The elections are now behind us and it is time for us to focus on what still needs to be done in our community to improve our quality of life.
The Army Corps of Engineers has opened a window of time — until Dec. 15 — for us to comment on the impact of West Point Lake on our community.
This is our opportunity to respond on an issue that affects all of our lives. Even if you don’t live on the lake, your lives are impacted by the business that is brought in by people coming here for recreation. All of us suffer when property values are brought down by docks in the dirt and a lake that is filled with stumps instead of water. All of us suffer from the erosion caused by the dirt washing into and silting the lake when it rains. We need to respond as a community to keep our lake from being sacrificed.
Please take a few minutes and let the ACoE know that the past management practices have been unsound and do not follow the mandates under which the lake was developed. Please contact them at the following links: *Submit comments online at http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/pa/acf-wcm/form.htm *E-mail comments to acf-wcm@usace.army.mil You can also send a letter to the following address: Mail comments to: Tetra Tech, Attention: ACF-WCM, 61 Saint Joseph Street, Ste 550, Mobile, AL 36602-3521. Our Congressional representatives should also be contacted with our concerns.
Cathy Schmidt
LaGrange
I can't speak to what's going on with Kia. As for Apalachicola bay, I'm afraid your friends have it backward. All the marine life in Apalachicola bay require a balance of salt and fresh water. As the river filters through the flood basin, it washes organic material out into the bay which feeds the organisms living there. Since the flow rate of the river is reduced, it makes the bay saltier. High salinity and lack of nutrients in the bay have severely endangered the fragile ecosystem there as well as the seafood industry that depends on it. The river isn't the only factor. There is also Bob Sikes Cut. It's a channel that was cut right through the middle of St. George Island in 1954. This opened another hole in the bay to let salt water in. Before the cut was dredged, boats had to use the pass at either end of St. George island to reach the gulf. The currents shifted the sands at these points and caused many shipwrecks over the years. "The Cut" provides safe passage from the harbor at Apalachicola to the Gulf. There have even been some recent talks of installing a lock there hold back the salt water.
My wife Chris and I have met numerous times with the corps – we have brought all of the issues surrounding the condition (dry) of West Point Lake to their attention – the issues: lake residence real estate value, the cost of permits (w/o the benefit of water), the loss of wild life, the danger of hidden debris, the lack of recreation and the diminished beauty/attractiveness of living (as we do) lakeside.
For every point we made they had both answer and justification (keeping in mind what military and federal “justification” means). Our point – “we lost wildlife and continue to do so” – They countered – “but they are not on the ‘endangered list’”, Our point – “we have no water and the lake below us is full” – They countered - “but we (West Point Lake)are under a release mandate they aren’t”.
Logic will not lead us to a solution - there is little we can do but this: hope for a cold and wet-winter, a heavy-rain Spring, and continued determinate pressure from the West Point Lake Coalition.
Don’t look for our “representatives” to help us - - they’ve tried and are deeply frustrated. As far as moving those who do not live on the lake - - well let’s just hope something can - - perhaps it’ll be this letter.
Peace - Tom