.jpg)
Aug. 20, 2023 Editor, The News-Gazette: The Capitol Council of the BSA in Bethesda, Md., has been draining Lake Merriweather daily since July 28. The Maury River is polluted with the green, murky sediment flowing from this man-made lake. The recreational enjoyment of the river is impaired; the Maury Service Authority must treat the water differently, which increases cost for private citizens and businesses, and the small life forms of the river are smothered to the determent of the health of the river.
The Maury is being polluted so the private recreational lake can be cleaned to the benefit of those Scouts who will be coming from Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland next year to attend summer camp during a two-month period. Anyone down river from the lake will have to forego a refreshing swim in August, less expensive public water, and a clear river bottom for the sake of a private nonprofit business that spoils the crystal clear, sparkling water of the Maury.
Why have the elected county and state official and agencies allowed this behavior to continue on an almost yearly basis? Who had the authority to permit the defiling of this spectacular place? When will it stop? LINDA LARSEN Rockbridge Baths
