Portrait of a trout stream...almost ruined!

Perrier's first Wisconsin target was the Mecan Springs chain in Central Wisconsin. The cold, spring waters surface from water-laden aquifers to make up the seven magical ponds. These ponds give birth to the Mecan—a stream that wanders twists and turns for almost 30 miles. Its shallow waters contain lush vegetation, rich with aquatic insect populations and provide a perfect environment for brown trout, some rainbows and a few brookies, There are no hatchery trout here. The state spent millions to make this river what it is today: a masterpiece! A tribute to Wisconsin's DNR, once among the most revered state conservation agencies.

The Mecan generally averages 54 to 64 degree F temperature, even during the heat of a summer sun. Ideal for trout. But diverting an estimated 250 million gallons of water a year from cold springs would warm up the stream to a point where trout would have difficulty surviving, especially during the hot summer months. Furthermore, extracting that amount of water from an already shallow stream would cause immense problems especially in the fall, when brown trout migrate upstream to spawn and precipitation is at a minimum. Even during normal conditions, the trout have difficulty in negotiating certain sections of the Mecan. The problem becomes even more acute during years of minimum snowfall and rain, as was the case in 2003.

During low water conditions trout have difficulty in negotiating shallow
sections as indicated with this brown trout. Imagine what would
happen if additional waters were extracted!

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR), protector of the public trust, was rendered impotent, because of an unpublicized meeting between Perrier and George Meyer, the then secretary of DNR and a political appointee. They concluded a secret agreement, in which Perrier would be responsible for the environment. Talk about handing over the keys!

Incredibly, in 2000, Perrier was at first given permission to tap the lush Mecan Springs on DNR land, land that belongs to the citizens! The vast majority of DNR employees are conscientious, hard workers, who believe in protecting fish, game, woods and water—but they were handcuffed and their voices muted from above. "March on the path we've chosen or else," seemed to be the underlining threat. When you have families to support and potential retirement benefits at risk, you march.

The proposed tapping of Mecan Springs in Central Wisconsin drew a considerable amount ink and airtime mostly in the general media, because of the daunting battle that the Friends of The Mecan and other grassroots organizations, sportsmen and environmentalists waged against the giant. Because of the resistance, Perrier decided to scrap water extraction plans from the DNR public lands, and made some surreptitious deals with private landowners to pump from the headwaters of the Schmudlach and Wedde creeks. These creeks feed the Mecan and the Chafee, another superb trout stream in Central Wisconsin. The citizens continued their battles. "No way, Perrier" signs appeared everywhere. Meetings were becoming more and more passionate as citizens' groups and activists learned how to obtain deserved sympathy for their cause. Even the governor's office finally took some notice.