It is ironic that the corps does not feel protecting recreation is as important as protecting fish spawning. The only variable that is impacted by protecting recreation in the same manner as fish and wildlife protection during the spawning season is power production. This to us is a horrible flaw in the way our basin is being managed. Following are a few examples of why we feel power production needs to take a back seat to all the other things the corps is charged with protecting.
- Everyone understands and accepts that wind power and solar power are dependent on nature. The same is true of hydro power. Any attempt to generate more power than nature permits from rain is destructive. Doing so is like spending more money than you make. It will eventually lead to bankruptcy.
- Fresh water is an extremely valuable entity. Once you have too little to supply the water needed by downstream users it is too late to correct the situation. Cities out west already understand this because of poor management of water resources. They realize fresh water is more valuable than gold. Yet here the corps seems to ignore this fact and throws water willy nilly to the sea using the excuse of reduced power costs.
- Recreation is not just inconveniencing fishermen or decreasing the attractiveness of corps campgrounds. Recreation includes all the infrastructure such as marinas and lake side real estate. It not only involves existing infrastructure but also future developments like Tan Tara on Lake of the Ozarks where people can get away for a vacation at the lake. Any number of hotels looking for a site to build have gone elsewhere because of our wild fluctuations in lake level.
