In 1968, Congress passed the Wild and Scenic River Act
creating a system of rivers protected from dams and other
development. By 1987, segments of four Oregon rivers were
protected by the Wild and Scenic River System: the Rogue,
Illinois, Owyhee, and a portion of the Snake along the
Idaho...
In the American West keeping water instream to protect fish and wildlife, recreation, and water quality is in direct conflict with traditional water laws. While most western states have established instream flow protection programs, protection has been hindered by the basic tenet of the prior appropriation doctrine, first in time,...