Better to let the Deschutes River flow

Like Ron Rants, I raised a family and started businesses in Olympia. It has been home for 36 years. But that’s maybe about where our similarity ends.

His letter says “operatives” have invested time and effort to convince the unwary that investing in a mudflat will yield rewards. What he’s referring to is the Deschutes River, what he wants to keep is a dam that stops that river from flowing freely to Puget Sound and the ocean. But the state, science and the public know that free flowing rivers are what are needed to return viability to those waters.

With a dam the silt layer grows and warm, shallow water brings algae. With warm water comes loss of oxygen. A dead water body in the center of downtown does not make for a vibrant economy. We need to let our great river flow. What will come with that is renewal: for salmon, for our community and for our future.

I hope in my lifetime to kayak from west Olympia to a new and cool Tumwater brewery complex. As long as I’ve lived here, this controversy has been stoked by those who bring false fears of smelly mud flats. That really translates to, don’t remove the dam because my yacht club will need to dredge and that will cost me money. I beg those who put their personal finances before the good of the community to stop stoking false narratives and permit, nay embrace the renewal of Deschutes River Estuary.

This story was originally published June 2, 2017 at 5:57 PM with the headline "Better to let the Deschutes River flow."