Steven Marking plays Will Dilg in an inspiring, one-man movie entitled A Visit from Will Dilg. Will Dilg and his wife spent their summers on a houseboat in Winona, Minn. After suffering from the drowning death of his son in the early 1920’s, Dilg rose from the depths of depression to lead an extraordinary national crusade to form the Izaak Walton League, then with the support of the Women’s clubs of America they saved a 261 mile stretch of Mississippi River backwaters from drainage for agriculture. This stretch of river is now known as as the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, and this year marks the centennial of that event.

In his production, Marking created a script that relies heavily on Dilg’s own published words. He plays the role of Will Dilg, the founding of the Izaak Walton League, and the battle against the reclamation menace that was stealing the Mississippi River’s precious backwater habitat from the Lower Mississippi on up. Ground zero for the battle was the Winneshiek Bottoms near Lansing, Iowa, which was already legally permitted to be drained, filled, and levied off to create protected farmlands. The beauty of the native flora and fauna are featured in this 50-minute film.

Director's Statement:

"I grew up along the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish refuge, I always expected that the entirety of the river looked something like it did in my backyard. But I was very wrong. The beauty and unique ecosystem we are blessed with up north diminishes below Davenport and Rock Island. A system of continuous levees have turned a magnificent ecosystem into an industrial shipping corridor, all with little regard to Mother Nature. Even with its many ecological issues, the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge remains a paradise compared to the river below. 

When I set out to tell this story, I didn't realize it was a classic great American story. The overcoming of emotional loss, the challenge of reversing the political and economic juggernaut that was taking over our wetlands, the rallying of the sportsmen across the country, the speedy alliance he made with American women, and the successful passage of legislation that everyone said could not be passed."