Talk:Wild river

Move to Wild River
Suggest this article be moved to Wild river (non-plural)? Think outside the box 14:24, 5 February 2008 (UTC)


 * I agree. See for comparison Temperate coniferous forest, Temperate rain forest, etc.  It seems that most similar articles are titled in the singular.--William Thweatt Talk | Contribs 20:22, 5 February 2008 (UTC)


 * Done Fosnez (talk) 09:56, 6 February 2008 (UTC)

Assembly of links etc for proposed expansion
Herewith is an initially organic, growing assembly of references, links and other materials that are expected to be useful to expanding this article:

Definition and concept of 'wild' rivers

 * The concept of a "wild" river may have it's origins in the concept of wilderness internationally promoted since 1974 by the WILD Foundation whom, it self proclaims, in 1977 (more than 20 years ago) established the World Wilderness Congress:

"the longest-running, public international environmental forum"

"The WILD Foundation defines wilderness areas as: The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet – those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with roads, pipelines or other industrial infrastructure ... The essence of a wilderness area is that it is a place where humans can maintain a relationship with wild nature. Whether that relationship is characterized by recreational use or traditional, indigenous use does not matter, so long as the relationship is predicated on a fundamental respect for – and appreciation of – wild nature."


 * WILD Foundation webpage


 * More on the history and origins of the concept of wilderness that informs the naming of some rivers as 'wild', is further discussed at the wikipedia article on Wilderness, note particularly the estimated extent of 'wild' areas discussed in that article.  See also see online copy of report commissioned by Australian Government on the role of "wilderness" in nature conservation [here]


 * The concept of a "wild" river as something worth protecting as a kind of protected area (as in the Wild Rivers Act) may draw some authority from the international IUCN categories of protected area, particularly it's "wilderness area" [| category 1b]

Wild river as catchment defined protected area

 * In 1968 a National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by Congress in the United States of America:

"It is hereby declared to be the policy of the United States that certain selected rivers of the Nation which, with their immediate environments, possess outstandingly remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural or other similar values, shall be preserved in free-flowing condition, and that they and their immediate environments shall be protected for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Congress declares that the established national policy of dams and other construction at appropriate sections of the rivers of the United States needs to be complemented by a policy that would preserve other selected rivers or sections thereof in their free-flowing condition to protect the water quality of such rivers and to fulfill other vital national conservation purposes. (Wild & Scenic Rivers Act, October 2, 1968)"


 * In December 1992 Commonwealth Minister for Environment Australia committed the Commonwealth Government to assist agencies identify rivers in "near pristine condition" and encourage the protection and management of those rivers' total catchments, this being a project for which the then Australian Heritage Commission was given primary responsibility.  See the Commonwealth report on method plus early progress identifying "Wild Rivers" here

"Section 1 presents a brief background to the identification phase of the project, including the involvement of State and Territory agencies. Section 2 provides an overview of the Wild Rivers Model. Technical details of the operation of the model and the development of the supporting database are presented in Section 3. The Wild Rivers software was developed to enable update, display and interrogation of the Wild Rivers database. Its functions and use are described in Section 4."

"Undertaking a national assessment imposes many constraints and limitations, in particular in relation to data availability and hence the complexity of the model used. In Section 5 these issues are discussed along with suggestions for future improvements."


 * In 1998, the then Australian Heritage Commission produced Guidelines for the Management of Wild Rivers


 * In 2007 a report was produced on the "global" conservation significance of North Australia's 'wild" river systems (being a report supporting Queensland proposals to 'declare' 'wild' rivers here:

"In The Nature of Northern Australia, four eminent Australian scientists – Dr John Woinarski, Professory Brendan Mackey, Professor Henry Nix and Dr Barry Traill – reveal the global conservation importance of Northern Australia. They show that, unlike much of southern Australia, nature remains in abundance in the North, with the world’s largest and healthiest expanse of tropical savanna and some of the world’s healthiest wild rivers."


