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they were requesting the Corps of Engineers to study the possibility of 
modifying the Oakley project so that Allerton Park will not be flooded. 
“Dr. Walter Keith, director of Allerton Park, reported on activities of 
a committee which had been established by the university of Illinois to 
study the effect of the Oakley project on the Park. The Committee had 
submitted seven questions to the Corps of Engineers and a response had 
been received and was currently under study. Dr. Keith said the University 
Board of Trustees has instructed the University administration to explore 
the possibility that either the Illinois Division of Waterways or an inde- 
pendent consulting engineer might undertake a study of the feasibility 
of diking the Allerton Park bottomland against flooding and a study of 
the feasibility of lowering the Oakley Reservoir conservation pool. 
“There was discussion of future action of the Illinois Nature Preserves 
Commission on the Allerton Park matter. It was agreed that under the 
provisions of Resolution 55, the officers of the Commission were adequately 
empowered to continue the effort to protect the Allerton Park natural area 
by seeking review and modification of the Oakley project. Future action 
by the Commission would depend to some extent on action of the Univer- 
sity of Illinois Trustees at their December meeting and on the response 
to the Commission from the Department of the Interior. 
“There followed a discussion of the reasons for attempting to save the 
Allerton Park bottomland forest. Dr. Kendeigh discussed a survey of the 
Allerton forest south of the Sangamon River made in 1962 by the Univer- 
sity’s Department of Forestry. The survey report stated that of the 437 
acres in the Park south of the Sangamon River, 261 acres is upland timber, 
140 acres is bottomland timber, and the remainder is not forested. The 
upland forest area includes 173 acres of mature and overmature timber, 
most of which exhibits little influence of disturbance and is essentially old 
growth virgin timber. The bottomland area included 104 acres of mature 
and overmature timber, much of which is undisturbed and essentially virgin. 
Thus, according to the report, 74% of the bottomland forest studied is old 
growth and essentially virgin.” 
Mark Your Calendar: The weekend of May 3-4-5 
1968 ANNUAL MEETING of the 
ILLINOIS AUDUBON SOCIETY 
Orlando Hotel. Decatur, Ill. 
Meeting highlights include a field trip to 
Allerton Park and a discussion by Prof. Harry Bliss 
on the proposed Oakley Reservoir 
