In 1993, the Cisco Branch of the Ontonagon River was designated as a National Wild and Scenic River. U.P. enthusiasts know it as one of the great waterways in the region despite extensive logging and ecological stresses in the area.

The Cisco is just one of the many streams, rivers, lakes and waterways in the Upper Peninsula that help to create a diverse ecosystem. The headwaters of the Cisco issue from Cisco Lake approximately 10 miles from CLT. The river is controlled with a dam that provides hydropower for the UPCC.

With clear water running over the iron-rich rocks of the riverbed, the Cisco runs with a brown tint for much of the summer and fall with dark hues accenting the water on many winter and spring days.