 * In Australia, and particularly in Queensland, entire river systems have been selected as the basis upon which to identify biological conservation priorities - see Queensland 'Wild Rivers' webipage

Queensland has a number of river systems which have been almost untouched by development and are therefore in near natural condition, with all, or almost all, of their natural values intact.

One way of preserving this valuable part of our natural heritage for the benefit of current and future generations is to designate them as ‘declared wild rivers’.


 * Copy of Wild Rivers Act 2005

wild river means a river described as a wild river in a wild river declaration


 * In Queensland, the Wilderness Society has a 'wild rivers' campaign and a webpage with a map that identifies 'wild rivers' that are currently protected (first declarations under Wild Rivers Act in 2007), and those that still need to be protectes - see [Wilderness Society's webpage here]. The Wilderness society have also produced a discussion paper on the likely impact and implications of declaring wild rivers on the local Aboriginal Australian interests here


 * There is also a Cape Aboriginal 'Give us a go' campaign that collects together and presents news regarding local indigenous perspective and concerns about whole river catchments being declared protected areas - see Give us a go, let us grow webpage here


 * The Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission also made a submission to Queensland proposed 'Wild River' declarations (see [http://www.hreoc.gov.au/legal/submissions/2008/200811_wild_rivers.html here) as follows:

''The Commission notes that Indigenous peoples of the Archer, Lockhart and Stewart River Basins disagree with the term ‘wild rivers’. They argue that the term is culturally inappropriate and implies that the land and waters in a proposed declaration were uninhabited and predominantly void of human activity. The use of the term ‘wild’ does not equate with Indigenous peoples’ perspectives and their continuing use of the rivers.''

The Commission is concerned that declarations made over the rivers and their interconnected waterways, may affect the exercise and enjoyment of Indigenous peoples human rights, in particular, those related to the access, use and occupancy, management and conservation, cultural and development rights to their lands, waters and natural resources.

the Commission is concerned that the legislation and proposed declarations do not consider the cultural value of the rivers and their interconnected waterways to Indigenous peoples. The Commission is of the view that the protection of wild rivers must include recognition of Aboriginal title and the active participation of Traditional Owners and Indigenous communities.

Bruceanthro (talk) 08:42, 19 October 2009 (UTC)

Results of google search for "wild rivers"
Africa
 * South Afircan Wild Rivers Nature Reserve

Australia
 * Maps etc of Australia's identified "wild" rivers
 * Wild River 'protected areas' in New South Wales
 * Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park
 * Oxley Wild Rivers National Park
 * Wild River, Tableland (Queensland Place Names)

North America
 * List of designated "wild and scenic rivers in United States of America
 * Alagnak Wild River, Alaska
 * Arkansas' 'Wild River Country" theme park

South America
 * Patagonia's Wild Rivers At Risk
 * Help Keep the Topo River Wild and Free-flowing

Temporary cut and paste from aritcle page
Just while expanding this article .. I've cut and pasted the original text here, as follows:

A wild river is a free flowing river system that has all or almost all of its natural features intact. The Wild Rivers Project defines a wild river as "a channel, channel network, or connected network of waterbodies, of natural origin and exhibiting overland flow [which] have not been significantly altered since European settlement". This usually entails being free of major dams, weirs and pollution from intensive agriculture and land clearing. The term is mostly used in Australia, and includes the use of a river to help sustain healthy ecosystems for native plants and animals and to support sustainable grazing, fishing and eco-tourism. Globally, only about 40% of rivers could be classed as 'wild', as most have been substantially modified by human development. In Queensland, Australia, the State Government has introduced special legislation (The 'Wild Rivers Act') to protect the remaining free flowing rivers in that State from inappropriate development.

National Wild and Scenic Rivers (United States)

 * List of National Wild and Scenic Rivers

Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act

 * Beaver Creek National Wild River


 * Fortymile National Wild and Scenic River


 * Gulkana National Wild and Scenic River


 * Unalakleet Nationall Wild River

Bruceanthro (talk) 22:52, 31 October 2009 (UTC)

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