At least we have a Lake

Have you ever told someone you’re from Cleveland and they immediately respond, with “Mistake on the Lake”?  This term was originally coined for Mayor Kucinich and his term as Mayor of Cleveland.  Unfortunately, many individuals ignorant of what Cleveland has to offer, still use this term to insult individuals from this area and the city itself.  Anyone from Cleveland knows this is not the truth and while it might not be easy to come up with a quick retort, its time we start responding with… “At least we have a Lake”… 

As more and more populations around the world are literally running out of water, this saying and the importance of a great lake has never been stronger.  As our planet continues to warm up, the need for water will only increase. 

The Atlanta area is only the most recent example of an ‘instant town’ which has gotten itself in trouble.  A friend recently stated, Atlanta is a success story after the Olympics.  The population has grown from 2.5 million to over 5 million.  Unfortunately the aquatic infrastructure was not in place to allow for this growth.  Atlanta is running out of water. 

Lake Lanier is the fresh water lake where most of greater Atlanta receives their drinking water and the lake is down 10 or 11 feet.  The boat docks are all on dry land.  Atlanta’s civic leaders have asked Army Corp of Engineers to divert more water from Chattahoochee river and unfortunately they have agreed to do so.  This will only divert water away from Alabama and Florida.  We don’t yet know the long-term consequences of this action 

There are many reasons why Atlanta is this short of water.  One is the lack of summer rains and another is the lack of hurricanes.  While everyone holds their breath that hurricanes won’t hit land and especially their land and/or home.  The truth of the matter is the rain from these storms help replenish the water tables.   

The citizens in the Atlanta area are using the technique of not flushing the toilet after each use in order to conserve water.  It has recently been reported that establishments in the area are posting the following signs in the restrooms:

“If it’s Yellow, be mellow,

If it’s brown, flush it down…”  

Not a good way to attract visitors and patrons.  What’s next for these restaurants and hotels, outhouses…  

Las Vegas is another example of over population drawing down the available water.  Lake Mead is at half its normal level and if they don’t get more rain soon, the citizens of Las Vegas will be the first to feel it.  Las Vegas gets 90% of its drinking water from the lake and seven other states rely on the Colorado river for part of their water supply.   The water level is approaching one of the pumps the city uses and they are being forced to build a new pump lower in the lake.  Believe it or not, the city of Las Vegas pays its citizens to tear up their lawns and put in cacti and desertscape  landscaping. 

Additionally, the Hoover dam generates its power from the water in Lake Mead.  If Lake Mead goes dry, Las Vegas’s 1.8 million residents and the casinos will not simply be missing their drinking water but also their inexpensive source of electricity.  It seems living in the desert isn’t all that it is cracked up to be. 

Las Vegas is building a 280 mile water pipeline from northern Nevada.  To put this in perspective, that is a distance longer than Cleveland to Cincinnati.  One can only imagine what that will do for their water bills. 

Southern California is a desert and for the last  100 years they have piped in their water.  One of their aqueducts is 600 miles long.  This is the distance from Cleveland to Atlanta.  Today, no one would advocate moving water that distance, 100 years ago, this is what they did.  Even President Teddy Roosevelt assisted.  He obtained the rights to move water over this area by declaring some of the land as National Parks.  Southern California has another aqueduct and it is 400 miles long.  This drains water from the Colorado River and is a constant battle between the western states.   Mark Twain probably summed it up best when he wrote, “in the West, the whiskey is for drinking, and the water is for fighting over” This still holds true.  

One way we can help in Northern Ohio is to slow the constant paving of our lands with roads and parking lots.  This prevents rain water from returning to the ground and becoming part of the water tables.  Instead the water is channeled into storm water sewers and piped into other areas.  We should applaud an east side insurance company as they built a parking garage and left considerable green space.  It would have been easier to pave over the green space.  Let’s hope other communities, companies and developers follow suit. 

Clevelanders appreciate the lake and this is evidenced by the number of yacht clubs in the area.  As many well-heeled Clevelanders belong to yacht clubs as to country clubs.  Few regions in the country have the number or quality of yacht clubs as Cleveland.  There are numerous individuals from Columbus and from as far as Chillicothe who keep their boats on Lake Erie and drive north to enjoy the lake.    

Over 200 years ago, Cleveland’s forefathers settled this area for one reason; there was easy and plentiful access to clean, healthy drinking water.  Recently there have been “instant towns” which are created by adding water.  Anyone who has ever made instant anything, knows what happens when the water is removed.    

This area was previously known as the “Great Lakes Region”.  Unfortunately with the loss of a few large industries, we became known as the “Rust Belt Region”.  The good news is these old industries have been replaced with new more diverse and more permanent industries.  We should again refer to ourselves as the “Great Lakes Region”, or the “Good Hygiene Region” .  It will remind ourselves and others of how fortunate we are to be near these resources.    

In closing, for those of us old enough to remember our mothers’ saying, “eat your vegetables, there are people starving in China”.  We may have one for our children, “Don’t waste the water, there are people in the south who can’t take a shower”

And remember if you ever hear, “mistake on the lake”, please respond with, “at least we have a LAKE… ”