Editor’s note: The county has released a statement on Zylstra Lake, https://www.sanjuanjournal.com/news/san-juan-countys-restoration-work-in-zylstra-lake-corridor/and scheduled a meeting via Zoom on Oct. 24 from 6-7:30 p.m. Register at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUqf-ippjgqG9DMQc5DC8x04cx2-8RkYFqu#/registration.

The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank is working on draining Zylstra Lake and Little Lake so I can not have water to irrigate my fields with water-rights that go with the land.

I thought agriculture was one of the main reasons that the Land Bank was created.

Who’s running the county, the Land Bank … or …?

I am one of the few people on this island who are raising food for the people of this world.

These water rights go with the land. Zylstra Little Lake does have a purpose, for water storage and controls the flow of water going down False Bay Creek. The land I own has water rights from Zylstra Little Lake.

Greg Black

San Juan Island farmer