County should put brakes on rush to dredge
By NewsPress Now
Given the sad state of Lake Contrary, all those books, postcards and nostalgia-themed Facebook pages generate a powerful appeal.
Look at the boaters, swimmers and jet skis. Behold the roller coaster and other old-school amusement park rides. You can practically smell the cotton candy. Why, even Teddy Roosevelt was said to have stopped by Lake Contrary during the glory days.
It’s difficult to reconcile the large crowds and sense of excitement with what Lake Contrary has become today. Trash and dilapidated property greet visitors who drive up to the beach. Boat decks and ramps lead to weeds that occupy most of the lake bed. If you look close enough, there’s a little puddle of water that serves as a humble remnant of a lake that once stretched for 10 miles.
Lake Contrary has succumbed to the geologic inevitability facing all oxbow lakes that lack a natural source of water.
But the Buchanan County Commission has a possible solution – and it’s an expensive one. Western District Commissioner Ron Hook leads a push to dredge Lake Contrary and make this body of water a viable destination for boating, swimming and the wiling away of lazy summer days.
The cost? A mere $7 to $9 million. That’s a lot of money. Voters should question a costly dredging plan, especially if the commission decided to dip into funds promised for Missouri River levee repairs or economic development.
County officials would have to explain not just a legal justification for using levee funds, but how a dredging venture benefits farms, businesses and homes along the Missouri River. As far as economic development goes, it’s hard to imagine the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce ever including Lake Contrary in an executive tour of what this community has to offer.
At City Hall, officials are quick to point out that Lake Contrary lies outside the municipal boundaries and is a county responsibility. They’re probably glad for that. But the city does love a feasibility study. This is something the county should explore before committing taxpayer funds to dredging Lake Contrary.
It would be worth hearing from someone other than Ron Hook and property owners who stand to benefit. The momentum to dredge seems to be built on what Lake Contrary used to be and not what it’s likely to become, which is a dangerous recipe for either a boondoggle or a massive use of public money to benefit private property owners.
It’s time to stop talking about glory days and start discussing whether this is the best use of taxpayer money, as opposed to job creation or infrastructure improvements elsewhere in the county.
A little nostalgia never harmed anyone. Unless it becomes the inspiration for a costly endeavor to bring back good old days that are about as likely to return as Teddy Roosevelt himself.
