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I ventured back to my old stomping grounds today in Chesterfield to take some photos and throw a line in what was once a thriving spring branch. Lewis Spring(s), now consisting of only two prominent springs, emerges from the base of a limestone bluff carved out by the now dried Caulks Creek watershed. The stream bed is primarily silt, but also holds a fair amount of sand and gravel and is completely shaded by trees. As recently as the mid 90's, the springs gushed a healthy flow year round, revitalizing Caulks Creek and providing a suitable habitat for rainbow trout and other aquatic life. The stream also carried a high oxygen content as it tumbled down from the highlands to the Missouri River Bottoms. An unknown person(s) evidently transported and stocked rainbows at some point, creating my beloved, secret playground. The stream actually looked more conducive to brown trout, although I never caught any. I have such fond memories of getting off the school bus at around 3:45, grabbing my fly rod from home, and yanking 15" bows by 4:00. I can vividly recall my euphoric, joyous state of mind, looking around in disbelief that nobody else seemed to know about this little paradise. As the years passed, development and pollution decimated this little gem. It was sometimes possible to sniff out a trout in the deep pools of Caulks Creek, but instead I began focusing more on other Ozark waters. Interestingly enough, one Summer day in 2004 I was fishing Caulks creek just below the confluence of the spring branch (due to the cfs dropping because of massive development over Wildwood, which is the springs recharge area) when the water began flowing heavily and lime green in color. I posted the news link below which answers why in addition to some photos of the spring branch. http://www.msnbc.msn...e/#.T16g9hGPWaU