Table of Contents More U.S. Rivers Deserve ‘Outstanding’ Designation The Little Cimarron River runs through Colorado’s Uncompahgre Wilderness. Rivers in wilderness areas throughout the state are protected as Outstanding National Resource Waters and preserved for future generations to enjoy. Bob Wick BLM In many American communities, rivers irrigate the farms that feed families, quench people’s thirst—rivers are the source of more than two-thirds of the drinking water in the U.S.—sustain wildlife habitat, and provide an economic boost for communities. Yet only a very small portion of those waterways are protected from threats ranging from pollution to damming, which would wreck the water’s natural flow.