By: Diane Benjamin
City Manager Jeff Jurgen wants citizens to conserve water because we are still in a drought:
Screenshot from the meeting video:
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Meanwhile, BNWRD is buying properties because increased precipitation is increasing flooding: https://blnnews.com/2026/01/10/werent-we-told-there-is-a-drought-and-water-needs-conserved/
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Makes perfect sense in Illinois 🤦‍♀️
It’s worth taking a drive out to look at the lake. It’s as low as I have ever seen it. Not enough to persuade the Council to do any dredging while it’s low, but that would seem to be a sensible investment.
So which is it? “Drought” or the increased rainfall over the past 100 years (Climate change) causing “Flooding”?
Either way this necessitates repairs (dredging) of lake Bloomington to increase water retention during the alleged drought or to hold more of the rainfall runoff.
Dredging of the lake will have immediate and long-term beneficial effects for the community. But, BNWRD-Bloomington may have to compromise on a few of its immediate “socialist policies”, possibly find some grants with the federal government, look at “silt dams” and other environmental projects that have already benefited similar lakes suffering the identical conditions, such as Lake Taylorville (no dredging)and dredging of Lake Camelot here in Illinois.
Lake Taylorville employed various silt dams, check dams, and sediment basins in addition to a large conservation project of adding additional rif raf, rooted plants along incoming streams, banks, and inlets. All of which contributed to a significant reduction in the overall levels of sediment and massive increase in water quality and lake health. The fear of dredging at the Taylorville location, is the puncture of the clay foundation and drainage of the lake, requiring a costly and massive repair to the overall structure and entire ecosystem. An ongoing DNR study is being conducted.
https://www.enjoylakecamelot.com/dredgeing-committee