Outstanding National Resource Waters: A Resource Management Tool
West B. 1989. Outstanding National Resource Waters: A Resource Management Tool. National Park Service, Water Resources Division. Denver
Clean water is an important attribute of each unit of the National Park Service, whether it provides extensive water-based recreation, serves as the focal point of a significant scenic overlook, or functions in ways that add valuable dimensions to an historical scene. Appropriate management is not limited to the management of water as a single resource; the National Park Service (NPS) Organic Act directs the NPS to preserve and protect entire ecosystems by maintaining their integrity and by finding ways to avoid interferences with natural ecosystem processes that perpetuate them. Regulatory frameworks such as the Clean Water Act and state antidegradation policies offer managers the tools to protect and maintain various levels of water quality. Some National Park waters are classified as "Outstanding National Resource Waters" (ONRW) and may qualify for additional protection. This report offers guidelines to managers on utilizing these regulatory frameworks and provides a state-by-state listing of antidegradation policies and ONWR programs, and suggests what water areas qualify for protection under these policies. Voyageurs National Park is an area listed as qualifying for such protections.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- West, Barbara
- Date of Issue
- 1989-09
- Publisher
- National Park Service, Water Resources Division
- Units
- BIBE , KEFJ , KLMN , LAKE , ORPI , SODN , VOYA , WRD , WRST
- Keywords
- Clean Water Act, Laws & Legislation, Management, National Parks, Natural Resource Management, Outstanding National Resource Waters(ONWR), states, Water Management, Water Quality, Water quality standards, Water Resource Management, Water Resources, WRBIB