COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT, Relative to the Establishment and Maintenence of the Heelfoot National Wildlife Refuge and the Restoration of Reelfoot Lake by the Fish end Wildlife Service of the United States Depart- ment of the Interior in Cooperation with the Department of Conservation of the State of Tennessec, THIS AGKRMENT, made and entered into this LY acy of Alaspin ds 1941, by and between the Reelfoot Lake Commission of tie State of Tennessee created by Chapter 43 of the Public Aots of Tennessee for the year 1941, hereinefter called the Comission; the Department of Conservation of the State of Tennessee, hereinafter called the Department; and the United States of America, Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, hereinafter called the Service. WHEREAS, Reelfoot Lake is a unique body of water strategically located in the center of the Mississippi waterfowl flyway, having outstanding sclentific interests, of high reoreational value, and of still greater economlo worth, WHEREAS, the produotivity of this ideal habitat for fish, waterfowl, fur bearers, and other forms of wildlife is rapidly diminishing due to the adverse factors of heavy siltation, lowered water levels, and an alarming reduction of its original acreage by the rapid invasion of pest plant species, WHEREAS, Reelfoot Lake is an area of such inestimable worth,to the local people, to the State, and to the Nation generally that imnediate and determined efforts are required to save this great resource, and WHERGAS, the establishment of a national wildlife refuge on the Lake and a joint undertaking of the revtoration of the Lake is of mutual advantage to the parties to this agreement and for the benefit of the people of the United States,NOW, THEREFORE, THIS AGREMMENT WITNESSETT: In consideration of the lease by the Commission to the Service of certain areas in Reelfoot Lake desoribed in a lease agreenent thie day executed, more partioularly hereinafter re- | ferred to, the agreement of the Commission to convey ten acres of lend to the Servioe, and the mutual benefits to be derived by the parties hereto and the general public, local, state and national, and in further consideration of the agreements of the respective parties, the parties hereto do mutually agree with each other as follows: 1. The Service will maintain and develop the leased area as a national wildlife refuge, digging the necessary circulatory and boat channels thereon; maintaining the water- control structures on the Lake and regulating the level of the Lake water in accordance with the terms of the lease, reference to which 1s more fully hereinafter made; and constructing silt basins at the mouths of Indian and Reelfoot Creeks respectively, and other areas where found ptractieal, to reduce greatly the dispersion of silt over the Lake, In cooperation with the Department, the construction of boat and oiroulatory. channels will be extended over the remainder of the Lake so that there is a unified plan of clrculatory channels and boat runs for the Reelfoot Lake as a whole to facilitate patrol and recreational luse;~relieve stagnation, aid speed up the reintroduction of desirable food plants for wildlife species such as fish, water- fowl, end fur bearers, The Servloe will provide equipment puitable for this type of work. I 2, The Service will immediately put to work known methods of pest plant control and will institute practical research to determine the most economical and wholesale methods Qeof removing the giant cut-grass, cow lilies, cogntail moss, and lotus, or water chinquapin, which are fast crowding out more desirable vegetation, causing water stagnation and aeposition of silt and gradually diminishing the area of the Lake. By mechanical underwater weed cutters, inoreased water levels, burning of the marsh mat, chemioal or any other means practical, every effort will be made, with the cooperation of the Department, to place these weed plants under control over the entire Lake. Appropriate areas will be'sseded to desirable aquatic plants to increase fish, waterfowl, and fur-bearer food. Large quantities of desirable aquatic seeds will be gathered from other successful refuges of the national wildlife refuge system and planted at Reelfoot Lake, The return of first-class waterfowl foods by this program should greatly inorease the concentration of waterfowl on the Lake, permit tha saving of a suitable brood stock, end greatly increase the opportunities of the sportsmen., 3. Ay C. CO. C, camp will be located at this site as early as possible for carrying out the joint Reelfoot restoration snd development program, The services of this oamp will be utilized on the Leake as a whole, oarrying forward the combined programs of the Department and the 3ervice. ky Additional recreational facilities will be provided on the refuge area and maintained by the Service. The Service will cooperate Ln the improvement of recreational facilities “and structures over the Lake as a wholes 5, The present Lake Isom Refuge unit will be used as a large-scale rearing pond for the produotion of fingerlings for stocking Reelfoot proper. Uvery effort will be made by the parties to this agreenont to increase and maintain the fisheries resources of the Lake. Fishing will take placo over the refuge as provided in the lease aforesaid. -3-