Preserve our treasure

The Buffalo River is a true treasure and gem that must be preserved. I grew up in Dust Bowl Oklahoma where there were few streams, and no lakes or rivers. The few streams were weak, muddy, and flowed only occasionally. The only bodies of water were stock ponds that were muddy and polluted. On my first visit to Arkansas, up Highway 71, I was astounded by the streams and greenery I had never seen in Dust Bowl Oklahoma.

I have lived in Northwest Arkansas for 50 years, and our family has floated the Buffalo many times in those years. As the nation's first national river, it is truly a national treasure and we absolutely must not risk the pollution to the Buffalo by a financially motivated hog farm if that, in fact, is the cause, which certainly seems to be a possibility.

Designated by Congress in 1972 as the nation's first national river, it is a true treasure not matched anywhere else in the country. As stewards, we have an obligation to preserve this treasure for future generations to enjoy.

I have difficulty understanding how the Department Of Environmental Quality can overlook the stark evidence of pollution closely associated with the operation of C&H. Is there something not visible here?

BILL UNDERWOOD

Fayetteville