While many issues concern me as a resident of McHenry County, it is the fact that “water matters” that matters most to me. No one will be here if we do not have water – water of sufficient quantity and good quality to make living and working here possible. All our water comes from aquifers below the ground. Aquifers are the past, present, and future source of our water. It is a limited resource that must be managed wisely.
I see the question of water in very personal terms. Spring officially comes to the Schmidt household when the frogs begin to sing in the nearby ponds. I want to keep hearing those frogs and I want our children and grandchildren to keep hearing them, too. To have frogs, we must have clean water. To have clean water in sufficient quantity, local governments must support sustainable development.
For its part, the County Board must develop and pass a groundwater resources plan, a plan that gives serious consideration to all options for dealing with this issue, including the establishment of a regional water authority. The County must develop and adopt a 2030 Land Use Plan. Moreover, contrary to the past history of such planning efforts, the County must complete these plans sooner rather than later, not later rather than sooner.
As a member of the County Board dealing with these issues, I will bring the perspective and analytical skills of a historian, the insights learned from my experience as a mother, the knowledge I’ve gained from my community activities and the concerns of a resident and tax-payer of McHenry County.
This is a snapshot of my sons Christopher and Michael on one of their many
frogging expeditions. It is one of my favorite pictures from among the many
we have of our boys growing up. It always evokes fond memories and a smile.
I can not readily quote scientific facts about the quantity and quality of
our water, or about how healthy frogs are an indicator of water quality, but
I can show you why it is important. It is important for the health of the body
and the spirit of our children – and of ourselves.