American Heritage Rivers facts for kids
American Heritage Rivers were special rivers in the United States chosen in the 1990s. The United States Environmental Protection Agency helped coordinate efforts to protect these rivers. The main goals were to:
- Protect nature and the environment.
- Help the local economy grow.
- Preserve important history and culture.
How the Rivers Were Chosen
The idea for American Heritage Rivers started with an official order from President Bill Clinton on September 11, 1997. This order created the American Heritage Rivers Protection Program.
Experts and government groups worked together to decide how to pick the rivers. They wanted to make sure many different types of rivers were chosen. This included:
- Rivers of different sizes.
- Rivers from various parts of the country.
- Rivers in cities and in the countryside.
- Rivers that were already clean and successful.
- Rivers that needed a lot of help to become healthy again.
They also listened to many different groups, like those interested in nature, history, tourism, transportation, and industries like farming and mining.
What Made a River Special Enough?
Rivers were chosen based on these important points:
- Unique Features: Did the river have special natural beauty, economic importance, farming areas, scenic views, history, culture, or fun activities that made it stand out?
- Community Plan: Did the local community have a clear plan to help the river? Did their plan cover protecting nature, boosting the economy, and preserving history?
- Community Support: Did many people in the community support the idea? This included letters from leaders, landowners, regular citizens, businesses, and especially local governments. Strong support from everyone was very important!
- Working Together: Was the community willing and able to work with different groups to make their plan happen and reach their goals?
The Chosen Rivers
President Clinton officially named 14 rivers or river systems as American Heritage Rivers on July 30, 1998. These rivers were chosen because they met the special criteria and showed great potential for improvement and preservation.
Here are the rivers that were chosen:
- Blackstone and Woonasquatucket Rivers (in Massachusetts and Rhode Island)
- Connecticut River (in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut)
- Cuyahoga River (in Ohio)
- Detroit River (in Michigan and Ontario, Canada)
- Hanalei River (in Hawaii)
- Hudson River (in New York and New Jersey)
- Lower Mississippi River (in Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Arkansas)
- The Wolf River near Memphis was included with the Lower Mississippi.
- Potomac River (in Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia)
- New River (in North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia)
- Rio Grande (in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas)
- St. Johns River (in Florida)
- Upper Mississippi River (in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin)
- Upper Susquehanna and Lackawanna Rivers (in Pennsylvania)
- Willamette River (in Oregon)
See also
In Spanish: Ríos del patrimonio estadounidense para niños
