The two segments, added to the list in 1982, are (1) the 14 miles of the Gunpowder Falls between Loch Raven Reservoir and Prettyboy Reservoir and (2)the 4 miles between Bel Air Road and Harford Road.
The Nationwide Rivers Inventory (NRI) is a listing of more than 3000 free-flowing river segments in the United States that are believed to possess one or more "outstandingly remarkable" natural or cultural values judged to be of more than local or regional significance.
Under a 1980 presidential directive, all federal agencies must seek to avoid or mitigate actions that would adversely affect one or more NRI segments. The NRI is a source of information for statewide river assessments and federal agencies involved with stream-related projects. For any group concerned with ecosystem management, the inventory can provide the location of the nearest naturally- functioning system which might serve as a reference for monitoring activities.
It also serves as a
listing of plant and animal species for restoration efforts on a similar section of river. For the recreationalist, it provides a
listing of free-flowing, relatively undisturbed river segments.
