It is distressing to learn that sometimes not even wilderness designation can protect our beloved wild places from the destructive exploitation of humans. When it was designated, the Alpine Lakes wilderness included compromises allowing for the continued inappropriate use of spectacular alpine lakes as reservoirs that have allowed wasteful water use practices to continue. The dams would be entirely unnecessary if changes were made downstream to curtail water waste. Now they want even more water for towns and irrigation downstream, and have hatched a plan that would devastate wilderness treasures.
