The Interlakes Water Quality Committee is releasing its official proposal to create a water project district to protect water quality here in Lake County. A water project district is a creature of South Dakota Codified Law empowered to levy taxes and engage in projects to monitor and promote water quality. The IWQC folks see a water project district as the right entity to create to keep the lakes in good shape for recreation and good country living.
I've expressed some concerns that the noble goals of the water project district might be sullied somewhat by some less than democratic means of creating the district. Word around the lake is that some folks were even crankier: I've heard the Lake Herman Development Association had retained a lawyer to fight any effort to incorporate Lake Herman into a district with Lakes madison and Brant.
My concerns, at least for Lake Herman's voice in the water project district's formation and operation, have been rendered moot for the time being. The IWQC is announcing that they will attempt to form a water project district consisting solely of Lakes Madison and Brant.
Including Lake Herman in the new district would make hydrological sense: Lake Herman is at the head of the main watershed of the county, gathering and filtering run-off from five channels draining the western part of the county before sending that water on to our neighbors at Madison and Brant and eventually to the Big Sioux. But politically, bringing Lake Herman into the same tent as Madison and Brant appears to be more than the IWQC cares to bite off and chew.
A Madison-Brant water project district has the potential to do some good. By scaling back their plans to leave out Lake Herman for now, the district will have an opportunity to demonstrate the water quality improvements it can achieve and what sort of taxes it will assess to achieve them. And in a few years, well, I'll still complain if the process isn't sufficiently democratic, but show some results, and my Lake Herman neighbors may come begging to join the water project district.
Therein lies the problem. I'm no expert limnologist, but if Herman flows to Madison and Madison flows to Brandt, it seems like Herman has to be part of the District for Herman, Madison and Brandt to see real improvements. The democratic (or lack thereof) nature of the creation of the district aside, I can't see the district producing results without the involvement of Herman.
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