II 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1281 

To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain rivers and 

streams of the headwaters of the Snake River System as additions 

to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 3, 2007 

Mr. THOMAS introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate 

certain rivers and streams of the headwaters of the 

Snake River System as additions to the National Wild 

and Scenic Rivers System. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Snake Headwaters 

5 Legacy Act of 2007’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSES. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 


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1 (1) the headwaters of the Snake River System 

2 in northwest Wyoming feature some of the cleanest 

3 sources of freshwater, healthiest native trout fish4 eries, and most intact rivers and streams in the 

5 lower 48 States; 

6 (2) the rivers and streams of the headwaters of 

7 the Snake River System— 

8 (A) provide unparalleled fishing, hunting, 

9 boating, and other recreational activities for— 

10 (i) local residents; and 

11 (ii) millions of visitors from around 

12 the world; and 

13 (B) are national treasures; 

14 (3) each year, recreational activities on the riv15 ers and streams of the headwaters of the Snake 

16 River System generate millions of dollars for the 

17 economies of— 

18 (A) Teton County, Wyoming; 

19 (B) Lincoln County, Wyoming; and 

20 (C) Sublette County, Wyoming; 

21 (4) to ensure that future generations of citizens 

22 of the United States enjoy the benefits of the rivers 

23 and streams of the headwaters of the Snake River 

24 System, Congress should apply the protections proVerDate Aug 31 2005 22:40 May 04, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1281.IS S1281

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1 vided by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 

2 1271 et seq.) to those rivers and streams; and 

3 (5) the designation of the rivers and streams of 

4 the headwaters of the Snake River System under the 

5 Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1271 et seq.) 

6 will signify to the citizens of the United States the 

7 importance of maintaining the outstanding and re8 markable qualities of the Snake River System 

9 while— 

10 (A) preserving public access to those rivers 

11 and streams; 

12 (B) respecting private property rights (in13 cluding existing water rights); and 

14 (C) continuing to allow traditional uses of 

15 the rivers and streams, including— 

16 (i) fishing; 

17 (ii) hunting; 

18 (iii) camping; 

19 (iv) the use of all-terrain vehicles; 

20 (v) boating; 

21 (vi) snowmobiling; 

22 (vii) outfitting; and 

23 (viii) livestock grazing. 

24 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— 


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1 (1) to protect for current and future genera2 tions of citizens of the United States the remarkable 

3 scenic, natural, wildlife, fishery, recreational, sci4 entific, historic, and ecological values of the rivers 

5 and streams of the headwaters of the Snake River 

6 System; and 

7 (2) to designate 442.5 miles of the rivers and 

8 streams of the headwaters of the Snake River Sys9 tem as additions to the National Wild and Scenic 

10 Rivers System. 

11 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

12 In this Act: 

13 (1) SECRETARY CONCERNED.—The term ‘‘Sec14 retary concerned’’ means— 

15 (A) the Secretary of Agriculture (acting 

16 through the Chief of the Forest Service), with 

17 respect to each river segment described in para18 graph (170) of section 3(a) of the Wild and 

19 Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)) (as 

20 added by section 4(4)) that is not located in the 

21 Grand Teton National Park; and 

22 (B) the Secretary of the Interior, with re23 spect to each river segment described in para24 graph (170) of section 3(a) of the Wild and 

25 Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)) (as 


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1 added by section 4(4)) that is located in the 

2 Grand Teton National Park. 

3 (2) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 

4 of Wyoming. 

5 SEC. 4. WILD AND SCENIC RIVER DESIGNATIONS, SNAKE 

6 RIVER SYSTEM. 

7 Section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 

8 U.S.C. 1274(a)) is amended— 

9 (1) by redesignating paragraph (167) (relating 

10 to the Musconetcong River, New Jersey) as para11 graph (169); 

12 (2) by designating the undesignated paragraph 

13 relating to the White Salmon River, Washington, as 

14 paragraph (167); 

15 (3) by designating the undesignated paragraph 

16 relating to the Black Butte River, California, as 

17 paragraph (168); and 

18 (4) by adding at the end the following: 

19 ‘‘(170) WILD AND SCENIC RIVER DESIGNA20 TIONS, SNAKE RIVER SYSTEM.—The following seg21 ments of the Snake River System, in the State of 

22 Wyoming: 

23 ‘‘(A) BAILEY CREEK.—The 7-mile segment 

24 of Bailey Creek, from the divide with the Little 


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1 Greys River north to its confluence with the 

2 Snake River, as a wild river. 

3 ‘‘(B) BLACKROCK CREEK.—The 22-mile 

4 segment from its source to the Bridger-Teton 

5 National Forest boundary, as a scenic river. 

6 ‘‘(C) BUFFALO FORK OF THE SNAKE

7 RIVER.—The portions of the Buffalo Fork of 

8 the Snake River, consisting of— 

9 ‘‘(i) the 55-mile segment consisting of 

10 the North Fork, the Soda Fork, and the 

11 South Fork, upstream from Turpin Mead12 ows, as a wild river; 

13 ‘‘(ii) the 14-mile segment from Turpin 

14 Meadows to the upstream boundary of 

15 Grand Teton National Park, as a scenic 

16 river; and 

17 ‘‘(iii) the 7.7-mile segment from the 

18 upstream boundary of Grand Teton Na19 tional Park to its confluence with the 

20 Snake River, as a scenic river. 

21 ‘‘(D) CLIFF CREEK.—The portions of Cliff 

22 Creek, consisting of— 

23 ‘‘(i) the 9-mile segment from its 

24 source to Cliff Creek Falls trailhead, as a 

25 wild river; and 


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1 ‘‘(ii) the lower 8-mile segment to the 

2 confluence of the Hoback River, as a sce3 nic river. 

