Public outcry saved historic Steamboat Ditch | Jerry Wager
Jerry Wager
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This opinion column was submitted by Jerry Wager, a property owner adjacent to Steamboat Ditch and a member of the TMWA Steering Advisory Committee.
Once again, water is rushing through Steamboat Ditch — always a welcome return. But this year it was even more poignant, having almost lost this wonderful resource through the actions of a variety of agencies and individuals. Fortunately, the plan to put it in a pipe was thwarted by the outcry from hundreds of residents in January.
The mallards have returned, raising a new brood of baby ducks, and the frogs are croaking again behind our house. I am struck by all the ironies the ditch now seems to represent. For example, just over a month ago, the city announced plans to resurrect the Moana pool. Almost $19 million to put a rectangular hole in the ground at one location, an aquatic amenity for area residents that they will have to pay to enjoy, while agencies were poised to spend at least $25 million to wipe out 14 miles of Steamboat Ditch which people in the same area currently enjoy for free.