08/28/2026
Happy National Park Week!
What does freedom look like? At Ozark National Scenic Riverways, it looks like a river flowing freely. Many years ago, there was a plan to dam the Current River in three places to create lakes. This would have submerged our historic sites, caves, springs, and many plant and animal species who rely on free-flowing rivers. Because of a grassroots movement by local conservationists to save the rivers, the issue made its way to Congress.
President John F. Kennedy endorsed the establishment of a national park along the riverways. In 1964, the Ozark National Scenic Riverways became the first federally protected river system in the country, paving the way for the protection of other rivers around the nation. Just four years later, President Lyndon B. Johnson passed the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and today over 200 rivers, totaling nearly 13,000 miles of river, are part of the National Wild and Scenic River System!
Images: Celebrating our place in America’s history! The signing of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in 1968 and the dedication ceremony in 1972. Credits: rivers.gov (1), NPS Photos (2-5)
