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Sue Ellingson: Lakes need a comprehensive, well-publicized plan

Sue Ellingson  —  10/10/2008 5:27 am

Dear Editor:

After four years of working on projects to help improve our watersheds, I respectfully disagree with David Mollenhoff (Cap Times, Oct. 8) about why we don't fix the lakes.

The biggest problem is that there isn't a comprehensive and well-publicized plan.

One of the reasons there isn't a plan is because it's an enormously complex problem. Poor quality water is the result of many fewer wetlands, degraded wetlands, invasive species, road salt, runoff from farms, parking lots, streets and rooftops -- and the list could go on and on. What's most important? And who will set priorities? How will results be measured?

Another reason there isn't a plan is because most of the improvements required are enormously expensive and take a long time to show results. Stopping farm runoff requires manure digesters and strips of wild land at the edges of fields. Who will pay? Who will put in the wild lands and care for them?

The final reason there isn't a plan is because watersheds are really big. The problems are regional, not local. At minimum, counties should be in charge. Maybe the state.

If I were czar, I'd give Dane County enough money to make a plan (with real priorities, not platitudes) and the authority to make it happen. And the plan, once implemented, would include regular press releases about progress. And the newspapers would publish every word!

But, hey, I'm not the czar.

Sue Ellingson

Madison

Sue Ellingson  —  10/10/2008 5:27 am