Surber. — Biological Surveys in Minnesota. 231 



the traveler following certain sections of its course through the 

 deep wooded canyons, is perhaps one of the most picturesque 

 regions of the State, recalling to mind certain mountain streams 

 of the Pennsylvania Alleghanies, or of New England. The stream 

 bed is rough and rocky with many waterfalls and deep pools, 

 having every appearance of being ideal trout waters. However, 

 as we ascend certain tributaries we find that it is wholly de- 

 pendent on springs for its supply, and where certain springs have 

 become dry, as we frequently observe, long stretches of the 

 stream cease flowing and exist only as scattered pools of luke- 

 warm water during the late summer months. Here we find no 

 evidence of fish or other aquatic life except in the vicinity of 

 bank springs. The forest growth along the river bottoms and 

 clothing the steep side hills to their summits is very heavy, trees 

 of large size predominating, with abundant undergrowth in many 

 places, indicating but little disturbance of the original forest. On 

 ascending to the crest of the steep slopes and getting clear of 

 the canyon-like valley we find an almost level plateau extending 

 back and away from the course of the stream for miles, all drain- 

 ing, however, at more or less regular intervals through deeply 

 eroded gullies and ravines to the main valley. This plateau, 

 formerly the "Big Timber," is divested of all original forest and 

 almost every square foot of it has been under intensive cultiva- 

 tion for years. Rains often fall on these uplands in perfect de- 

 luges and rushing down through the gullies without any re- 

 straining influences, carry vast quantities of the soil to the river 

 below where it is responsible for the strangulation of aquatic 

 life referred to under another heading. The results are inevitable, 

 and in spite of all we can do to restock this stream it is gradually, 

 but surely, approaching the day, not far distant, when its only 

 function will be that of an open sewer. The conditions in many 

 parts of the Root River basin are almost identical, and in all 

 probability exist in other basins of that section. 



STREAMS IN WILDERNESS COUNTRY AND IN CUT-OVER AREAS. 



Much of the North Shore Country remains pretty much as 

 the white man found it 300 years ago, so far as it has affected the 

 water flow of many of the small rivers flowing into Lake Su- 

 perior and the boundary waters between this and Rainy Lake, 

 though man has taken enormous toll of the heavy forests. This 



