10 THE A, UsD°UcB O-N” BU ieee 
IS LUSK CREEK LOST? 
by WILLIAM C. ASHBY 
I first visited Lusk Creek during the fall of 1966. Bill Hopkins, my gu 
was doing a taxonomic survey of the flowering plants of that area. His: 
titusiasm over the distinctive plant life and the exceptional natural feat 
and beauties of Lusk Creek proved to be fully justified. Of the many aj 
in Illinois I had visited, this seemed the finest for richness and divers 
The creek was a living stream, framed magnificently in its geologic 
potanic setting, and virtually undisturbed by the hand of man in m 
of its area. | 
On this trip I learned that man’s unintentional preservation of L 
Creek was not long to continue. Some years earlier a dam had been } 
posed for the lower reaches of the creek. The resulting lake was expec 
to be accessible and available for private development. Senator M. Dirk 
introduced a bill in 1957 to support this project, and a conservancy dist 
was formed. Subsequent studies revealed that the site originally prope 
was geologically unsound because of unreliable limestone formations. 
The interest originally generated in this project led to the moving 
the proposed dam-site upstream. The proposal now current is for a | 
foot dam in a sandstone area whose waters would be 50-feet deep in 
scenic gorge area and 20-feet deep in Martha’s Woods, a primeval fo 
stand of exceptional botanical richness. These woods are one of the y 
few stands of virgin forest remaining in the state of L[llinois. The la 
around the 2,430-acre lake would be federally owned and managed by 
U.S. Forest Service. Various private developments originally planned | 
pear not to be possible. Local opinion in Pope County became divided 
the desirability of such a lake. | 
Core drillings to test the geologic soundness of the proposed lake w 
authorized and carried out, and a preliminary geologic map of the va 
was prepared. Questions still remain as to the stability of slopes and 
fragility of the entire drainage basin once the prevailing steep slopes 
characteristically undercut by wave action. Extensive accelerated eros 
to fill the lake and disrupt the plant and animal life would result fi 
re-establishment of the angle of repose by undercut slopes. My first : 
ployment was on erosion-control studies with the Forest Service in | 
Los Angeles River basin, where accelerated erosion from excessi\, 
steepened slopes continues to be a major problem in land managemen 
The first steps in opposition to the lake were taken by interested {| 
sons acting as individuals—letters to legislators and government offici| 
The results were not encouraging: “God’s in His Heaven—All’s right w) 
the world,” including flooding Lusk Creek. Bill Hopkins furnished leac 
ship to local landowners who would lose their livelihood in a county alrei 
one-third federally owned and desperately short of operating rever| 
A petition circulated to nearly 800 residents and property owners secu’ 
over 700 signatures in a few weeks out of about 2,000 potential signers. 
