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Seeking Funds to Help Improve Water Quality

The communities of Crane Lake, Ash River, and Lake Kabetogama are coming together to secure funds for a much needed upgrade on the aging wastewater collection and treatment facilities. These waterways flow into Voyageurs National Park, and Voyageurs Acting Superintendent Raoul Lufbery has shown much support for the project.

According to the Timberjay newspaper, Lufbery said, “It’s a good thing for the communities and the park” because cleaning up septic systems and improving treatment and collection systems will help ensure a healthy watershed in Namakan and the Park. Lufbery was also conscious about the need to keep resorts operating. The Park has 250,000 visitors annually, many of whom are customers of local resorts and who are very important to the survival of the Park. Consultant Gary Cerkvenik said the way to protect the integrity of Park waters while not harming tourism is to think generations ahead by addressing the problem before it becomes more serious.

The communities seek an estimated $28 million in federal and state funds to complete the project. If received, the funds wouldn’t be doled out until 2010. In the meantime, the plan is to draw funds from the county and Iron Range Resources (IRR) to conduct a feasibility study and create a region-wide sewage district that is estimated to cost $200,000.

Many people are helping to make the project a reality. U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar has agreed to pursue funding through the Water Resources Development Act and Sen. Norm Coleman and Sen. Amy Klobuchar may request funding to their committees, as well. Funds may also come from the St. Louis county environmental fund, with support from St. Louis County Commissioners Mike Hanson and Keith Nelson.

For more information, see the Timberjay article “Communities band together to seek funds” by Tom Klein.