Lake Restoration 2009 Report and 2010 Plan

[Dean]

www.iowadnr.gov/water/lakerestoration/files/09report.pdf

[wschac1]

I still think a bidding process should have been sent out for all of the engineering work. Whose to say that someone could have come up with a better cost efficient plan than DU. I guess we will never know, because no bidding was done, and DU was hired for the job.

[Willy]

I wonder if anyone knows that Richard Leopold is being investatgated by the Iowa ethics committee. FOR CONFLICT OF INTEREST WITH DUCKS UNLIMITED. HMMM Is this a rumor or is it true? If he is being investagated and he is found of wrong doing then may be just may be there might be a slight chance of saving Lizard Lake. At least having bids sent out so People can have a chance of doing the study on the lake not the Ducks Unlimited.

[Northern Pike]

Wow willy! All I can say is wow! Could willy be wshc or andy? Wow

[Willy]

Neither

[andy]

I do know that some one has asked for information from the ethics board through the freedom of information act. If this person gets the infromation I will gladly post it.

I will say this. Brian, Dean, and I are not requesting this information.

Right or wrong people should be able to view what was said and done. There fore this said I
have no hard feelings against The IDNR, or Ducks Unlimited. I only hope that they promised a beach and a big dock to fish off I hope they keep this promise. Are there any meetings coming up about Lizard lake and how is the study going.
Andy
Done with the sarcasim I hope every one else is.

Welcome back Northern Pike.

[wschac1]

Northern Pike, I know for a fact that I am not Willy, and I do not portray myself as other people to write on forums. If I have something to say I will say it up front.

From my current understanding DU is doing this engineering for free. Great!. I personally believe that a group outside of DU should be helping with the engineering, making sure that what everyone wants done will be added into this project. I am not saying that DU will not do a good job with this engineering, I am saying that people who have had an involvement with this lake for the last quarter to half century should be involved with the ideas that can come out of the engineering plans. I know that everyone has their own plans, and what they would like to see come out of this project, but the mass majority of the DNR, and DU that I know of, have not spent a lifetime on this lake. By involving those that are consistently around the lake to ensure the masses are served, and not just the mass, more people are happy, and the lake gets the partial restoration that is afforded.

It was not that long ago that the DNR did not want anything to do with Lizard Lake, because it was called a Marsh by the DNR, and that's it. I remember viewing a town hall meeting on tape, that the DNR shot down every plan that the Lizard Lake restoration meeting had to help restore the lake, and refused to even consider options to help restore the lake, because they considered it a Marsh. I know of people past, and present that consistently were upset with the DNR over those meetings, because the DNR refused to attend any of their meetings, and this group had a hard time even getting the DNR to talk to them.

Yes I am still upset with the way the DNR has changed course with the way they want to work with Lizard Lake now, but I understand that federal law has allowed them to do this work with some backing from the Government. I still have my concerns with DU living lakes initiative, because the pictures I have seen turn the lakes more into a cattail paradise than a lake that once stood their.

The original Lizard Lake Restoration committee volunteered to raise the capital needed to help restore the lake to what was wanted, and needed to be done. This committee is not what it used to be, but I for one have one further recommendation for the DNR, and DU that I am sure would please future generations in and around the Lizard Lake area.

I am proposing that the DNR, and Ducks Unlimited take out a 50 year, 15 million dollar insurance policy on Lizard lake, so that if in that 50 years the lake falls back into disarray, and the aquatic life, fish, plants reptiles etc., can no longer live in Lizard Lake because it falls back into it's current state the money be used to do what ever amount of dredging is afforded at that point in time.

This post has been modified from it's current state, do to new information that I have obtained.

[Dean]

Wow. There's been a lot of discussion on here since my post on the 18th.
I guess I would have to say that I did hear about the DNR director being investigated. I hesitated to post anything about it until the
results were published. However, in my opinion and that of many others, being director of the Dept. of Natural Resources, who then
implements policies conducive to the agenda of an organization that he is a member of is a conflict of interest. Said policy being "Shallow Lakes Management" ie, "Living Lakes Initiative".
What if the director was a member of "Dredge Wetlands Unlimited" and he directed his department to plan and implement the dredging of natural wetland areas around the state? Would that not be a conflict of interest?
From what I have heard, Ducks Unlimited is engineering the water control structure and fish barrier for free. What a surprise! That just shows you Ducks Unlimiteds involvement and influence.
The actual construction of the new control structure and barrier would have to be bid out to a private contractor. After that bidding process, the Natural Resource Commission makes final approval. Interesting note: one of the members of this commission is a high ranking member of Ducks Unlimited. Go figure!