A group of Lake Forest citizens met at the Lake Forest Clubhouse on Tuesday evening, Sept. 9, to discuss the continuing problems with the silting of D’Olive Creek and Lake Forest.

The speakers were Walter Crimmins and Elliot Riser of the Lakeview Homeowners Association; Henry Lawson and John Peterson, president of the Lake Forest Property Owners Association; and Ron Scott, Daphne councilman. Many of the 45 people in attendance expressed their frustration over the worsening of the situation and past inability of federal, state, county and city officials to relieve the continued destruction of these waterways and to restore the creek and lake to their original, natural state. Several commented that the problems have existed for at lease two decades.

The speakers pointed out that the attempts at solving the problems are of long duration and it will require years to arrive at short-term and long-term solutions. They added that positive steps have previously been taken in that direction, but that active and vocal support by private citizens in the effort—support utterly lacking in previous attempts—are vital to solving the problems involved.

Because citizen support is a critical necessity, it was unanimously agreed that every citizen in the affected area, the D’Olive Bay and D’Olive Lake watershed—including all residents of Lake Forest—should make an effort to attend the public meetings of the D’Olive Bay/Lake Forest Watershed Group and the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program on Wednesday at Daphne City Hall.

The first meeting is from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers and will feature information for engineering and business leaders regarding the forthcoming “request for proposal” that will call for a detailed study of the problems and possible solutions to the silting of the area waterways.

The second meeting, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., will also take place in the City Council Chambers and is designed specifically for input by the public at large.

The Sept. 9 meeting adjourned with a renewed call for all Lake Forest homeowners, whether directly affected or not, to attend these meetings in great numbers to demonstrate strong support for saving D’Olive Creek, Lake Forest, and Mobile Bay from further destruction in the years ahead.

James Morris

Daphne