[The Snake River Headwaters] are truly special, defining our landscape and way of life. Congress recognized that when it passed the Craig Thomas Snake Headwaters Legacy Act in 2009, protecting 414 miles of 13 rivers and streams across northwest Wyoming.
… Now, nearly two decades later, we have arrived at the next step in that vision: the effort to secure water rights that ensure these rivers remain what Congress intended them to be.
A Wild and Scenic River without adequate flows would be a failure. To deliver, the law requires that these rivers be protected in their clean, free-flowing condition, with the values that make them remarkable preserved for future generations.
The water right applications now under consideration are designed to do exactly that.