Picking Up Where the TMDL Leaves Off: Using the Partnership Wild and Scenic River Framework for Collaborative River Restoration

The National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act protects less than ¼ of a percent the United States’ river miles, focusing on free-flowing rivers good water quality with outstandingly remarkable values for recreation, scenery, other unique attributes. It predates enactment Clean Water Act, yet includes clear anti-degradation principle, that pollution should be reduced eliminated designated rivers, in cooperation federal Environmental Protection Agency state control agencies. However, lacks management framework implementing restoration activities to reduce non-point source pollution, which bacterial contamination impacts nearly 40% Rivers. A case study Musconetcong River, rural mountainous New Jersey, indicates can utilized mobilize align non-governmental, governmental, philanthropic, private land-owner resources restoring quality. For example, coordinated efforts one tributary by 95%, surpassing TMDL goal 93% reduction. Stakeholder interviews focus groups indicated widespread knowledge motivation improve quality, but resource constraints limited scale scope efforts. authors postulate Partnership framework, enabled facilitated neo-endogenous development through improving recreational usage, whereby bottom-up were catalyzed via designation provision. further address voluntary participatory frameworks ultimately public sector’s inadequate funding inaction regard wildlife trust.