Management

Congress designated a segment of the Rio Grande in Texas as the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River in 1978 because of its “outstandingly remarkable” scenic, geologic, fish and wildlife, and recreational values. A 196-mile strip of land on the American side of the Rio Grande in the Chihuahuan Desert protects the river.

The Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River is managed as a unit of the national park system by Big Bend National Park. To learn more about how these two parks are operated, please visit Big Bend National Park's Management section.

Mission Statement

The National Park Service at the Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River, through cooperative management, preserves and protects the free-flowing state and the natural, cultural, and scenic conditions of the river and its immediate environment for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.

Park Planning

Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River Foundation Document 2016
Park description, significance, and fundamental resources and values

• Foundation Document Overview
  4-page summary

General Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (August 2004).
The General Management Plan charts the course of park planning for the future.

Administrative History
Landscape of Ghosts, River of Dreams: A History of Big Bend National Park

Big Bend General Management Plan
Provides direction to park policy and decision making

Park Planning
Stay informed of current and past projects in Big Bend.

Legislation

Enabling Legislation [232kb PDF file]
Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (1968) [107kb PDF file]