THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 
Published Quarterly by the 
ILLINOIS AUDUBON SOCIETY 
Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Ill., 60605 
Number 146 June 1968 
Tine” (PRIS SHDIEINE = Sy. Tey\ (eae 
by RAYMOND MOSTEK 
DRIFTING TOWARDS DISASTER: In his short book, “A Wilderness Bill 
of Rights,’ Associate U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas 
wrote: “When it comes to building dams, we should remember that from 
now on almost every structure will result in the sacrifice of scientifically 
important streams and valleys. If we decide to preserve these beauties 
rather than bury them forever under muddy waters, our decision is, at 
best, temporary—one that the next generation can undo. But if we destroy 
a stream or valley, we sacrifice it forever. Then men for all future time 
must abide by the choice we have made.” Several areas are under attack 
by the dam builders. We should like to remind you of a few of them: 
Big Walnut Valley, Indiana. This 
delightful area les only about 35 
miles from Indianapolis. Early in 
1965, many conservationists began 
to examine this region, now threat- 
ened by the stubborn and arrogant 
U.S. Corps of Army Engineers. 
On a single field trip, the state’s 
three largest hemlock trees were 
discovered and recorded. In one 
area of less than 200 acres, more 
than 320 species of plants were 
recorded, and more than 120 species 
of birds were found, including the 
Pileated Woodpecker and one of 
the best Great Blue Heron Rooker- 
ies in the state. 
The U.S. Corps of Engineers 
plans to destroy the natural flood 
plains to build a dam, and thereby 
kill the living stream and the val- 
ley. The careless colonels who run 
the Corps will replace forested 
slopes with ugly mudflats and 
eroded banks. It is working with 
state water agencies to bring this 
about. Over a half dozen similar 
flood control projects within 50 
miles of Indianapolis provide the 
same type of water basin recrea- 
tion and water supply. President 
Paul Cook of Wabash College has 
declared that the site is a valuable 
and irreplaceable natural area, 
pointing out alternate sites are 
readily available. Among other 
losses would be three covered 
bridges. The Izaak Walton League, 
headed by a national vice presi- 
dent, Tom Dustin of Fort Wayne, 
is among the leaders in the effort 
to save Big Walnut Valley. They 
are urging letters be sent to Sena- 
tors Birch Bayh and Vance Hartke, 
Senate Office Bldg., Washington, 
and to Gov. Roger Branigan, State 
House, Indianapolis, Ind. 
Gila River Gorge: In July 1967, 
the Senate passed the Central Ari- 
zona Project under S. 1004. The 
House Committee on Interior Af- 
fairs is considering several com- 
