The City Club discussion of Bellingham's deteriorating water supply today wasn't much, but it was a start. Perhaps the most to be taken away from the gathering was the depth and degree of the public's interest in the issue.

With a crowd that exceeded the tables to seat them, Dan Pike, Pete Kremen, and Steve Hood from the Dept of Ecology, took their places at the microphones without even time to digest the mysterious luncheon entree'.

Mr. Hood led off with an understandable explanation of the work he and his colleagues have done to determine the total maximum daily load of pollutants Lake Whatcom can absorb and still meet state and federal standards under the Clean Water Act.

This was followed by our county executive who, ignoring the admonition from the moderator to focus on what the county and city planned to do going forward, went back to explaining that the county had already taken the necessary steps to assure that all future development in the watershed would have zero impact on water quality. At that point the mayor might have handed over the microphone, happy to learn that everything was going to be OK.

But, nonetheless, he took pains to explain efforts underway by his administration to respond to the critical needs of the lake. Pike acknowledged the somewhat symbolic character of the city's moratorium on development in the small part of the watershed under their jurisdiction. But stressed what he felt was a need to stop risking more damage from development until means of remediating past damage were demonstrated to be successful.

The mayor told those in attendance, and Mr. Hood, that the city soon would be petitioning Ecology to amend the administrative code to prohibit more un-permited wells that take water recharging the lake, and facilitate even more development in its watershed. He made it clear that he intended to use all means to secure the cooperation of the county and the state to protect his constituents water supply.

For all the quality of Mr. Hoods explanation of Ecology's analysis of the problems development has caused, there was no acknowledgment of Ecology's disinterest in challenging unreasonable forest practices or complicity in allowing inappropriate development in the basin as a result of lax enforcement of water laws.

Ecology, it seems, is content to worry about pollution entering the lake, and ignore developers and water districts that take the oxygen rich groundwaters that promote its health. Kind of like the police protecting the bank but letting the crooks rob the depositors on their way in.

Pike made an interesting observation that was particularly on point. He noted an often ignored but fundamental principle of traditional conservative political-economic philosophy as it relates to conservation: that the property rights and freedoms we often hear so much about are only one part of a true conservative philosophy. The other critical element is taking responsibility for liabilities our actions in exercising those rights may entail for others. He seems to understand that the duty of government is to see that the public at large is guarded from the untoward consequences of individual actions.

The mayor went on to outline the city's goals hoped to come from the takeover of the Lake Whatcom Water & Sewer District; hopefully a sea change in support for development in the watershed outside of areas designated for urban growth.

Responding to a question from the audience, Mr. Kremen tauted his efforts to turn commercial forest lands in the watershed into a park. He seems to have missed the real need to first repair the damage done to the lake, though he acknowledged the enormity of the cost to do so. (Pete even uttered the T word!)

Quickly shifting back into platitudes, he characterized the undertaking as “a golden opportunity.” Someone in the room muttered, “just how much gold will it take?”

With the daunting task of funding the acquisition of land that is currently zoned for development in the watershed, what's the point of spending precious resources on another park, as one questioner inquired, that is in zoning that prevents any development?

At about this point someone from the audience asked the executive be specific about how he would cure the problems with the lake. The crowd actually got a little unruly when he veered off again into vapid generalities. It was shocking, but almost half the room simultaneously shouted, “get specific.”

I have to confess, for a brief moment, I felt for Pete. The look on his face seemed to suddenly signal recognition that he had run for reelection one too many times. Looking at the two recently elected leaders, sitting on either side of Steve Hood, it was clear that one was looking over the transom, seeing the growing storm, homeward bound, wanting to face the sea no more; the other looking ahead, sailing into those same troubled waters, ready to assume the responsibilities of command.