The Daily News, 19

Rivers, fresh. wate


92

r fiah


were abundant in past
Being the pesticide coordinator
of the Virgin Islands I travel a lot
between, the islands conducting
workshops on the safe use of peti- Olee
cides. Flying over the islands gives Davis
me the opportunity to see he ntu-
ral environment from above includ-
ing the many ponds that dot the
island of St. Croix. Our environment
Ever so often, my mind gpes
back how these island used to be
w ie forests, streams, and brooks came from the Castle Burke gut.
flowing year long. Forests play a vital role in regu-


How many Virgin I
know that St. Croix use
above ground rivers? In
century St. Croix had thr
History has it that Chi
Columbus sent his men ;
Salt River to find fresh wal
One of the main purs
early colonists of St. Cmi
Cultivation and process
go. This industry required
tial quantities of fresh v
vihas this tells us is that St
a land where streams used
As the settlers purst
dreams for agriculture. th
disappeared along with f
which was burned to the g
The ecology of the ish
dcnged mostly by the
mc. However, as early as
there were still a number
nent running streams on i
Such places as Lower I
Bethlehem guts were
rivers which run all year rt


slanders lasting water flw
to have est remaining
the 15th threatened by u
.e rivers. ment. In other
istopher millions of ac
shore to beingdestroyed
er. shrink, their ea
,it of the bon dioxide. h
Swas the roots and leaves
; of iadi- from the air an
stbstan- than we think.
rater. So Oenerally a
. Crob is forests have in
to run. most of the nua
ed their station. not thb
SIndians forests are cle
,restland regenerate veri
ond. believe that St
ads have frontier of the I
hands of we do not plan
the 1918, land that was on
if perms- Today, the C
t. Croix. last area where
ove and waterfalls and f
considerr cially after a fr
und. reason for fresl


v; yet the little for-
on the island is
planned develop.
arts of the world.
res of forests are
* As tropical forest
city to abeob car-
aid water in their
and draw moisture
e declining faster
peaking. tropical
bdile soil because
eOt are in the veg-
, soil. Thus, when
ared they tend to
slowly if at all. I
. Croix is the last
'gln Islands and if
right we will lose a
: fruitftL .
ledola guist is the at fin
one can still find IThe
ssh water fish ese- stoma
v days of rain. The As
i water fish in this tion 3


ints when they into the water.
sh pas the fruit though their
chs and replant the forest.
a consequence of deforesta-
ear ago in these islands for-