A new report by a Utah nonprofit group indicates that the Provo River needs to be protected to ensure the quality of drinking water supplies.

But missing from a Forest Service list of rivers it prefers to protect is a 20-mile section of the Provo River, a 1/3-mile piece of American Fork River near Timpooneke Campground, 1.3 miles of the Provo River near Theater-in-the-Pines, and at the south end of the county, 13 miles of Fish Creek and almost 10 miles of Gooseberry Creek. A final decision is expected this fall.

"Although many residents do not know this, people along the Wasatch Front rely on the Provo River to meet their drinking water needs," according to the Renowned Rivers report from the Utah Rivers Council.

The report encourages residents to speak out in favor of giving the river Wild and Scenic status to help maintain a healthy, functioning watershed.

The protection can even save cities money, as the cleaner the water is in the river, the less cities have to spend to treat it before piping it to people's homes, said Mark Danenhauer of the Utah Rivers Council. Ultimately, whether the rivers receive protection will be a political decision, he said.

The Wild and Scenic designation also would protect the rivers as scenery and recreation destinations, keeping protected segments from development.

"We are trying to make sure these rivers stay the way they are today into the future," Danenhauer said.

In addition to the Provo, Fish and Gooseberry rivers in Utah County, the report urges protection for the Green River, the headwaters of the Bear River, Logan River, the north fork of the Virgin River, the Upper Uinta River, the Upper Yellowstone River and others.

Of the 840 miles of Utah rivers considered, the Forest Service has announced it is recommending protective status for 132 miles. These were chosen because they represent the best rivers in Utah "while resulting in the least impact to future planned development in the state while keeping long-term costs of management low," according to the Forest Service proposal.

Steve Schmidt, owner of Western River Fly Fisher, said federal protection for any of Utah's rivers would be good, as right now none are protected.

"In the West, water is going to be the last battle ground," he said. Residents should act now to encourage Provo River protection because "not only is it a scenic waterway, it has tremendous history and recreation values that are equal or unparalleled to anything else in the West."

To view the Forest Service proposal, visit www.fs.fed.us/r4/rivers. The Utah Rivers Council report, "Renowned Rivers: Protecting the Most Beloved Rivers in Utah's National Forests" is available at UtahRivers.org.

The public can comment on the Forest Service proposal by mail at Utah NF Wild and Scenic River DEIS, P.O. Box 162969, Sacramento, CA 95816-2969, by e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , or by fax to (916) 456-6724.