The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1919-09-05

rocks and stones and quicksands, sloplng very
gradually into deep water. There is proDaD'S ~
finer freshWater bathing beach In the World
Don't think Of the dunes as heaps OF Dare sou
In n desert. They are exactly the reverse. ~
have water, trees, shrubs, vines, howerS' siu'''
birds and small wild animal life. The uuth 10 'n"'
the dunes are Il great natural propagauhs saiu.n
with q most astonishing array OF trees anu plan
and flowers. This garden is packed 1uh Vi hoi"
from the Lake Superior region, the Atlantic coaot'
the middle South and the western prairie -
seems 70 have almost everything in the plant me
from cactus to cranberries and from pines 10 'uHp
trees. A list of only the most charactciI9'iN ""N
important plant species numbers 40.
10 the ordinary visitor probably the spectaNr
of te walking dunes is the most lnteres'ins.
Iona no COOS land in the making. Here today Is Il
torrorirr dime crowned with flowers ana plahts
ond trees. tomorrow it is gone ana Where IL " 10
q great blowout OF glistening SAND Will - ~
sidns strewn with dead trunks eXhuhleu ron ~
ancient graveyard OF a previous FOREST y"
thern Is n deep cash in the bluff; tomorro" Jus
49, to1.on NV q very lofty heap OF white
sand that has come up, grain by grain, out Oh 'he
,oLo on which grasses and plants ana SHRUBS anu
troelots are already struggling for u foothoid. 10
dav stands a forest on the edge OF a shaiio" pohu'
tomorrow 1t is a cemetery, with even me 'ree-
TONS covered by sand marching In from the Deach.
The accompanying map and diagram SHOWS
where the material that builds the dunes Is con
,no from and how it gets there. Lake Michigan
hos heen taking material from the west shore anu
denositing II at the dunes for a perlou rechoheu u
ohout 1000 years. Previous 10 thiS periou u"0
love, Of the lake was SO or 60 feet higher thah no"
and the discharge was toward the Nilsslssippi az
. noipt near where now are the dunes. Wheh the
"ranro or glocer which prevented the discharge
20 "o+or into the st. Lawrence was removed ana
tho lake drained into the Atlantic instead OF tue
gulf the level dropped, the present lake currents
sot n and the building of the dunes was begun.
public land surveys made in 1850 ana souhuihss
90 lake Michigan furnish the data Tor these
..atos. During the last 5000 years the waters
90 IN. lake have washed away about ooO square
n,;,o. of land from the shore extending from the
indiana state line northward into Wisconsin,
whore this land was is now water lroih oo " '"
eoot dozen The old shore line extends out from
three TO nine miles; then tIlere Is u aoiup' uoi
of several hundred feet. 49,,
This is an unparalleled erosion; 1t is accounted
-. tho softness OF the shore, which is largely
oo,rposcd Of material that was ground very hnt
~ tbo Glaciers that deposited it. 1t IS estimated
.Iot : 100000 tons Of soil is taken yearly py th'
Iolo from the shore north OF chicago. DO 'her'
IS plenty of material for Duiidirs opera'iohS d
the dunes. uoo,
,urat will happen to the dunes when the suppl!
of building material stops!
I'D stop It will, and that comparatively soon
For the shore north Of Chicago Will In a FEW year
he pretty solidly settled by people VINO nave none
~ snand TO prevent further erosion of the shore
Tn fact. erosion has already been stopped owe
49, stretches. and In many places the shore ha
Noon bult out. The time is coming whea the Yves
shore Will be protected from erosion by piers an
hrookwoters. The supply of building material 70
the dunes will presumably STOP ferhapS lheh III
DIMES will stop walking"
Let us hope that long before that time tn
DIMES National park will be q peoples playground
dedicated 10 public recreation forever