The following eligibility criteria are offered to foster greater consistency within the federal river-administering agencies. They are intended to set minimum thresholds to establish ORVs and are illustrative but not all-inclusive. If utilized in an agency's planning process, these criteria may be modified to make them more meaningful in the area of comparison, and additional criteria may be included. Scenery and visual attractions may be highly diverse over the majority of the river or river segment. Recreational opportunities are, or have the potential to be, popular enough to attract visitors from throughout or beyond the region of comparison or are unique or rare within the region.
Visitors are willing to travel long distances to use the river resources for recreational purposes.
River-related opportunities could include, but are not limited to, sightseeing, wildlife observation, camping, photography, hiking, fishing and boating. Interpretive opportunities may be exceptional and attract, or have the potential to attract, visitors from outside the region of comparison. The river may provide, or have the potential to provide, settings for national or regional usage or competitive events. The river, or the area within the river corridor, contains one or more example of a geologic feature, process or phenomenon that is unique or rare within the region of comparison. Fish values may be judged on the relative merits of either fish populations, habitat, or a combination of these river-related conditions.