 26, 1986 Pigeon River, Little East Fork Haywood S, R, G, F, W Nantahala – below lake X X X X X Scenic - 3.6 miles; Recreational - 0.6 miles Tellico River Cherokee S, R, G, F, H, C Mills River System Wilson Creek X X X X X X Total of 23.3 miles from the Added to WSR South Fork X X X X X Thompson River Transylvania S, R, G, W, O headwaters below Calloway system – August North Fork X Peak to the confluence with 18, 2000 Toxaway River Transylvania S, R, G, W, O Mills X Johns River. Tuckasegee River Swain, Jackson S, R, G, F, W, H, C Southtoe River Tellico X Wild - 4.6 miles; Nolichucky X X X Scenic - 2.9 miles; Watauga River Watauga, Avery S, R, G, F, W, H, C Nolichucky River Recreational - 15.8 miles; Whitewater River Transylvania, Jackson S, R, G, F, W, O .