Now we're lucky to see a single coot.
People are concerned about habitat loss in and along rivers, streams and lakes.
They want to know what's being done to protect existing habitat or restore what's been lost. For some good examples, they need look no further than Wisconsin's wet western border. The Mississippi River has long been the platform for engineering projects large and small. Since locks and dams were installed, more than 80 percent of the islands in Pool 8 between Genoa and Stoddard have been lost due to erosion. Some backwater lakes, the preferred home of bluegills, largemouth bass and waterfowl, have filled in at an average rate of a half-inch per year.