What happens
Ranger Bill Jefferson, a government forest ranger, is drawn into a dispute in the Shady River Valley. Farmer Sam and his son Mike see their topsoil washing into the river during a storm, and state senator Baxter is pushing a dam on the river, which he says will stop soil erosion. Local ranchers and farmers doubt that a dam can do this, and they suspect some hidden backers are pushing the project. Bill takes leave of absence and offers to help the opposition group as a private citizen, first by examining the erosion firsthand along the riverbank.
The Shady River Valley, near the town of Naughty Pine, and the state capital.
Characters: Ranger Bill Jefferson, Sam, Mike, Senator Baxter, Mr. Harlan, Mr. Sharp, Stumpy, Graywolf
Listen for: Bill's reasoning about whether a dam can stop soil erosion, and the first hints of who is backing Senator Baxter's dam.
Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.