Scars on Mother Nature

Nature ECW Camps Expedite Experimental Work in Soil Erosion

Region which is the source of the water which flows into Roosevelt Lake, the source of "usable" water on which so many people in the Salt River Valley -one fifth of the population of Arizona -are dependent. This population knows the value of not only water itself, but of water that is free from silt. Inasmuch as the condition of the ground surface and of the cover of vegetation of the range and forest lands above Roosevelt Lake determines the character of the water and its run-off, the inhabitants of the Salt River Valley may well look unto the northern "hills" from "whence cometh their help." The principal source of this water, to be sure, is the high mountainous and forested districts far up in the Salt River Watershed. But the fact should not be overlooked that the type of semiarid country such as that which lies between Roosevelt Lake and the forests contributes most of the silt to the run-off of the Salt River drainage. The vegetation of s-u-c-h a semi-arid country formerly consisted of a good Parker Creek Canyon in which is located the Headquarters of the Soil Erosion Field Station cover of grasses and of the Southwestern Forest and Range Experiment Station shrubs.

might actually pass through the soil itself. Furthermore, small areas are inclosed with fences in order to study how Mother Nature might effect the healing of damaged land areas, and how man can assist Nature in correcting some of the conditions which have resulted because of his thoughtlessness and utter disregard for future generations. There are also "lay-outs" with scientific devices for measuring the quantity of water used by different semi-desert plants, in order to establish the facts regarding natural and manmade drouths. A visit to C.C.C. Camp 846 and the soil-erosion experiment station at Parker Creek does not mean a trip into a dull and weary or monotonous "desert region". On the contrary, the Tonto National Forest has striking and colorful scenery, beautiful lakes, streams, mountain brooks, and giant trees which stand as sentinels against the blue skies. Such attractions should draw and richly repay all who would not only enjoy Na-ture herself, but who would become interested in the plans which she hasmade for providing a source of water that was meant to perpetuate the land resources and to secure the human welfare of the Salt River region.

In other words, the purpose of the station is to establish the facts regarding the relation of the use of forest and range lands to the supply of usable water. The experiment station is an outgrowth of 10 years of investigation of the range and watershed lands of the Salt River drainage. It may be of interest to indicate some of the things one might see on visiting the Parker Creek Station. There are scientific instruments to measure accurately the precipitation, stream-flow, surface run-off, and soil erosion. Plots have been laid out on different slopes to be used in studying the relation of vegetation and vegetable cover to surface run off and soil erosion, and other plots to be used in measuring the effects of overgrazing and deterioration of vegetation on productive topsoils which Nature has created.

Thus the field station at Parker Creek has not been designed to develop Road building produced nearly 10% of the railroads' entire tonnage in 1932. "Public Roads" points out that, in addition to materials such as sand, gravel, broken stone, slag, cement and steel, construction equipment bulks large, the combined tonnage furnishing the carriers 60,000,000 tons of revenue freight annually. The County Commissioners of Hennepin County, Minn., recently passed a resolution returning all fees collected for beer licenses to the townships in which they originate, to be used for maintenance and improvement of highways. The "schooner" returns to highway service.