N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law § 15-2707 – Classes of river areas includable in system, criteria; management objectives

1. The following types of river areas are eligible for inclusion in the system. All state agencies are hereby directed to pursue policies with respect to their respective activities, functions, powers and duties which are designated to enhance the conditions of designated rivers in accordance with the criteria set forth for such rivers in this section.
2. All rivers in the system shall be relatively free of pollution and the water quality thereof of a standard sufficiently high to meet the primary management purposes enumerated herein. a. Wild river. Those rivers or sections of rivers that are free of diversions and impoundments, inaccessible to the general public except by water, foot or horse trail, and with river areas primitive and undeveloped in nature and with development, if any, limited to forest management and foot bridges.
1. (1) The minimum length of any one section shall be five miles.
2. (2) In general, the minimum distance from the river shore to a public highway or a private road open to the public for motor vehicle use, shall be one-half mile except where a physical barrier exists which effectively screens the sight and sound of motor vehicles.
3. (3) Management of wild river areas shall be directed at perpetuating them in a wild condition as defined herein. b. Scenic river. Those rivers, or sections of rivers, that are free of diversions or impoundments except for log dams, with limited road access and with river areas largely primitive and largely undeveloped or which are partially or predominantly used for agriculture, forest management and other dispersed human activities which do not substantially interfere with public use and enjoyment of the rivers and their shores.
4. (1) There shall be no minimum length of any one section.
5. (2) Management of scenic river areas shall be directed at preserving and restoring the natural scenic qualities of such rivers. c. Recreational river. Those rivers, or sections of rivers, that are readily accessible by road or railroad, that may have development in their river area and that may have undergone some impoundment or diversion in the past.
6. (1) There shall be no minimum length of any one section.
7. (2) Management shall be directed at preserving and restoring the natural scenic and recreational qualities of such river areas. d. Exceptions. Limited existing exceptions to the criteria for all three classes of rivers will not automatically exclude rivers from designation. Rather, the river area shall be examined as a whole with its overall worthiness for inclusion being the deciding factor.