Statement of Barbara McKasson

Chair, Shawnee Group of the Sierra Club

“For nearly two decades, local Sierra Club members and property owners have worked to promote alternatives to the proposed Marion dam. If built, the dam would destroy Sugar Creek, one of the last free-flowing streams in the region, and habitat for endangered wildlife. The recent letter from the Army Corps to the City of Marion makes clear that the destruction of Sugar Creek is unnecessary, given alternative water supply options, and that the harm to our Southern Illinois environment would be substantial.

In a July 14th letter to Marion Mayor Robert Butler, the Corps wrote:

“water from the Rend Lake Conservancy District is an option available to Marion alone or available to both Marion and Lake of Egypt Water Reclamation District (LEWD). Also, raw water from Cedar Lake is an option available to LEWD. I recommend that Marion and LEWD together and alone enter into good faith negotiations with these water supply entities to determine if these alternatives remain feasible.”

And

“These pipeline alternatives would result in substantially smaller impacts to aquatic resources.”

We applaud the Army Corps for their honest analysis, and common-sense recommendation.

Rend Lake and Cedar Lake are among the existing impoundments in our region that could potentially supply Marion with water at substantially lower cost, without displacing landowners, and without destroying Sugar Creek, a unique Southern Illinois natural resource. Sierra Club is committed to working with the City of Marion and regional leaders to plan for Marion's water supply to provide reliable, quality drinking water at reasonable cost, while protecting the natural beauty and heritage of our region."