Metrowest Daily News 5/30/09: How the Sudbury River became a tainted landmark. Parts of the Sudbury River began the 20th century as places where people dumped things they wanted to be carried away. The century ended with Congress naming 14.9 miles of the river “Wild and Scenic” in 1999, a designation that recognizes it as a natural resource to be valued and protected. It’s a 180-degree shift in perception, an example of how much public consciousness has changed in the last hundred years when it comes to America’s rivers, lakes and wetlands.