Forest and Bird's Dunedin branch is gearing up for a campaign to support the Otago Fish and Game Council's bid to protect the Nevis River from damming.
It is holding a public meeting in Dunedin tonight when Otago Fish and Game Council chief executive Niall Watson will speak on why the Nevis is worth protecting.
Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society southern conservation officer Sue Maturin said damming the Nevis would destroy Otago's last remaining free-flowing river and destroy the Nevis Valley's untamed character.
"Our wild rivers are not renewable," Ms Maturin said.
"Damming natural rivers is not an environmentally sustainable way to generate power."
In the case of the Nevis, the valley floor had important historical values as well as native flora and fauna, landscape and recreational values, Ms Maturin said.
The meeting will be held in the University of Otago's zoology building at 7.45pm.