Editor:
The column Spring brings beautiful flowers … and cattle dung, written by Dean Fulton, helped me to realize that, unlike many other lakes in this area, Williams Lake provides very little recreation opportunities.
Almost every lake in this area has summer cottages, some form of fishing or water sports, except Williams Lake, and I can’t agree more the reason for this is the cattle.
When driving beside the San Jose River on Highway 97, it is very noticeable that the river is surrounded by cattle.
I realize the cattle are important to our economy, but moving these cattle somewhere else would benefit Williams Lake in a more positive way.
If the San Jose River and Williams Lake were cleaned up, more people would come to Williams Lake for recreation and would therefore spend more money in Williams Lake, which would boost our city’s economy.
Something needs to be done about this issue before the condition of Williams Lake gets any worse.
Brett LaBossiere
***
Editor:
In response to Mr. Fulton’s column about Williams Lake, I believe that ranchers are not fully to blame for the quality of the water in Williams Lake.
Ranchers are feeding their livestock well away from the water sources in order to not pollute the water.
After a small investigation, I have also found out that, unlike most lakes, Williams Lake doesn’t circulate within itself properly.
Most lakes “turn over,” which keeps the water fresher, cleaner, and adds oxygen to keep algae levels down.
Due to high levels of magnesium and calcium, Williams Lake is classified as a magnesium bicarbonate system where most other lakes in B.C. are calcium bicarbonate dominated.
This affects how the water looks and makes the water what is called “hard water,” because of the high concentration of these minerals.
People who have lived near Williams Lake for a long period of time have said that the lake has always been this way for as long as they can remember.
Of course, it doesn’t help that there is only one major creek, the San Jose, flowing into Williams Lake.
Even though there are many creeks flowing into the San Jose, the water pressure coming into Williams Lake is still very little.
Adding an aeration system to the lake would circulate the water and increase the oxygen, which would then reduce the algae and basically clean up the lake.
Even though the cost would be high in adding the aeration system, I believe that even more money could be made back from tourists visiting our then clear and beautiful lake.
Chay Keenan-Toop
***
Editor:
In the column, Spring brings beautiful flowers … and cow dung by Dean Fulton, he explains the cost for “new residential septic systems is into the tens of thousands of dollars” only because cattle growers cannot keep their cattle out of the water.
I have nothing against ranchers.
Many of my closest friends deal with cattle, but it’s just not right for the government to have to pay for others’ unfortunate lack of preparation.
Therefore, I believe others should own up to their responsibilities no matter what it may be.
Lorissa Laity
***
Editor:
I think that letting the cows use our water that we swim, fish, and play in as a bathroom is ridiculous.
If we can’t even have an outhouse at the lakes anymore, what makes it fair to let them poop in the water?
Williams Lake could be a beautiful lake if we just kept it clean.
We can’t just blame the cows, as humans, birds, and other animals are also to blame.
As it said in the column by Dean Fulton, “no marina, no Sea-do or boat rentals, no bait shop, no summer cottages, no fishing derby, no water-sport contest, no rowing club, no inviting multi-unit lakeshore residences or boardwalk restaurants.”
Imagine if we could have all of this?
How amazing our little Williams Lake would be! How nice it would be just to have to drive to our lake instead of an hour out of town. Yet again this summer, when it’s hot out, we will have to drive an hour out of town just to go swimming, tubing, boating or fishing.
Kaitlin Turko
***
Editor:
I 100 per cent agree with Dean Fulton’s article on how ridiculously dirty Williams Lake is.
With all of those other rules, shouldn’t we be more concerned about the cattle polluting our lake?
Isn’t it about time we stop heading out to Chimney Lake and Horsefly and use the lake that’s in our own backyard.
Ryan LaBossiere
***
Editor:
The article Spring brings beautiful flowers … and cattle dung by Dean Fulton has brought to my attention that there are a few problems with our lake.
I personally haven’t swam in it and, after reading this article, I am not really interested in doing so anymore.
I think the owners of the cattle should be more careful in where they let their cows’waste go.
There are many laws listed in this article but this is one of the more simpler ones that is not even listed as law.
The dirty lake isn’t benefiting anyone so why is it there?
Kawaljit Salni
***
Editor:
As my social studies class was reading Dean Fulton’s column Spring brings beautiful flowers … and cattle dung, I totally agree with what he was saying about the lake being so polluted, that it’s actually kind of sad to say it’s our lake.
We should all take care of our lake, but cattle at the end of the lake have made the lake disgusting and we should all have a chance to swim in it.
Kerry Normand
***
Editor:
I agree with your article and believe that something should be done to clean/help make our lake cleaner.
It is not fair that nothing is being done to change this, so we have to go to lakes further away like Chimney or Horsefly to enjoy a day at the beach.
The environment around it is also being affected by this.
If the lake were to be taken care of and made cleaner, then we would have more people come to visit Williams Lake to go camping.
This would improve our economy and make Williams Lake a happier, cleaner place.
Also, ranchers shouldn’t be allowed to let their cattle use the creek and if they do, then they should be fined
Shelby Barr
***
Editor:
Our lake is very gross, and I never really knew why, but after reading the column Spring brings beautiful flowers … and cattle dung by Dean Fulton, it makes sense.
If we could keep cattle away from the San Jose River, I think our lake could be cleaner.
It may not just be cattle that are polluting our lake, but I do think that it is part of the reason.
If all the farmers could get together and make sure their cattle don’t use the river as an outhouse, our lake could be used for boating and many other activities.
Savanna Nadeau
Editor’s note: These letters were submitted from students in Columneetza Secondary School’s social studies 10 class.