One of the beaches slated for closure is nearest to me: the 32nd Street Beach on Lake Calhoun. As a daily swimmer with two small kids, my frustration at this announcement is understandable. My neighbors, too, are pretty upset, given the amount of NRP money our neighborhood (ECCO) has spent over the past 10 years to improve the beach site with native plantings, trees, landscaping, the neighboring Tot Lot, new stairs down to the beach area, etc. More than one neighbor has grumbled about the cuts to existing park amenities (remember the flak over porta potties and wading pools last year?) while the Park Board continues to push for new projects elsewhere (the headquarters, marina, etc).
My biggest frustration over all of this is the milfoil. If I understand their position correctly, the Park Board is not going to harvest (trim) the milfoil that grows in what is (was) the official beach area. I'm assuming the harvesting will continue, at least to some extent, in the rest of Calhoun, Harriet and Isles. I'm wondering how much money the Park Board will really save by not passing the harvester over this area at all over the summer. And did the harvester actually harvest inside the swimming area last year?
I can understand the savings in dollars for not hiring lifeguards, and maybe not paying someone for the few hours it takes to put up and take down the buoys marking the swimming area. The beach will be less safe, but park users can still swim at their own discretion and enjoy the great beach area with its sand, great sunset views, benches, shady spots for picnicking, etc.. But here's my question to the Park Board: given how bad the milfoil is around the boat moorings just outside the swimming area at 32nd Street, and how bad it is throughout the lakes, is not harvesting in this one area really going to save all that much money? Will the money saved be a good strategy, long term, in the overall health of our lakes?
What is to be done about the milfoil? Any thoughts people have would be appreciated. I don't know why we aren't more outraged as a citizenry over the advancement of this invasive species and why the Park Board seemingly is letting it get the better of all of us.
Tracy Nordstrom Canoer, swimmer, viewer of sunsets, East Calhoun
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