Fred; I think you are slighting the extensive efforts at habitat restoration by COE, DNRs, USFWS, etc. along the Upper Miss. To get a better idea of the integrated efforts being made along MN/IA/WI shores see http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/environment/default.asp?pageid=74. It ain't "perfect", but it's better than allowing the continued deterioration none of us likes.
Charlie On Apr 24, 2006, at 08:59, fred lesher wrote: > Several years ago I attended a hearing in New Albin, > Iowa on the Poole Slough maintenance operation > proposal. I raised questions about the purpose of the > project, and its effect upon Bullfrogs resident along > Army Rd. in the project, and on resident non-game > birds in the marsh at Poole Slough. > > Currently that project has gone ahead. I understood at > the hearing that Winnebago Creek sediments backed up > by the delta of the Upper Iowa River are filling the > marsh east of New Albin, and that the current > operation is designed to allow a channel to flow less > impeded by marsh shallows & vegetation into the > Mississippi. Meanwhile, the village of New Albin has > built its holding ponds from its waste treatment plant > in what looks to me like the River floodplain. > > I am not a scientist, engineer or a hydrologist, but > the Poole Slough project looks to me like a futile > attempt to deal with the overburden of sediments and > sands flowing into the Mississippi River from lands > throughout the Upper Mississippi River basin. Army > Road is already close to being below the marsh level, > and is closed currently, in part, even below > "floodstage", however that is determined. > > In my short lifetime, I have observed the shallowing > of marshes on the Mississippi R. and more recently > Pool 7 near LaCrosse. Also, I have observed the > diminution of isolated farmland marshes such as > Cardinal Marsh in Winneshiek Co., Iowa, and Goose Lake > in Clinton Co., Iowa, as well as more diking and > filling up & down the Mississippi River. We all know > how the River flows between COE dikes further south > along the Mississippi R. in Arkansas and Mississippi, > and we know about problems getting the Mississippi > River into the Gulf unimpeded by sediments and natural > events. > > What is happening at Poole Slough is "tiny", perhaps, > but it is typical of vain attempts to run water off > arable & urban lands as quickly as possible, so as to > continue human activities unrestrained by reason and > driven by "necessary capitalism." (Please read Jared > Diamond, "Collapse," especially about "rational bad > behavior"). > > As I view Poole Slough through the short lens of my 70 > years life & 60 years observing, reporting, and > documenting non-game as well as game birds on the > River & throughout the midlands, I see COE projects > backed by well meaning "sportsmen" and unelected > chambers of commerce as futile attempts to deal with > what must be uncountable billions of tons of sediments > washing into the River from all sources. > > No, I do not have a solution to the shallowing of > wetlands and filling of rivers. However, ignoring the > core sources and causes of shallowing & filling of > wetlands is not reasonable. Tiling & quickly draining > farm fields is one contributer to sediment run-off. > Tilling hillsides is another. Municipal dikes and > streets and housing on floodplains is another. Visit > the backwaters of the Mississippi River north of > Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin and drive the roadside > sloughs and look up to trailers on 10-12 foor stilts. > And ask where their holding tanks are, and what > happens during a flood if the tanks are empty. > > I respectfully submit that we are not dealing with the > Mississippi River in ways that are environmentally > sound, and with a view to the future, short term, let > alone long term. > > Meanwhile, who will miss Sora Rails at Poole Slough? > > Thank you for reading. > > Fred Lesher > 509 Winona St. > LaCrosse, WI 54603 > 1-608-783-1149 > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > _______________________________________________ > mnbird mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.mnbird.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mnbird >
