Some Beaver Lake property owners are frustrated with how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages the shoreline, mitigates flooding and controls boat docks.
The people are voiceless and need a way to bring grievances against the Corps to an outside committee, said Benton County Justice of the Peace Frank Winscott.
“The public needs a way of appealing to an independent third party,” Winscott said. “The Corps has been given a lot of authority and a lot of responsibility, but it’s run amok. They are a federal agency that has no accountability.”
More than 100 people filled an auditorium at Heritage High School on Tuesday evening to hear officials explain why some rules existand how the Army Corps decides issues surrounding Beaver Lake. Rules governing the lake are inconsistent or don’t make sense, property owners said.
People lined up against concrete-block walls, waiting to ask questions. Some applauded when others commented that property rights are being infringed upon by the Engineers or that theagency does not respond to residents’ concerns.
U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, RArk., called the town hall-style meeting to create a dialogue between property owners and the Army Corps. He said he had received a “tsunami” of complaints against the Corps and that there is a “lack of understanding on both sides.”
During the meeting, people grumbled over answers from officials and said they felt the agency was unfair. When asked for a show of hands for who is pleased with the Corps, only two people raised their hands.
Several agency officials fielded questions for at least 45 minutes aftersentations about what Beaver Lake is for - water supply, hydropower and flood mitigation. Corps deputy district engineer Randy Hathaway told the audience that the agency needs public forums and wants public input. He said officials “owe” residents a reason for the rules it enforces.
Many rules are enforced to protect the majority of people, he said.
“This lake is built for all of us, not just one individual,” Hathaway said.
Questions from property owners ranged from safety on the lake to changes in rules over boat docks. Len Oswald, who owns a sailboat he uses to teach sailing on Beaver Lake, said policies of the Corps are inconsistent.
“A lot of the policies you have cost a lot of people a lot of money,” Oswald told Army Corps officials. “You don’t seem to care.”
The Corps has developed an attitude problem, Oswald said. Most of the people attending the meeting were there because of dock issues, he said.
Ralph and Joyce Langemeier said they feel the Corps doesn’t explain why it has certain rules and people are frustrated. The forum showed officials should pay attention to what the public thinks, they said.
“Hopefully, the Corps gets a take-home message that they should be more responsive to the public,” Ralph Langemeier said. “We’re all in this together.”
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 7 on 05/18/2011