CalWild has begun to explore a little-known Clean Water Act tool to protect some of California’s cleanest rivers and streams, and the landscapes that support them. In 2019 CalWild helped kickstart an effort to identify California waterways which could qualify as Outstanding National Resource Waters (ONRWs), and then leverage state and federal regulations to seal in their protections.
What are Outstanding National Resource Waters “ONRWs”?
A little-used provision of the federal Clean Water Act, an ONRW designation confers protection instituted by a state for streams with exceptional recreational and ecological values, where no permanent degradation of water quality is allowed. In California, only Lake Tahoe and Mono Lake have been designated as ONRWs. Waterways with ONRW designation are considered by the state as an important tool to achieve its goal to protect 30% of the state’s lands and waters by 2030 (30×30).
What makes an ONRW special?
Most federal and state water pollution regulations allow for a certain level of pollution that is not harmful to humans, fish, and wildlife. An ONRW designation is different.
👉 You’re not allowed to make its water quality worse—at all.
No permanent decline. No “acceptable” level of added pollution. And we think California has quite a few waterways that merit the Outstanding National Resource Waters designation.
Waterways we’re fighting for right now:
CalWild and its allies (CalTrout, Trout Unlimited, and The Pew Charitable Trusts) have approached the North Coast Regional Water Board to designate Cedar and Elder Creeks in Northern California as Outstanding National Resource Waters.
These vital cold-water tributaries of the South Fork Eel Wild and Scenic River help support the river’s threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead (click here for our ONRW Cedar and Elder Creek Fact Sheets).
In addition to our work in northwest California, CalWild is also collaborating with groups to identify potential ONRWs in the Sierra Nevada.
We showcase Cedar and Elder Creek from the ground and skies
Last summer, CalWild organized an EcoFlight over Cedar and Elder Creeks for Board staff, conservation group representatives and local activists, and elected officials. This summer, we hope to organize another EcoFlight over both streams.
In addition, we are collaborating with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to conduct a field trip to the upper reaches of Cedar Creek. The upper portion of this watershed has extremely limited public access. As manager of the Little Red Mountain Ecological Reserve, CDFW is one of the few agencies that can legally access this remote area. The EcoFlight and field trip will help inform our effort to prepare a technical report by November 2026 for consideration by the Regional Board to designate the streams as ONRWs in an amendment to the North Coast Basin Plan.
Last fall, CalWild and its allies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Regional Board committing to completing a draft technical report that will provide the basis of the Board staff’s recommendation to designate Cedar and Elder Creeks as ONRWs.
