Political Quotes

“I wish to take time to highlight a watershed-related project at Storm Lake, IA, in my district. As background, Storm Lake's depth and water quality have been deteriorating since the last dredging in the early 1960s. Storm Lake is among 156 water bodies to make the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencies list of ``imperiled'' streams and lakes because of siltation. Removing silt and radically improving water quality will prevent massive fish kills. Storm Lake is well known for being a conducive environment to Walleye breeding. The Department of Natural Resources has come to depend on this Walleye population to assist in feeding other lakes and tributaries within the State of Iowa. The Storm Lake community has implemented practices by both business and residents in an effort to ensure that the current dredging of Storm Lake will last for several generations to come. Finally, local agricultural land owners on or near the Storm Lake watershed have incorporated farming practices that help curb or reduce the amount of runoff into the Storm Lake Watershed. I believe this comprehensive approach to water resource management by the Storm Lake community is to be commended. Funds will be used to dredge 700,000 cubic yards of spoil from the lake. Through decades of ground erosion and silt freely entering Storm Lake the lake levels have diminished.…”