N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law § 15-2707: Classes of river areas includable in system, criteria; management objectives

§ 15-2707. Classes of river areas includable in system, criteria;

management objectives.

1. The following types of river areas are eligible for inclusion in

the system. All state agencies are hereby directed to pursue policies

with respect to their respective activities, functions, powers and

duties which are designated to enhance the conditions of designated

rivers in accordance with the criteria set forth for such rivers in this

section.

2. All rivers in the system shall be relatively free of pollution and

the water quality thereof of a standard sufficiently high to meet the

primary management purposes enumerated herein.

a. Wild river. Those rivers or sections of rivers that are free of

diversions and impoundments, inaccessible to the general public except

by water, foot or horse trail, and with river areas primitive and

undeveloped in nature and with development, if any, limited to forest

management and foot bridges.

(1) The minimum length of any one section shall be five miles.

(2) In general, the minimum distance from the river shore to a public

highway or a private road open to the public for motor vehicle use,

shall be one-half mile except where a physical barrier exists which

effectively screens the sight and sound of motor vehicles.

(3) Management of wild river areas shall be directed at perpetuating

them in a wild condition as defined herein.

b. Scenic river. Those rivers, or sections of rivers, that are free of

diversions or impoundments except for log dams, with limited road access

and with river areas largely primitive and largely undeveloped or which

are partially or predominantly used for agriculture, forest management

and other dispersed human activities which do not substantially

interfere with public use and enjoyment of the rivers and their shores.

(1) There shall be no minimum length of any one section.

(2) Management of scenic river areas shall be directed at preserving

and restoring the natural scenic qualities of such rivers.

c. Recreational river. Those rivers, or sections of rivers, that are

readily accessible by road or railroad, that may have development in

their river area and that may have undergone some impoundment or

diversion in the past.

(1) There shall be no minimum length of any one section.

(2) Management shall be directed at preserving and restoring the

natural scenic and recreational qualities of such river areas.

d. Exceptions. Limited existing exceptions to the criteria for all

three classes of rivers will not automatically exclude rivers from

designation. Rather, the river area shall be examined as a whole with

its overall worthiness for inclusion being the deciding factor.