2021 New York Laws
ENV - Environmental Conservation
Article 15 - Water Resources
Title 27 - Wild, Scenic and Recreational Rivers System
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.