Designation Origin Story | Eightmile Wild and Scenic Rivers Watershed

Name	State	Date Study was Enacted	Public Law	Congressional Sponsors	Date Designated	Public Law
Eightmile River Watershed	CT	Nov. 6, 2001	PL 107-65	Robert Ruhl Simmons (R-CT)	May 8, 2008	PL 110-229

Miles Designated	Congressional Sponsors	Designated ORVs	Website	Outstanding Resources
25.3	Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)	Cultural, Fish, Geologic, Historic, Recreation, Scenic, Wildlife, Botany, Ecologic, Hydrologic, Traditional Use, Water Quality	Eightmile River Wild and Scenic Watershed	Watershed hydrology, water quality, unique species and natural communities, geology, watershed ecosystem, and cultural landscapes

The Eightmile Wild and Scenic designation took a watershed approach to designation. The Study Committee felt strongly that protecting the river was not enough, and that in order to preserve and protect the Eightmile River, protection of the whole Eightmile watershed - over 150 miles of streams and tributaries - was essential to the health and viability of the river system.

CT Representative Joe Courtney (D) was the original sponsor of the Eightmile designation bill protecting the approximately 40,000 acre, 62 square mile, watershed. Since 2010, over 1,000 acres of land have been preserved in the watershed, bringing the total to over 15,400 acres. This means that about 40% of the Eightmile watershed has been preserved through the efforts of the Eightmile River Wild and Scenic Coordinating Committee (ERWSCC) and local, state and federal partners.

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