How To Save Randalman Dam

Now ol' Fish Man isn't taking sides on the Dam Scam but as this graph by Greensboro Water Conservation Manager Mike J Baron clearly shows, the City of Greensboro is using a lot less water these days than the City thought Greensboro would be using before the Randalman Dam was built. As a matter of fact, based on the published figures Greensboro has no current need for the Randalman Dam.

But really, isn't that just water under the bridge?

Well. not really. You see, municipal water sales are traditionally the only profit generator most cities have and with bonds coming due in a few years Greensboro's taxpayers are going to be saddled with $Millions upon $Millions in debts and no water sales to pay it off. You see, Greensboro's leaders thought we could attract lots of multinational corporations here if we had lots of water and lots of shovel ready sites and now we have a big hole full of water and lots of empty industrial parks but no multinational corporations. What's wrong with this picture?

But you know what, The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California uses 50,000 gallons of water a day. Yes, they get their water from the ocean but the Greensboro Aquarium would have to buy our water from the Randalman Dam or the City of Greensboro then add the salt and other nutrients. We're even considering building the world's largest freshwater aquarium.

Now granted, evaporation is a bigger concern in Southern California than in Greensboro and we will do our part to conserve water with our own rainwater collection systems but the fact remains a downtown aquarium could very well become one of Greensboro's largest buyers of water.

But it doesn't end there. No sir. Remember that downtown college campus we're talking about putting at the aquarium? That will no doubt use a lot of water, right. And what about all those pharmaceutical companies that locate near aquariums to experiment on sponges and other sea life? Won't they use a lot of water too?

Come on, Greensboro, we're trying to bail you out here. Did I mention 3 Million tourists a year might want water too? And here's an idea: Instead of selling bottled water at the aquarium we can sell locally manufactured refillable water bottles and water refills. You see, as a fish I'm tired of all that plastic trash in Buffalo Creek. Besides, it just makes sense.

Then there's NC A&T University and the Aquaponics program we hope to host both on site and in empty commercial buildings all over Greensboro that will supply jobs all over town and make Greensboro an exporter of food-- something that everybody needs.

Or you can just wait in your performing arts center until the bills for the Randalman Dam come due and figure out how you plan to pay them. Your call.