4 ‘‘(E) CRYSTAL CREEK.—The portions of 

5 Crystal Creek, consisting of— 

6 ‘‘(i) the 14-mile segment from its 

7 source to the Gros Ventre Wilderness 

8 boundary, as a wild river; and 

9 ‘‘(ii) the 5-mile segment from the 

10 Gros Ventre Wilderness boundary to its 

11 confluence with the Gros Ventre River, as 

12 a scenic river. 

13 ‘‘(F) GRANITE CREEK.—The portions of 

14 Granite Creek, consisting of— 

15 ‘‘(i) the 12-mile segment from its 

16 source to the end of Granite Creek Road, 

17 as a wild river; and 

18 ‘‘(ii) the 10.5-mile segment from 

19 Granite Hot Springs to its confluence with 

20 the Hoback River, as a scenic river. 

21 ‘‘(G) GROS VENTRE RIVER.—The portions 

22 of the Gros Ventre River, consisting of— 

23 ‘‘(i) the 16.5-mile segment from its 

24 source to Darwin Ranch, as a wild river; 


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1 ‘‘(ii) the 39-mile segment from Dar2 win Ranch to the upstream boundary of 

3 Grand Teton National Park, excluding the 

4 section along Lower Slide Lake, as a sce5 nic river; and 

6 ‘‘(iii) the 10.8-mile segment flowing 

7 across the southern boundary of Grand 

8 Teton National Park to the Highway 89 

9 bridge, as a scenic river. 

10 ‘‘(H) HOBACK RIVER.—The portions of the 

11 Hoback River, consisting of— 

12 ‘‘(i) the 7.5-mile segment from its 

13 source to the end of Forest Road 30710, 

14 as a wild river; and 

15 ‘‘(ii) the 17-mile segment from the 

16 mouth of Cliff Creek to its confluence with 

17 the Snake River, as a recreational river. 

18 ‘‘(I) LEWIS RIVER.—The portions of the 

19 Lewis River, consisting of— 

20 ‘‘(i) the 5-mile segment from Sho21 shone Lake to Lewis Lake, as a wild river; 

22 and 

23 ‘‘(ii) the 12-mile segment from the 

24 outlet of Lewis Lake to its confluence with 

25 the Snake River, as a scenic river. 


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1 ‘‘(J) PACIFIC CREEK.—The portions of Pa2 cific Creek, consisting of— 

3 ‘‘(i) the 22.5-mile segment from its 

4 source to the Teton Wilderness boundary, 

5 as a wild river; and 

6 ‘‘(ii) the 11-mile segment from the 

7 Wilderness boundary to its confluence with 

8 the Snake River, as a scenic river. 

9 ‘‘(K) SHOAL CREEK.—The 17-mile seg10 ment from its source to its confluence with the 

11 Hoback River, as a wild river. 

12 ‘‘(L) SNAKE RIVER.—The portions of the 

13 Snake River, consisting of— 

14 ‘‘(i) the 47-mile segment from its 

15 source to Jackson Lake, as a wild river; 

16 ‘‘(ii) the 24.8-mile segment from 1 

17 mile downstream of Jackson Lake Dam to 

18 1 mile downstream of the Teton Park 

19 Road bridge at Moose, Wyoming, as a sce20 nic river; and 

21 ‘‘(iii) the 20-mile segment from the 

22 mouth of the Hoback River to Palisades 

23 Reservoir, as a recreational river. 


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1 ‘‘(M) WILLOW CREEK.—The 21-mile seg2 ment from its source to its confluence with the 

3 Hoback River, as a wild river. 

4 ‘‘(N) WOLF CREEK.—The 7-mile segment 

5 from its source to its confluence with the Snake 

6 River, as a wild river.’’. 

7 SEC. 5. MANAGEMENT. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Each river segment described in 

9 paragraph (170) of section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic 

10 Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)) (as added by section 4(4)) 

11 shall be managed by the Secretary concerned. 

12 (b) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—Not later than 3 years 

13 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary con14 cerned shall develop a management plan for each river 

15 segment described in paragraph (170) of section 3(a) of 

16 the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)) (as 

17 added by section 4(4)) that is located in an area under 

18 the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned. 

19 (c) FEDERAL RESERVED WATER RIGHT.— 

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), in 

21 accordance with the laws (including regulations) of 

22 the State, the Secretary concerned shall apply for 

23 the quantification of the water right reserved by 

24 each river segment described in paragraph (170) of 

25 section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 


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1 U.S.C. 1274(a)) (as added by section 4(4)) that is 

2 located in an area under the jurisdiction of the Sec3 retary concerned. 

4 (2) REQUIREMENTS.—Notwithstanding any law 

5 (including a regulation) of the State relating to the 

6 granting or exercising of any water right, each river 

7 segment that is the subject of an application under 

8 paragraph (1) shall— 

9 (A) be designated for a beneficial use; and 

10 (B) have a priority date that is the date of 

11 enactment of this Act. 

12 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

13 There are authorized to be appropriated— 

14 (1) $350,000 to develop a management plan for 

15 each river segment described in paragraph (170) of 

16 section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 

17 U.S.C. 1274(a)) (as added by section 4(4)) that is 

18 located in the Bridger-Teton National Forest; and 

19 (2) $250,000 to develop a management plan for 

20 each river segment described in paragraph (170) of 

21 section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 

22 U.S.C. 1274(a)) (as added by section 4(4)) that is 

23 located in Grand Teton National Park. 

Æ 


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