Senators seek to protect Owyhee River, 'Grand Canyon of Oregon'
The Owyhee River is the Pacific Northwest's roundabout river, a high desert stream that rises in far-north Nevada, flows north into Idaho, crosses west into Eastern Oregon and completes a circular journey by flowing back into Idaho at its confluence with the Snake River.
The river is in a remote part of the "lower 48" states but is renowned for its Class 5 kayaking rapids, deep canyons with golden eagles soaring far overhead. Spring rafting adventures are so popular that Bureau of Land Management rangers patrol by boat to see that outdoor enthusiasts have their permits.
After negotiations that required the patience of Job, Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, have come up with a preservation and recreation plan. It has gained support of ranchers in rural Malheur County who fiercely opposed a National Monument designation proposed during the Obama Administration.
The senators' Owyhee Act, introduced Thursday, would preserve 1 million acres of Owyhee canyonlands as wilderness, and designate 14.7 miles of river for protection under the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. It also calls for recreation improvements such as loop roads, to bring in more visitors. (Hikers in the Owyhee need learn to distinguish between bull snakes and rattlesnakes.)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/senators-seek-to-protect-owyhee-river-grand-canyon-of-oregon/ar-BBWu5Vu
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