What are the qualifications for, and how are, rivers added to the National System?
To be designated under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, rivers or segments of river must be free-flowing and possess at least one “outstandingly remarkable” value—such as scenic, recreational, geologic, fish, wildlife, historic, cultural, or other similar features. Congress or the Secretary of the Interior may add rivers to the National System. The Skagit System’s exceptional fisheries, wildlife, and scenic resources are the outstandingly remarkable values for which the river was designated, along with its free-flowing condition and high water quality.
