In his last ad, Phil Collier, candidate for county commissioner, not only builds and crosses his own “Bridges to Nowhere,” but strands himself yet  again in a wilderness of confusion. He hopes, apparently, to tell the same monstrous mistruth often enough so everyone will come to believe it.

Preservationists, fisheries enhancers, conservationists, an even Collierists agree that Swan Lake is … only a lake. It has no chance to become a spawning ground for salmon, never did, and never will; and our local adult species live only at sea. But there are thousands and thousands of young salmon (smolt) who mill about in the mixed salt and fresh water (estuary) of Rosario Strait. They grow up, get fat, get fit (get eaten), and get ready to migrate to the ocean.

The plan is to enhance Swan Lake to become a hostel, an open-door safe house to allow these smolt to mature and migrate. How? Make minor modifications to the outlet and the tide gates and maintain careful oversight of inlet flow to the lake. That’s all.

Yes, we were stunned at Mr. Collier’s outburst at the Heller Road forum. Did he come late and perhaps miss part of the hour-long tidal connectivity assessments? Or what?

Cyril L. Greig
Oak Harbor