Merced Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan / DEIS 1-1 

1. THE MERCED WILD AND SCENIC RIVER 

The U.S. Congress designated the Merced River in Yosemite National Park as a component of the National 

Wild and Scenic Rivers System in 1987 (Public Law 100-149). This action amended the 1968 Wild and 

Scenic Rivers Act (WSRA) (16 USC 1271), which states: 

“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 Merced River (Figure 1-1) originates in Yosemite at the crest of the Sierra Nevada and descends almost 

10,000 feet in elevation on its 81-mile journey through the park. The river has been central to this dramatic 

landscape for tens of thousands of years, and it continues to shape riparian and meadow communities and 

support a diverse suite of wildlife. The river was home to American Indians for millennia, and cultural 

traditions associated with the river continue to the present day. The Merced River is also a focus for millions 

of Yosemite visitors who enjoy opportunities for recreation, education, reflection, and inspiration in the 

sublime beauty of the river corridor. 

Figure 1-1: Merced Wild and Scenic River Overview Map
THE MERCED WILD AND SCENIC RIVER

1-2 Merced Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan / DEIS 

The National Park Service (NPS) is the managing agency for the portions of the Merced Wild and Scenic 

River in Yosemite and the El Portal Administrative Site. As part of this responsibility, the NPS must develop 

a Wild and Scenic River comprehensive management plan to guide long-term management and public use in 

the river corridor. The NPS will develop the plan in accordance with the mandates of the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and document the process with an Environmental Impact Statement 

(EIS) and subsequent Record of Decision. This document encompasses the draft comprehensive river 

management plan and associated Draft EIS, collectively referred to as the Merced River Plan/Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement. The NPS intends to release a final EIS in summer 2013. 

The Merced River Plan/DEIS addresses the required elements of WSRA while complying with the planning 

processes required by NEPA, the National Historic Preservation Act, and other legal mandates that govern 

decision-making and planning in the NPS. The NPS expects the plan to have a lifespan of at least 20 years. 

The plan also fulfills public review requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act. 

THE WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS ACT 

Congress established WSRA to counterbalance decades of dam building and river-related development by 

mandating the protection of some outstanding rivers in their natural, free-flowing state. A Wild and Scenic 

River has “outstandingly remarkable values” (ORVs) that make it worthy of special protection for the 

benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations. Federal land managers must protect and enhance 

the values for which a river was designated as a Wild and Scenic River. Today, WSRA protects a select 

amount —12,600 miles (or less than 1⁄4 of 1%)—of U.S. rivers and creeks as units of the National Wild and 

Scenic Rivers System. Two Wild and Scenic rivers are located within Yosemite: the Merced River 

(designated in 1987) and the Tuolumne River (designated in 1984). The Merced River is one of 23 Wild and 

Scenic Rivers in California and one of six Wild and Scenic Rivers on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. 

REGIONAL SETTING 

Within the Sierra Nevada range of California, the Merced River is one of 15 major river systems. Originating 

in Yosemite’s alpine peaks, the Merced River flows west for 145 miles to its confluence with the San Joaquin 

River outside the park in the Central Valley of California, encompassing a drainage basin of 1,700 square 

miles. The first 122 miles of the Merced River are designated as Wild and Scenic; the NPS manages 81 miles 

of the river through Yosemite and El Portal, including both the Merced River’s main stem and the South 

Fork Merced River. Within Yosemite, the river reaches contain some of the world’s most-admired scenery, 

including grand waterfalls and large, mid-elevation meadows. As the Merced River flows outside Yosemite’s 

western boundary, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manage the 

next 41 miles of the Wild and Scenic River (Public Law 102-432). The remaining 23 miles of the Merced 

River below Lake McClure and the New Exchequer Dam, located in the Central Valley, do not have Wild 

and Scenic River status. 

