What would you do?

I grew up farming in Pingree and Springfield Idaho. Fishing was my favorite past time with my father, we would fish the artesian springs that fed Springfield Lake in Idaho. I went back two years ago and my only thoughts were, "We have really neglected this water."

There are no helpful plants along the streams except at bridges, the mud is foul smelling, and the lake is full of noxious moss and millfoil.

In my estimation the spring fed lake and streams could be a blue ribbon fishery with TLC.

I dream that,

"I could buy up all the property around the artisan streams that dump into Springfield lake here in Idaho.

Build drainages and Plant aquatic plants that would use up all the excess nitrogen and pollutants in areas susceptible to farm runoff; were they were needed, before they reached the stream, and replant the growth that grew along the banks that are now mostly gone due to grazing animals.

It has been proven that water quality and farming can go together if someone gives a care.

Then I would build a conservatory so that the area could once again house the fish I caught as a young kid. Two pound trout were considered small to us.

It might even be another Silver Creek in the making, well, pretty darn close.

The area was first settled by sheep ranchers and later farmers, I am still a farmer at heart as well.

The water when it bubbles from the ground is so pure..... and when I was a kid the fish were mostly between 2 and 3 pounds. We used to stop at the store on the way home and weigh them.

I first learned about fish behavior on the stream, when I was 8 my brother tore out most of a dead tree along the banks and the fishing got worse in that hole. He pulled the tree out because he kept snagging on it.

The area is a bit of a mess now, but it has so much potential to be a great fishery for fly fishers with short rods. Sorry this is a stream and not a river.

A Five Foot Zero Weight would give you the thrill of a lifetime.

That is my dream, I spent too many years there as a young kid to see it gone to the crapper. I sure would like to take my kids there to fish again.

I am going to start by seeing if Idaho State University has done any studies of the area and go from there.

Anyone else think about such things?