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About us
About us
In 2024 the Crystal River Wild and Scenic Feasibility Steering Committee agreed to create three subcommittees to continue working on three possible approaches to river protection: Wild and Scenic legislative designation, state-held Instream Flow Rights and an Intergovernmental Agreement between the two counties. The three subcommittees were directed to explore each protection mechanism and report back to the broader Steering Committee to discuss a path forward.
The Wild and Scenic Feasibility Subcommittee was tasked with drafting a proposal for a Crystal River Wild and Scenic package tailored to meet the specific needs and flexibility expressed by the community. These include a set of 14 shared values and criteria (listed below) identified by the Steering Committee with input from the community and agreement that these would need to be addressed in any Wild and Scenic proposal in order to move it forward.
The Subcommittee is tasked with developing a Wild and Scenic proposal for the Crystal that addresses each of these values and criteria, and report its findings to the Steering Committee. The subcommittee is not deciding whether to move forward with potential legislation. The group meets regularly and is building a foundation of understanding through mutual fact-finding and shared learning. Monthly meetings have included consulting with US Forest Service officials and legislative experts, exploring how the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act works, how it protects river values, the policies behind the Act and how the Forest Service implements those policies.
Consensus Values/Criteria
Consensus Values/Criteria
The Steering Committee, with input from the broader community, identified the following set of values that any approach should achieve and applied them as CRITERIA for evaluating options for protections:
Durable and effective protection: enduring, permanent, effective protection
Prevents dams and out-of-basin diversions: no jurisdiction, entity, or person could build an on-channel dam or out of basin diversions
Sustainable recreation and tourism: recreation is better managed or upgraded to protect the river corridor
Local agriculture & water rights: incentives are in place to keep water rights tied to land ownership
Local control and property rights: current level of private property rights and water rights control, subject to local and state governmental regulations
Healthy river corridor: opportunity exists to improve and enhance the resiliency of the natural hydrograph, water quality, ecosystem health, and riparian health
Implementation capacity and funding: resources, including funding, staff, and time, are dedicated and available for implementation, management, and maintenance.
Limited future development: limited future development near the river.
Consensus Principles
Consensus Principles
With full consensus, the Steering Committee agreed that any future legislation must adhere to the following PRINCIPLES:
Is written by local governments/communities or in close collaboration between local stakeholders and state/federal representatives.
Prohibits condemnation of private property
Does not prohibit augmentation and/or restoration
The process of drafting the legislation allows for stakeholders to learn more during the process before defining legislation (“education”).
In the process of drafting the legislation, the community could make adjustments to the Wild and Scenic river boundary on either side of the river.
In the process of drafting the legislation, the community could weigh the option of a state-administered alternative to the Federal water right.
Background Documents
Background Documents
Back to Steering Committee page - meeting notes, bakcground docs on Steering Committee
2024 Consensus Recommendation by the Steering Committee - This initial phase of the stakeholder process concluded with this recommendation to form the Wild and Scenic Feasibility Subcommittee. The recommendation was supported by all Steering Committe members.
Group expectations - group agreements and code of conduct.
Subcommittee Charter - adopted in March 2024, laying out our task of “endeavor[ing] to draft a proposal for a Crystal River Wild and Scenic package tailored to meet the specific needs and flexibility expressed by the Steering Committee for the Crystal River”. Additionally, “this effort should include additional research as needed, continued outreach to local landowners and stakeholders, and an effort to learn from others who have had direct experience to ensure a Crystal River approach would build upon the lessons of previous efforts.”
Record of Work
Record of Work
Meeting Notes and Recordings - video recodings, agendas and notes for Subcommittee meetings, by month
Work Tracker - a tracker of the group's progress on additional research and drafting of a proposal, listed in relation to the consensus values and criteria.
Shared Resources and Materials
Shared Resources and Materials
Materials for monthly meetings - technical information, whitepapers, background information for each meeting topic is available in each month's folder
Rivers.gov - Interagency center for information on Wild and Scenic Rivers.
Wild & Scenic Rivers Guide for Riverfront Property Owners
River Management Society Webinar: Bank Stabilization Techniques on W&S Rivers
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