The Feb. 21 editorial, “Vancouver Lake lessons: After 10 years and $1.3M in restoration work, body of water continues its decline,” was interesting. But the last statement “You can’t change Mother Nature” was ironic. Someone changed Mother Nature by introducing carp that ate every plant smaller than a tree in Vancouver Lake. Someone put dams and dikes throughout the Columbia River watershed. These floods moved the silt and sands around the flood plains and shaped the islands, beaches, lakes, channels, and bars that we have. Of course, you can change Mother Nature.
The problem with changing what has already been changed with Vancouver Lake is the cost and political will.
The Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge is an example of changing Mother Nature back to something like the original flood plain ecosystem. The refuge should be complimented for providing this sample of the original ecosystem. It’s a joy to go to the refuge.
Dale Thorsen
Vancouver
