PREFACE
When I first started “working on the river” in the early 1970’s, the Mississippi was viewed as an open sewer. Today its more pristine attributes have come to the fore.The movement for river rehabilitation and renewal, if not full restoration, has spread around the world. Cleaner rivers are just one of the triumphs of a world-wide environmental movement. The Mississippi River continues to benefit from this concern.The Upper Mississippi River Refuges are at the heart of a four-state complex along the Upper Mississippi called the “Driftless Area”. It is an unglaciated area of sedimentary deposits left untouched by the last two glacial invasions. This is what has created the unique environment of high bluffs, steep coulee and sand-filled terraces and backwaters along this part of the river. These features make it a very special “wildlife and fish” habitat.There were many helping hands on this project. I want to thank Lynn and the boys, Robert and Michael, for helping track the miles around the Refuges. Jim Eddy and the board members of the Friends of the Upper Mississippi River Refuges gave me support, some financing and a free hand to carry out the project. Don Hultman, the Complex Manager, offered encouragement and the cooperation of the Fish and Wildlife staff. Cindy Samples provided editorial support as well as access to Refuge maps and written resources. Eric Nelson provided key information on short notice. Kay Shaw provided a large number of photographs from which to choose illustrations. The winners of the Upper Mississippi River Photo Contest provided some excellent photos as well. I especially want to thank the Refuge managers and their staff for their patience as I learned about the Districts and Refuges: Bob Drieslein, Tony Batya, Jim Nissen, Ann Blankenship, John Lindell, Cathy Henry, Ed Britton, Alan Anderson, Pam Steinhaus, Vickie Hirschboeck and Vicky Drieslein. Joan Bernard and John Stafford of the E-Learning Center at Winona State University have made this project not only possible, but enhanced as well. Thanks also go to President Darrel Krueger, the Inter Faculty Organization and the faculty of the B.A. Sociology Program at Winona State University for the sabbatical leave of absence which allowed me to carry out this project. Cal Fremling helped me understand some important aspects of the geography of the Upper Mississippi River. It was a reading of an environmental impact statement he had written many years ago which built up my interest in the Might Mississippi. Finally, I want to thank my parents, Hervey and Florence (now deceased) for taking me on family trips to the Headwaters of the Mississippi River. Any mistakes of fact are mine. The interpretation of the River is mine as well.Brian C. Aldrich, Editor
May, 2005
