More Than A River

Rivers are bloodlines, a reflection of the landscape from which their waters flow and the culture of the peoples who live there, both present and past. The health of a river is equally dependent on the communities along its banks and those along its vein-like network of feeder creeks and streams. The St. Croix River is the culmination of more than 1,500 springs and brooks and 16 major tributaries merging together, its watershed an expansive basin covering over 7,700 square miles in the states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. It is your watershed.

As fragile as it is beautiful, and protected as a unit of your National Park system, the St. Croix and its largest tributary, the Namekagon River, together form the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, a thin ribbon of protection that today is 252 miles in length. The landmark legislation that created the Riverway symbolizes the need to understand the importance of all of our rivers.

For Future Generations

In 1968, Congress approved the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, stating:

“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.”

Thanks to the efforts of Senators Gaylord Nelson and Walter Mondale, the St. Croix and Namekagon were included as two of the original rivers preserved in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Managed by the National Park Service with the assistance and cooperation of the states of Wisconsin and Minnesota, as well as counties and local communities, the Riverway today is a living testament to their vision.