I’ve been a resident of the Flathead since 1979 when we were in the middle of a drought. In the ‘80s I lived up alongside the Columbia Range on Highway 206, then Highway 2. Ponds were low, some wells went dry and others were dug deeper as a precaution against further dry spells. When water is abundant people forget what it was like back then.
Giving out a permit for bottled water to be sold across the country is pretty short sighted, I think. Our water reserves are high right now but how long is it going to stay that way? When I watch what is happening in the southwest I wonder, is that what we will look like soon? Is the money one person makes worth the risk?
Letting anyone get a permit to pump water into plastic bottles and ship them out of state is setting a dangerous example. What about when the next permit comes in and make no mistake, there will be others, and soon. How about when out of state, corporate money like Nestlé wants to buy up our water? Now is the time to be concerned, not when our next drought comes and water is low again.
We live in a place of sacred beauty and abundance. Today we thrive as do the other species we love to watch and be near. When it comes right down to it, we’re darn lucky. I figure our lands, our waters, are not ours alone, we share them with all the other living things and we have a responsibility to keep it as pristine as we can. Let’s make sure we keep and protect our fragile balance here in Montana and keep Montana water here in Montana.
Carol Sydney
Kalispell