Izaak Walton League of America
The Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA) is a prominent national conservation organization founded in 1922 in Chicago, Illinois, by a group of fifty-four fishing enthusiasts and outdoor advocates. Initially focused on preserving fishing habitats, the league quickly broadened its mission to encompass the protection of all natural wildlife and habitats. This development was driven by concerns about water pollution and the need for effective conservation practices. Over the years, the IWLA grew significantly, boasting over 100,000 supporters by 1924 thanks to the expertise of its founders.
The league is notable for several landmark conservation efforts, including the establishment of the first federally funded wildlife sanctuary and initiatives aimed at controlling water pollution across the United States. Its publication, "Outdoor America," played a key role in raising public awareness about environmental issues during its early years. While the IWLA experienced its peak influence in the 1920s and 1930s, it continues to advocate for the preservation and protection of the country's natural resources into the twenty-first century, embodying principles of grassroots environmentalism. The league remains a vital voice in ongoing conservation discussions, reflecting a long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship.
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Izaak Walton League of America
American environmental conservation organization
Date: Founded in 1922
The Izaak Walton League was one of the first national conservation organizations dedicated to lobbying for legislative protection of the environment. Initially, the League consisted entirely of volunteers who sought to reduce pollution, protect habitats, restore watersheds, and promote conservation as a value for outdoor activity. Within a few years, the organization grew to become the largest conservation group in the United States at that time.
The Izaak Walton League, named for the seventeenth-century British fishing enthusiast and author of The Compleat Angler (1653), was founded in 1922 in Chicago, Illinois, by fifty-four fishermen and outdoor enthusiasts. Their initial intent—to preserve and protect fishing habitats—soon expanded to include the protection of all natural wildlife. This new focus would help in the effort to safeguard fish from the effects of water pollution and address the varied interests of its founders, members, and supporters. By 1924, the Izaak Walton League had grown to over 100,000 supporters due in part to the expertise of the founders, many of whom were in advertising and business.
One of the first league conservation efforts was initiated by Will H. Dilg, founding member and the league’s first president. In 1924, the Izaak Walton League Fund was established to save starving elk in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Two years later, the league championed the first federally funded fish and wildlife sanctuary, the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. During the 1920s, the league continued to work toward controlling water pollution by conducting a national water survey, which determined that three-quarters of U.S. waters in 1927 were polluted, and spearheading the construction of sewage plants near Cedar River in Iowa. Outdoor America, the group’s publication and one of the first environmentally focused magazines in the country, drew the public’s attention to environmental issues of the day while simultaneously increasing league membership.
Impact
The Izaak Walton League was among the first organizations to define conservation in the modern sense of grassroots environmentalism. Although the league peaked in membership and national influence in the 1920s and 1930s, the organization continues to promote the conservation and protection of the country’s natural resources in the twenty-first century.
Bibliography
Gottlieb, R. Forcing the Spring: The Transformation of the American Environmental Movement. Rev. ed.Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 2005.
Middleton, Julie V. “The Stream Doctor Project: Community-Driven Stream Restoration.” BioScience 51, no. 4 (April, 2001): 293.
Mongillo, John, and Bibi Booth, eds. Environmental Activists. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2001.