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Protecting Indian Love Call
Protecting Indian Love
Call
by Em Richards
"Indian
Love Call," located along the Rock River in southern Vermont, is becoming
legendary. A popular recreation area, it is actually a group of three
swimming holes about a mile upstream from that tributary's confluence
with the West River. Like the more publicized "Ledges" in Wilmington,
Indian Love Call's uppermost swim area is a beach for nude bathing that
is definitely a much-loved gathering spot for members of the gay community.
Visitors must carefully pick their way
along a somewhat iffy trail beside the swiftly flowing river, over tree
roots, slippery rocks, and muddy riverlets - a hard trek when laden with
supplies. That trip was one reason the swimming hole remained a secluded
spot, used only by the initiated few.
Although there are no highway signs or
trail markers, with national web exposure and outings in tourist books,
its hide-a-way nature is luring many who hunger for the ultimate "true
Vermont" experience. A recent survey showed that during summer holiday
weekends over 90 percent of visitors there are from out-of-state. Unfortunately,
such popularity brings problems.
The issues revolve around the environment
and public health and safety, not the fact that it's a commonly known
gay fun spot - annual spring surveys of the gay-favored area show no trash,
suggesting that we are being very good stewards. Even though the site
has sustained its beauty, it is becoming a threatened species. The swimming
hole's natural capacity is being pushed to its limits by simply too many
human bodies - gay or straight, local or non-local - congregating in a
delicate, pristine area. Nature does have its limits.
Indian Love Call is not the only swimming
hole in the West River Valley that is being threatened by overuse. There
are many places along Route 30 from Brattleboro to Jamaica that are designated
as "high use" public access areas by local government agencies. During
the summer season these swimming holes face problems caused by too much
traffic, too many parked cars, too many pedestrians sauntering down and
across main highways, too much wear on access trails, too many feet trampling
the aquatic habitat, too many white tissue "flowers" blooming in the forest,
and too much trash left behind. Can we do something to address these problems?
Yes, we can.
The Rock River and Indian Love Call trail
access is located on private property. Vermont law allows people to walk,
hunt and fish on private land unless it is legally posted. The landowner
ultimately controls what occurs on his or her property. All the landowners
surrounding Indian Love Call agree with the idea of public access to their
private property. However, signs proclaiming "Posted: No Trespassing"
are becoming more common. As the limits of landowner hospitality are reached,
there go our swimming holes. Is there a way to work with the landowners
to keep these "sacred" swim holes open to the public over the long term?
Yes, there is.
A few years ago, the Town of Newfane prohibited
parking along the road that runs parallel to the Rock River. The safety
restriction pushed Indian Love Call visitors to park along Route 30. Parking
beside this heavily traveled road seems to be legal, but also blocks access
to the breakdown lane for people with real emergencies. The primitive
parking area adjacent to the hot dog stand, although off the road, is
not a good option. Crossing Route 30 by foot is not safe. According to
locals on the scene, there's a heart-stopping near-miss just about every
summer weekend. So can we find a way to park and walk in relative safety?
Yes, we can.
Rock River is still one of the prettiest
of the West River tributaries, but it does have its share of environmental
issues. Stream banks at many points along the river are severely eroded.
Loose sediments accumulate in the streambed, smothering natural habitat
for fish and aquatic insects. The access trail that runs along the Rock
is eroding in numerous places. Sediments coupled with storm water runoff
of nutrients from the surrounding land cause excessive algae growth. Generally,
human and animal wastes contribute to the nutrient-loading problem.
Algae on submerged rocks - those yucky
brown layers of slime - make it hard for larval stages of aquatic insects
to attach to the rocks. Water-quality monitoring this summer in Rock River
has revealed bacterial levels of possible concern, especially after heavy
rain. The presence of E. coli bacteria is definite evidence of
fecal matter being deposited into the stream. Finally, oxygen levels in
the water are often reduced, putting most aquatic creatures in peril.
Can we do something about minimizing these water quality problems and
sustaining the natural beauty of our river? Yes, we certainly can.
There are solutions. Finding and implementing
the solutions that will work require a concerted effort by everyone -
including those who love Indian Love Call and the many wonderful places
like it in nearby watersheds!
We can save swimming holes, create safer
and more environmentally sound access, and keep the water clear by taking
advantage of an opportunity to participate in a solution-oriented process.
The West River Watershed Alliance's (WRWA) Basin Planning Committee in
conjunction with the Windham Regional Commission (WRC) and the Windham
County Natural Resources Conservation District (NRCD) is beginning a public
dialogue concerning water quality and related watershed issues for the
West, Williams, and Saxtons Rivers. These rivers and their watersheds
are designated as 'Basin 11' under the Vermont's watershed management
program. The first Basin 11 Management Plan, a living, working document
not inclined to gather dust, will be the result of this dialogue.
Several public forums will evolve into
a Watershed Council for long term planning. The Council will bring together
members of the community who have some stake in the watershed and are
concerned about its issues. Working under a consensus-based decision-making
model, the Council will prioritize issues, selecting problems, threats,
and opportunities upon which to focus planning efforts. Smaller focus
groups will develop around specific environmental issues, such as erosion
control, storm water runoff, deforestation and buffer loss, flow regulation
and flood control, or access to swimming holes like Indian Love Call.
This process will give everyone the opportunity
to become involved from the beginning, to be contributors to this crucial
document in its defining stages. The gay community is whole-heartedly
invited to join in this effort as people who enjoy the river and want
to keep it safe and accessible. Information about basin planning and announcements
for the first public forum will be forthcoming in the next few weeks.
To get involved, call Em Richards, the West River Watershed Coordinator, at 802-254-5323 x109 or em.richards@vacd.org