pollutionsolutionanybody

Big Stone Lake, October 6, 2011. The water was "okay" this year, but pollution points continue unchecked. I guess the question is "How much are we willing to live with?" I had three days of unbelievable stench as opposed to two months of it in 2005

2011-10-19T23:06:00.000-07:00

Big Stone Lake 10-22-2010

2010-10-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

The lake was better this year. The watershed district tells us Big Stone Lake is essentially a river and will take three years to flush itself. One year and I'm cheering, but wait. . .the same manager of the Veblin Dairies who was removed a year ago due to legal problems, has now been re-instated. WHAAAAAAAAA?!!!!
South Dakota still doesn't oversee any pollution points in question and won't. What they will do is investigate the expenditures of the SDDENR. That is where citizens went to complain about the previous practices of said factory dairy confinement operation.

There are not words to encompass the incredulation. For shame!

Our Shore 8-6-10 WOW!

2010-08-08T14:07:00.000-07:00

The watershed district statistics showed it would take three years for Big Stone Lake to flush itself after the factory farm stopped loading. It did stop over the winter due to a change in management. The resilience of nature is in the pics. The same scenes are pictured 8-5-09 and now 8-6-10.

Thanks to C4BSL.org!!!!!!

2010-08-08T13:50:00.000-07:00

If anyone is out there reading this, please spread the word about Citizens for Big Stone Lake(CBSL). South Dakota does not have a regulatory agency for factory farms and tends to underfund the Department of Environmental Natural Resources(DENR), which, at least, is a place to register complaints. SD won't be committing to future oversight. It's essentially up to the factory to tell on itself. CBSL continues water-testing at it's own expense, and it's a citizen-run organization running on it's memberships and donations. C4BSL.org

Our Shore 8-6-10--compare with Our Shore 8-5-09

2010-08-08T13:48:00.000-07:00

This is where the flies were one year and a day ago!

2010-08-08T13:46:00.000-07:00

Wow!

2010-07-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES

2010-07-18T21:40:00.000-07:00

We aren't quite to the Aug 5 anniversary of my 2009 photos, but Big Stone Lake is so much better! The factory farm is under new management and has not been loading into the lake. Citizens for Big Stone Lake representatives, Steve Berkner and Roger Sandberg met with SD officials & representatives in Pierre presenting their water-test results. They and others met with Senator Al Frankin's representative and the Senator, himself. Steve has spoken at numerous public events on behalf of CBSL (join C4BSL.org to help water-testing continue). My photos went viral on Treehugger.com. which I shared with every representative and agency I could. Also, there is at present,government water-testing for two years on the Whetstone. Curiously, that river doesn't smell like it did last year. And finally, the prevailing winds have been from the south. While not pristine, the lake is much better and needs continuing oversight.

7-17-10 Seeing Bottom!

2010-07-17T14:36:00.000-07:00

7-17-10 Can't Believe It!

2010-07-17T14:35:00.000-07:00

7-17-10 Our shore

2010-07-17T14:32:00.000-07:00

7-17-10 Our Shore 2

2010-07-17T14:31:00.000-07:00

7-17-10 Our Shore 3

2010-07-17T14:30:00.000-07:00

7-17-10 Our Shore 4

2010-07-17T14:27:00.000-07:00

7-17-10 Our Shore 5

2010-07-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

7-17-10 The Shore

2010-07-17T14:25:00.000-07:00

7-17-10 Just a Swimmin'

2010-07-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

2010-06-11T13:18:00.000-07:00

Citizens for Big Stone Lake has tried through vigilant water testing and meeting with South Dakota officials to bring attention to a factory farm's allegeed loading of the Little Minnesota River. www.C4BSL.org

I'll begin photographing as pollution is starting to accumulate at the South end. June 2010

2009-09-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

The Beach. 9-12-09

2009-09-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

The Bloom has sunk, so the smell isn't as bad. 9-12-09

2009-09-05T21:58:00.000-07:00

At least two Ortonville storm sewers empty directly into the lake. 9-05-09

2009-09-05T21:56:00.000-07:00

Floating Horseshoe 9-5-09

2009-08-22T22:14:00.000-07:00

The View

8-22-09

2009-08-22T22:12:00.000-07:00

Our shore

8-22-09

2009-08-22T22:11:00.000-07:00

Our shore

8-22-09

2009-08-22T22:09:00.000-07:00

The current along shore

8-22-09

2009-08-22T22:08:00.000-07:00

The current up close

8-22-09

2009-08-22T22:06:00.000-07:00

8-22-09

2009-08-16T18:02:00.000-07:00

Our Shore

8-11-09

2009-08-16T18:00:00.000-07:00

Our shore, comparison shot 8-11-09

2009-08-16T17:59:00.000-07:00

8-11-09

2009-08-16T17:57:00.000-07:00

Crayfish Crawling

(8-11-09)

2009-08-16T17:55:00.000-07:00

Crayfish Done

8-11-09

2009-08-16T17:36:00.000-07:00

8-11-09

2009-08-16T13:15:00.000-07:00

The Gray is new this year 8-11-09

2009-08-16T13:05:00.000-07:00

8-11-09

2009-08-10T01:35:00.000-07:00

8-09-09

2009-08-10T01:33:00.002-07:00

The Beach 8-09-09

2009-08-10T01:33:00.001-07:00

8-09-09

2009-08-10T01:31:00.000-07:00

8-09-09

2009-08-06T00:19:00.002-07:00

July 4, 2005

Notice there's no algae. We swam nearly all summer that year. We have not used the lake at all for 3 full summers.

2009-08-06T00:19:00.001-07:00

July 4, 2005

2009-08-06T00:18:00.001-07:00

July 4, 2005

2009-08-06T00:11:00.001-07:00

Our front yard 8-05-09

2009-08-06T00:10:00.001-07:00

Our shore 8-05-09

2009-08-06T00:08:00.000-07:00

8-05-09

2009-08-06T00:07:00.000-07:00

Flies on our shore 8-05-09

2009-08-06T00:06:00.001-07:00

Pier 2 8-05-09

2009-08-06T00:05:00.001-07:00

The pier 8-05-09

2009-08-06T00:03:00.001-07:00

The beach 8-05-09

2009-08-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

The beach and the pier 8-05-09

2009-08-06T00:00:00.001-07:00

From the beach 8-05-09

2009-08-05T23:59:00.001-07:00

Where the kids used to swim 8-05-09

2009-08-05T23:58:00.001-07:00

Algae close-up 8-05-11

2009-08-05T23:57:00.001-07:00

Algae bloom 8-05-09

2009-08-05T23:55:00.000-07:00

Algae bloom 8-05-11

2009-08-05T23:37:00.000-07:00

Pollution as art

(ENHANCED)