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tages in spite of the risk of damage by bank wash or high water... 
.. This hazard was present when the land was reclaimed for resi- 
dence, and it will increase with the gradual further submergence 
OF the area, .... The flooding of the basin of Lake Erie is largely 
due to natural causes which are beyond human control. The harm- 
ful effects of this flood are due to the encroachment by people on 
the floodway--i.e., farming or building on lowlands close to the 
edge of the basin. The extent of damage to property is a measure 
of the extent to which people have encroached on the lake’s flood 
plains. This is regrettable, but is an expression of lack of under- 
standing of the natural hazards of this type of situation. Abandon- 
ment of such sites is strongly indicated, to avoid further damage. 
Good conservation engineering, then, is not alone in the physical protec- 
tion of low areas; it is also in warning and discouraging use of precarious areas 
without a clear knowledge and acceptance of possible consequence. 
Throughout this discussion we have directly or indirectly stressed one 
thing--the ignorance of humans concerning their environment, especially as it 
relates to the area of the Great Lakes. We must constantly strive to overcome 
this ignorance, and it cannot be done in a short time or by a few people. 
To return to our initial series of similes: conservation is like the blind 
men describing the elephant; to each it may appear to be something different. 
We shall continue to be blind men until we become conscious of our complete de- 
pendence upon our environment and its need for protection and perpetuation. 
