Clearly belonging to, and the responsibility of, the city of Bentonville are the Bella Vista dam, its paths, et al. And being in this position, Bella Vista should allow them to operate independently of outside influences.
As to whether the legalese may stipulate that the dam be "maintained in perpetuity" should not now be the issue, we relinquished control and allowed the city to take it off our hands many years ago.
I have lived in Bella Vista for 15 years and no longer enjoy going to this lake. It seems dead to me, with no one boating or swimming or fishing anymore. It is a ghost of its former self when it was a vibrant playground of activity. This vibrancy could be restored with the proposed dam removal and the free-flowing creek that would naturally follow. It would be alive with fish, with plants and with people -- in it, on it and around it.
This discussion should not be reduced to who is right in the eye of the law, but who wants to do what's decent for the people in the community and for the natural environment. Hopefully, all involved individuals can realize there is a better opportunity waiting to happen. Make a stream and the non-polluting activity will follow with kayaks, canoes and swimmers
I implore you to, "tear down this dam," please.
Margaret Washburn
Bella Vista
Editorial on 06/19/2019