Will you feel a little bad when you see my property eroding?

To the editor,

My faith in fairness and justice is gone. I read the DES findings on the water levels for Lakes Waukewan and Winona, as published a few days ago in your paper.

How sad that the interim water level set last year by the DES is not going to be maintained. There was a reason they set it there and that reason still exists. It was the right thing to do for the lakes and creatures that live within them. This, obviously, is a political decision since all of the DES research and data as interpreted by Mr. Doyon and Mr. Weber (both of the DES) supported the lower water level.

The decision made it clear that NHDES really doesn't care at all about the health of these lakes and only cares about the false and exaggerated claims of a few that the 539.5 level impacted their recreation. Tom Burack, the DES commission signed off on this decision. Jim Gallegher, supervisor of the Dam Bureau made the call on the water level. We must ask if this man is competent? He did not compromise, he went with the high water level.

We must ask if this commission truly has the best interest of our environment at heart? Burack is "upset" about water quality programs being cut, but this decision makes it quite obvious that he doesn't care one bit about water quality.

This is not, as one party in your article said, "something we can all live with" and this is most certainly not "fair and just" as another said. It was a despicable sham that we all went through and those with the connections won. Sad indeed, for the lakes and surrounding wetlands, as they lose the most.

One day, when we are all no longer here, the lakes will still exist. Will they support what we do now recreationally? I doubt it. Choices such as the one just made are something our ancestors and the wildlife, or lack thereof, will pay for. How sad indeed. At the rate we are going, we will be faced with higher phosphorous levels and resulting pollution from water continually being high during rain events and the constancy of wakes from the big boats these people will gleefully use with higher water. The people who "won" (no, they didn't really as the lakes have lost big time) will probably be the first ones to whine about water quality and how they can't swim and their property values are down. Hello? This is what you will have in a very short time.

I am so disgusted right now as these people with their connections just pulled strings and had their way to the detriment of others. So, I shall be documenting and continuing to promote a healthy lower water and I will be sending my documentations to the appropriate parties. Damage will surely occur and it is so so sad.

So, I ask those who selfishly supported this poor decision, when you drive by with that big wake and see my property eroding more and more, will you feel a little bad about what you did? Perhaps you'll buy me a few sand bags as a consolation prize?

I included, for reference, a photo of my dock and boats after a particularly heavy rainfall when water levels were at 540. Thanks a lot, I'm really looking forward to this.

Linda Heminway

Lake Winona

New Hampton