Watering the Plains: Political Dynamics of River Preservation in Canada and the United States

Authors

Joan M. Blauwkamp, University of Nebraska at Kearney
Peter J. Longo, University of Nebraska at KearneyFollow

Date of this Version

Fall 2002

Document Type

Article

Comments

Published in Great Plains Research 12:2 (Fall 2002): 352-68. Copyright © 2002 Center for Great Plains Studies.

Abstract

In this article we compare the Canadian Heritage Rivers System with the US Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and analyze case law in order to identify the best means of ensuring preservation of Great Plains rivers. We find that fear of federal dictates provides a powerful political weapon for opponents of river preservation policies. Therefore, we conclude that national officials should work with state, provincial, and local officials to develop cooperative plans that enable local residents to participate in river management decisions. Cooperative river management policies avoid the perception of federal government action as threatening to state sovereignty, thereby removing a significant rhetorical and political obstacle to water preservation.