The Nation’s Water Under Attack

Clean water is an essential part of life. We use it for drinking, bathing, cooking and recreation. Currently our law makers are threatening our clean water by trying to reduce the impact of the Clean Water Act by taking away more power from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This is being done by those who claim to have the best interests of the nation at heart but in reality it is threatening people as well as wildlife by exposing one-fifth of the nation’s wetlands and up to 2,000 miles of streams to pollution, all in the name of job creation which is a tenuous link at best.

Congress should be focused on keeping our waters clean and healthy and protecting people and wildlife instead of compromising our wellbeing in favor of large corporations saving money so that they can simply cause more problems and threaten our way of life. Dumping pollutants into our waterways only causes problems. Clean water is a right for humans as well as wildlife.  Water has always represented something that is clean and pure. It is used to purify our souls in religion and to cleanse our bodies of the grit and grime of life. Wildlife also relies on both large and small waterways for survival. By removing more regulations to protect our water things will only get worse for humans as well as wildlife.

Water has always been a big part of my life and many of my most fond memories are based around rivers and lakes. From the frigid waters of Puget Sound and Lake Union to wading through streams, rivers and lakes across the country I have always loved getting out and enjoying the natural beauty of our nations waters. Diving into Lake Union in Seattle to escape from the summer heat now warrants a hearty scrubbing, usually within moments of exiting the water.

Keeping our waters clean is not only important for recreation but also for wildlife. Animals do not have the luxury of turning on the tap and drinking fresh, treated water or bathing after jumping into a polluted stream. They rely on natural waterways to survive and thrive. By compromising the quality of water we not only threaten our way of life and enjoyment of our lakes and rivers we also compromise the safety and health of our wildlife.

There is still time to help! Take action and tell congress that clean water is a priority!  Also, tell us about your favorite bodies of water and what you love about water!