What rivers and adjacent lands are preserved and protected under the Wild, Scenic and Recreational Rivers Program?
Since 1973, several rivers in Minnesota have been designated as Wild and Scenic. Check the list and map of wild and scenic rivers in Minnesota. The protected Wild, Scenic, and Recreational Land Use District cannot include more than 320 acres of land per river mile on both sides of the river. This generally follows the road or property line nearest to an imaginary “line of sight”, the approximate distance that a person can see back from the river. Check with your local zoning official on whether your property is included within this land use district. Portions of a designated river may be managed under three different classifications. The Wild River classification is applied to those portions that exist in a free-flowing state (i.e. without significant artificial modification) with excellent water quality and adjacent lands which are essentially primitive. Scenic Rivers are those rivers that exist in a free flowing state with adjacent lands which are largely undeveloped. Recreational Ri