The headwaters of the main stem of the Merced River originate in Yosemite in several watersheds: the Lyell 

Fork, Triple Peak Fork, Merced Peak Fork, and Red Peak Fork. These watersheds are at the far eastern side 

of the Merced River watershed, with the Tuolumne, Mono, and San Joaquin River watersheds to the north, 

east, and south. From its headwaters, the main stem of the Merced River flows freely through a wilderness 

landscape of alpine peaks, glacially carved valleys, and high-elevation meadows. The river makes a dramatic 

entry into Yosemite Valley, rushing over towering cliffs in prominent waterfalls. As the gradient lessens, the 
The Merced Wild and Scenic River 

Merced Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan / DEIS 1-3 

Merced River meanders through the rich meadow and riparian habitat of Yosemite Valley. At the west end 

of Yosemite Valley the canyon narrows, and the river becomes a cascade of continuous rapids through the 

Merced Gorge. The gradient changes abruptly at the park boundary, where the river continues through 

El Portal on its journey through the Sierra Nevada foothills to the Central Valley of California. 

The South Fork Merced River originates at the Sierra crest from the southwestern slopes of Triple Divide 

Peak and the west facing slopes of Gale Peak and Sing Peak. The South Fork Merced River flows southwest 

through Yosemite Wilderness (south of the Clark Range) and the community of Wawona. The South Fork 

Merced River exits the park less than a mile below the Wawona Campground, and then flows through the 

Sierra National Forest to the confluence of the main stem of the Merced River west of El Portal. 

The Merced River’s main stem and the South Fork Merced River will be collectively referred to as the 

Merced River in this document from this point. 

GOALS OF THE MERCED RIVER PLAN 

The 1980 General Management Plan for Yosemite National Park provides long-range management direction 

for Yosemite. The Merced River Plan will amend parts of the General Management Plan related to the 

Merced River corridor, as directed in the 1987 legislation designating the Merced River as a component of 

the National Wild and Scenic River System. In this legislation, Congress directed that: 

“appropriate revisions to the general management plan for the park, and the boundaries, 

classification, and development plans for such portions need not be published in the Federal 

Register. Such revisions to the general management plan for the park shall assure that no 

development or use of park lands shall be undertaken that is inconsistent with the designation 

of such river segments (16 U.S.C. Section 1274 (a)(62)(A)).” 

Appendix A summarizes the actions in the Merced River Plan/DEIS that would amend the General 

Management Plan. 

The overall goal of the Merced River Plan/DEIS is to provide for public recreation and resource use while 

protecting and enhancing the values for which the Merced River was designated a Wild and Scenic River. 

The planning team developed goals that are more specific for the Merced River Plan/DEIS after analysis of 

public scoping comments. These specific goals of the Merced River Plan/DEIS are to: 

 Protect and Enhance Ecological and Natural Resource River Values: Promote the ability of the 

Merced River to shape the landscape by reducing impediments to free flow, improving 

geologic/hydrologic processes, restoring floodplains and meadows, and protecting water quality. 

 Provide Opportunities for Direct Connection to River Values: Support opportunities for people 

to experience and develop direct connections to the Merced River and its unique values as a place of 

cultural association, education, recreation, reflection, and inspiration. 

 Institute a Visitor-Use Management Program: Institute a visitor-use management program that 

provides for high-quality, resource-related recreational opportunities in the river corridor while 

protecting and enhancing natural and cultural river values today and into the future. 

 Determine Land Uses and Associated Developments: Provide clear direction on land uses and 

associated developments in the river corridor, allowing for the infrastructure necessary to support 

the protection and enhancement of river values. 
THE MERCED WILD AND SCENIC RIVER

1-4 Merced Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan / DEIS 

THIS DOCUMENT’S ORGANIZATION 

The Merced River Plan/DEIS is a two-volume set, with 

appendices provided digitally or online at 

http://www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/mrp.htm. 

Figure 1-2 displays the organization of the plan and the 

sections that comprise the Merced Wild and Scenic River 

Comprehensive Management Plan / Draft Environmental 

Impact Statement. 

Figure 1-2: MRP / DEIS Organization