

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR-~ 1353 West Macon St, 
Decatur, Ill, 62522 
February 11, 1968 
I am writing to commend the work of the "Save Allerton Park" 
Committee, The 24-page study in the question and answer form is care- 
fully documented in the paragraph where the answer is given, 
As a member of the Decatur Audubon Society I am whole heart-— 
edly in favor of an Oakley dam as a device for assuring Decatur an 
increased water supply. With proper consideration of all benefits 
this can be a most worthwhile project. But with the arbitrary chang- 
ing of the height of the dam from 621 ft. to 636 ft. it can become 
a liability instead of an asset, A reevaluation of assets and liabil- 
ities seems essential, 
The damage to Allerton Park would be irreparable, This beauti- 
ful showplace of east-central Illinois is of great importance as a 
place for public recreation, a natural wildlife refuge, a site for sci- 
entific experiments, and a gathering place for nature study groups, It 
is a great asset to Decatur at the present time and will be even more 
so in the future, It is easier to Sway public opinion with impressive 
figures of large quantities of water available and the money gift from 
the government than it is to open peoples' eyes to the irreparable 
loss of recreational and wildlife resources for future generations, 
It is true the Sangamon River below Decatur needs to be im- 
proved and made more sanitary, but surely not just by dilution of 
sewage, The government's concern for clearing streams of pollution 
throughout the country is commendable, But almost complete destruction 
of sewage pollutants and prevention of pollution by pesticides would 
be mich more desirable than mere dilution. Nationwide tertiary treat- 
ment of sewage will, no doubt, be a government requirement within a 
fairly short time, Most cities do not have available water to dilute 
their sewage, as the Corp of Engineers is perhaps short-sightedly 
planning for Decatur, With a reasonable height dam (621 ft.) as first 
proposed and tertiary sewage treatment a smaller but satisfactory 
amount of water would be required to keep a current in the lower 
Sangamon. In severe drought a water source is possible from the Mahomet 
underground River to keep a reasonable flow in the Sangamon to tide 
over any case of emergency. 
As to more recreational areas made possible by the higher dam 
there is reasonable doubt as to its effectiveness, If the water level 
were constant, of course a larger waterbed would afford mre shore line 
for recreatim areas and more water for boating, But such possible 
advantages do not follow from the proposed use of the impounded water, 
It is planned and conceivable that the water would be drawn down 7 to 9 
feet each dry season and in severe dry seasons as much as 15 feet, 
This would not only leave unsightly mudflats in what had been Allerton 
Park's 600 acres of woodland but around the entire shore of the lake, 
This would be a normal yearly condition, Recreational areas planned for 
the shore at the 636 ft, level would be separated from the water by a wide, 
bare beach or perhaps a mudflat, These would be mre extensive than 
those caused by a 621 foot dam. Boating during the dry season would 
be impossible except well below Allerton Park, Facilities built for 
acnessiete, COU neg 
I.A.S. Newsletter, April 1968 - 5 - 


