(c) 2007 Carolyn Silva

About the Mokelumne River

"I grew up in Mokelumne Hill along the banks of the river, enjoying the simple pleasures this natural wonder has to offer … you can also appreciate the river’s natural beauty and splendor. Today, we have a unique opportunity to preserve this natural treasure for future generations to enjoy."
—Lt. Governor John Garamendi

"Designating the Mokelumne a Wild and Scenic River will help strengthen our local economy while protecting a beloved river local residents have used for generations."
—Calaveras County Supervisor Steve Wilensky

"The North Fork Mokelumne canyon is an invaluable cultural resource."
—John Nadolski, former Eldorado National Forest archaeologist

"Loss of habitat in that drainage would be a detriment to the natural resources of the state."
—Stafford Lehr, biologist, California Department of Fish and Game

"The vast number of prehistoric sites along the North Fork, the high degree of site integrity, and the vast research potential for the area provide evidence that the archaeological resources in the study area are outstandingly remarkable."
—Wild and Scenic River Study Report/Environmental Impact Statement on the North Fork of the Mokelumne River (U.S. Forest Service 1990)

"Electrification of the region as a result of those early [hydroelectric] projects is significant, with far-reaching implications for American society and culture."
—Bureau of Land Management Sierra Resource Management Plan Draft EIS

On Rivers and River Protection

"A river is more than an amenity—it is a treasure that offers a necessity of life that must be rationed among those who have the power over it."
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Speaking About the Delaware River in 1931

"In a country where nature has been so lavish and where we have been so spendthrift of indigenous beauty, to set aside a few rivers in their natural state should be considered an obligation."
—Senator Frank Church from Idaho, Arguing for passage of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (1968)

"...the time has also come to identify and preserve free-flowing stretches of our great rivers before growth and development make the beauty of the unspoiled waterway a memory."
—President Lyndon Johnson's Message on Natural Beauty

"Wild rivers are earth's renegades, defying gravity, dancing to their own tunes, resisting the authority of humans, always chipping away, and eventually always winning."
—Richard Bangs, River Gods

"We are never far from the lilt and swirl of living water. Whether to fish or swim or paddle, or only to stand and gaze, to glance as we cross a bridge, all of us are drawn to rivers, all of us happily submit to their spell. We need their familiar mystery. We need their fluent lives interflowing with our own."
—John Daniel, Oregon Rivers

More River Quotes

From the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System web site