Public comments on the assessment came from Sky Conard, with the Green River Watershed Alliance, who said that 70 per- cent (22 of the 31) priority sites examined exhibited conditions of erosion, channel incision, sediment accumulations and/ or the potential for downstream sediment impact.

“Large, heavy sediment (depo- sitional) islands and water shal- lowness were observed at the Green Rivers and tributaries entrances to Lake Adger and throughout the public marina,” Conard said. “Houston we have a problem.”

Conard said the only way to reduce sediment inputs is to implement BMPs and to stabilize the exposed soil. Adopting these BMPs, partnering with local and state agencies to implement the BMPs, dredging, bank stabiliza- tion and restoration projects were also advised in the assessment, Conard told commissioners.

“If today we show that we aren’t willing to properly protect nor manage even our class C recreational waters as evidenced by this report, then how will Polk County demonstrate better management practices tomor- row when the same problematic waters are renamed/reclassified as public drinking waters?” asked Conard. “Reclassification of our waters by the state is not an auto- matic cure that we now suddenly have drinking water and reclas- sification doesn’t come with an instruction manual of how to best protect and manage our resources. The state has neither the budget nor the staff to do it or enforce it for us. The county has to, under

its own initiative and sense of responsible stewardship over its waters and lands, get to work on an effective watershed plan that will get us the clean/sustainable water supplies that we all need. The watershed report with its red flags of identified problems, needs and solutions would be a good road map to get there.”

Ken Brady, a Lake Adger resident who said he spends at least 200 days a year on the Green River said what commissioners are seeing in the assessment is overblown.

Brady said the only time a lot of sediment comes through is when the power plant in Hender- son County releases water.

“That violent release brings with it sediment,” said Brady. “Most of it does not come from the Green River.”