Was it difficult to orchestrate CPSU studies?
Frank and I did all we could to encourage research programs. One of the things that I had grown increasingly concerned about was the lack of sound scientific data based on the ecology of Crater Lake itself. There had been a lot of people who had done studies of the lake, yet what piqued my concern was an article that compared large bodies of water like Lake Tahoe with Crater Lake (35). These big bodies of water have thermoclines, though I may not have the right term. The zones or strata in these lakes are somewhat stable, and I don’t remember the depth of distance, but something like the upper 500 feet is such that it just stays constant and the strata below that, the next 80 feet or 100 is a different zone and stays stable. But there wasn’t enough solid scientific evidence to support this theory. There was also the concern about geothermal activity. Was the bottom of Crater Lake completely dormant, or is something still going on? There just wasn’t enough information. USGS was already doing some work in the park, and they found an ideal space to study.
Under Charlie Bacon?
Yes, Charlie was on site at that time. I had this growing concern about the lake and the lack of knowledge to really be basing long range management decisions. We had been concerned about the effect of an oil spill, or the loss of a boat in the lake, or a fuel line break. There was a time when the concessionaire offered row boats for rent on the lake. With the wilderness program, I thought there was going to be a lot of clamor and concern about the boats being there. That was one of the things that surprised me as wilderness coordinator. When we got to Crater Lake, I fully expected the Wilderness Society and Friends of the Earth to come out screaming, “Get those boats off the lake,” but that wasn’t the voice that we heard, and it surprised me. The public seemed to accept those boats on the lake. I don’t know if you heard Jeff Adams comment about it.
Oh, yes!
His opinion of the lodge, being something about a wad of gum on the Mona Lisa. But back to my everlasting concern, the purity of that lake and the lack of sound knowledge. When this matter of legislative adjustment of boundary was in process, one of the my early Park Service friends, Clay Peters, called me. He was in Sequoia and Kings Canyon at the same time I was, about 1960. Clay worked in the House of Representatives as the park and recreation advisor to the chairman of the House committee on National Parks (36). He was aware of Senator Hatfield’s proposal to adjust the boundary. Clay and I were on the phone quite a bit and I stressed to Clay, “Can we get some studies on this lake?” I’m pretty sure I talked to our research scientist, Jim Larson (37). I’m sure he knew that Clay and I were talking, so Clay was able to put a requirement in the legislation. We now had a ten year study to try to gain more knowledge about the lake. It may have come about without my conversations but they certainly didn’t hurt. I was glad to see that come to pass, but I never did get to see any of the reports.
