| Show E OUR SOIL OUR STRENGTH By Carl Wilker Unit Conservationist Soil Soli Conservation Service Soil Stewardship And Our Watershed We Ve are seeing the word V WATERSHED WATERSHED WA WA- A- A quite often orten in print in recent years Most 1 people know what the term means but many people do o not realize that thata I a watershed comprises the thc en entire entire entire en- en tire drainage and flood plane too The upper part of the watershed watershed watershed water water- shed and the lower part of the watershed are inseparable The entire area arca must be considered and jointly managed if we are areto areto areto I to fully utilize the soil soH and water water water wa wa- ter resources for agriculture municipal industrial and u atonal purposes Our watershed is made of soil and the things that grow in and andon andon andon on the soil It may be large or small From it flows the water we wo use whether we getil get it il through the city water system system system tem from a well or from a mountain stream Soil stewardship or soil and water conservation influences the soil It gives soil the mellow mellow mel mel- low life-containing life feel that makes us love to sift a handful through our fingers on a balmy s spring ring day But it also affects our food supplies raw materials for in industry industry industry in- in incomes of the individual and the community the beauty of the landscape number and kinds of oC wildlife water supplies and their thein efficient use and the frequency and size of floods At least some of the above facts have a deep deeR significance to each of us They are the reasons man does feel a spiritual kinship to the soil and and a a moral responsibility to take good care of it They are the reasons Soil Stewardship Week May 1 22 to 29 sponsored by the National Ass Association of Soil Conservation Conserva Conserva- tion Districts and cooperating t 1 1 h 1 na U iona c U i VI organizations has become a nationally recognized recognized recognized event To fail in our soil and watershed watershed watershed water water- shed stewardship is to imperil the future by squandering the basic resources on which man must depend for all time For Forthe Forthe Forthe the Psalmist tells us they shall inherit the earth and their inheritance shall be forever Man lan sometimes fails In Jeremiah Jeremiah Jeremiah Jer Jer- emiah 1210 we are told they have made my pleasant Portion a desolate wilderness But the Psalmist promised He me to lie down in green pastures pastures pastures pas pas- tures He me beside the still waters Man 1 had a choice then as ashe ashe ashe he does today Let us each manage manage manage man man- age our pleasant portion so sowe sowe sowe we may enjoy the green pastures and the still waters |
