The Sidney herald., 1956-10-25
-, by UOdn PACKARD
NotIonal Parks Association. WASHINGTON Z DC

been converted into series of res.
ervoirs, which made them look
like chains OF sausages. MOI were
the defenders of nature mislec
by the dignified title of 'lake'
applied to several of the reser-
voirs. They realized that these
artificial pools were usually SUBJ
ject to wide fluctuations of water
levels, with the result that they
often became biological deserts
No muskrat or beaver would
build its home in a spot that to-
morrow might become a mud flat.
Fish often were spectacularly
abundant the first few years af-
ter reservoir establishment, only
to die out later. Tourists often
avoided such areas because of
their ugly shore lines. Add to this
the problems of pollution, sum-
mer homes and watersheds alter
ed by cutting of forests and poor
farming habits, and there seemed
little hope even of saving seq
ments of primitive waters.
But the situation was not all
darkness. Aldo Leopold and 9TH
r noted the trend some years
ago, and attempted to save parts
of two Wisconsin rivers, the
Flambeau and the Brule. The
Flambeau already had ten dams
on it, but 80 miles remained free.
1t is along these shorelines and
some additional ones that the
state established an $4,000 acre
Flambeau River State Forest to
protect land on each side of the
river for over so miles.
After the forest was established,
it was zoned. A depth of Va mile
of woodlands bordering each side
of the river was not to be cut,
so that in the years ahead, this
famous canoe water might be
restored to something like its or
iginal splendor.
On each bank outside the areas
zoned to preserve the wild wood
lands of the river, there is a
quarter mile buffer zone, which
may be harvested of its timber
on a sustained yield basis, with
no permanent installations or per-
manent logging roads.
Wisconsin has also attempted
to keep the Brule River intact
by buttressing it with another
state forest, for this is the only
free-flowing river of any size
remaining in the state. The bor-
dering strips of forest are the
closest thing resembling wilder
ness that Wisconsin has remain
ing today - small remnants of
its once extensive wilderness.
Today, the state is also at
tempting to protect from dams
free-flowing sections of 35 trout
and white water streams by the
purchase of key tracts along the
shores of 700 miles of such
streams. Good campsites, springs,
portages, headlands and landing
are being purchased. This,
Of course, does not prohibit con-
of DAMS, summer homes,
taverns, nor prevent water pol
luton on these rivers. Not until
the Wisconsin public is thorough
ly informed and aroused can any
far-reaching action be taken, and
by then it may be too late.
Great encouragement has come
from an unexpected source. Re-
the United States Court of
Appeals, in st. Louis, held that
A conservation commission could
ieny a permit to a private agen-
~ to build a dam on Wisconsin's
Vamekagon River, where recre-
ltional interests are predominant.
Thus, % free-flowing miles of the
Jamekagon have been saved.
Many have hailed this decision as
Indicative that the conscience of
modern man is maturing!
What a be done about this
ituation in your state? First,
here must be an inventory to de-
ermine how many miles of free
waters you originally had,
Iow many remain, and which of
hese r worth preserving. This
hould be followed by a carefully
onsidered plan of action. Is it
ossible to pass a law prohibiting
ans on certain stretches of these
yaters? Can zoned state forests
radually be acquired? Are the
itizens of your state aware of
that is happening to their wild
'aters? Do they care? J
No state already is so shorn of
'ee-flowing waters that nothing ]