Attitudes and Perceptions Regarding Water Quality and Community

 

Mimi Wagner, Iowa State University--Department of Landscape Architecture

 

A.        Introduction

 

The beliefs, attitudes and values of residents are accepted as an informal part of planned change in any community—whether it be locating a new soccer field or proposing changes for a longtime city park. Designers and resource planners also seek this information when contemplating landscape change—particularly when the changes may directly or indirectly affect people.

 

A critical goal of the Clear Lake Diagnostic / Feasibility Study was to develop both an understanding of water quality conditions in the lake as well as strategies for enhancing water quality conditions.  This research contributed to that goal by identifying the broad range of beliefs, attitudes and values as they relate to water quality and the community of Clear Lake.  Water quality researchers then used this understanding of community values to assemble alternative strategies for water quality enhancement.

 

The goal of this research was not to quantify the number of residents who hold various beliefs and values.  This study gave an indication of what residents value socially and behaviorally about the lake and how these values are structured.  The study also indicated what elements they believe enrich their lives and how change in the landscape has affected them.

 

B.        Methods

 

This report serves as a summary of interviews conducted during the 2000-2001 winter in and near Clear Lake. The land immediately surrounding the lake edge was the primary focus of discussions. This research included residents from Clear Lake’s urban area as well as its agricultural watershed; it did not include significant representation from Ventura.  As such, the conditions described are limited to Clear Lake and its agricultural watershed. 

 

Residents were selected to reflect a broad range of experiences and connections with the lake and community.  Income, gender, education, occupation and years lived in the area were balanced.  Interviews were conducted individually using photographs of the area as discussion points.  The names of residents interviewed, as well as interview transcripts, are confidential.  Occasional excerpts from statements are included in this report and are intended to serve as examples. 

 

This research focused on four aspects:  (1) residents relationship to Clear Lake as a central element of the community, (2) organizational and social aspects of Clear Lake, (3) perceptions of water quality and (4) a summary of community needs, as they relate to the lake and water quality.  Several suggestions for community action are included in the section, “Appropriate Considerations for Future Action.”  These suggestions were developed in response to needs, attitudes and perceptions found in this investigation that are beyond the scope of the Diagnostic / Feasibility Study. 

 

C.        The Lake as a Central Element in the Community

 

Clear Lake is clearly the focal point of the community and the region. It is an active element—changing and responding to climate, season and management in very dynamic ways. Residents are watchful of the lake and are very connected to its condition. Visual changes are watched in great detail including water clarity, water level fluctuations, fish population (size, diversity and quantity) and fish kills.

 

The lake is perceived as having shifted from being a ‘public’ lake in the past to being more ‘private’ today.  Although public accesses and lands are available for use, local residents sense a change in the lake’s availability for those other than shoreline property owners. Fewer open, unbuilt sections of shoreline have contributed to this perception. 

 

1.  Attachment to the Lake.  The term ‘attachment’ describes the relationship between people (or a person) and a place.  Attachments to a place or object can be strong or weak, positive or negative. Understanding attachments to landscape elements, such as Clear Lake, illustrates a great deal about what the community values and why they make the decisions they do.

 

Understanding local attachments was important in this project because it can guide researchers and decision-makers in creating alternatives to enhance water quality.  This guidance is important to consider so valuable elements of the place or community aren’t unnecessarily disrupted or destroyed to meet water quality objectives.

 

This research identified two types of attachment in the Clear Lake community.  The first type, ‘Internal,’ relates to the quiet respect and admiration people have for the lake.  The second type, ‘External,’ is the connection residents make between the lake and the outside—visitors, for example.  Both are described in more detail below.

 

a. Internal Attachment to the Lake.  Clear Lake has strong personal importance to the community.  Residents had a consistently solid understanding of the geologic uniqueness of the lake and its watershed.  They have a deep sense of pride for the natural elements of the lake including the shoreline, the forested vegetation surrounding the lake, its marshes and the watershed topography.  There is a strong sense of reverence and respect in maintaining the character of these elements—although many changes have occurred over time. 

 

This internal attachment represents a strong emotional bond between people and the lake.  It is present among residents who use the lake regularly as well as those that enjoy the lake only from a visual standpoint. The following anecdotes illustrate this bond:

·         The same public beaches and parks have been used for successive generations in their family.  Also, land—agricultural and nonagricultural—and homes have remained in the same families for multiple generations. 

·         Sunrises and sunsets across the lake are a valued event.

·         Residents enjoy driving around the lake just to see the water.  The visual ‘availability’ of the lake from surrounding roads is a aspect that has changed greatly over the years as larger homes continue to replace cottage-style homes. 

·         Physical closeness to the lake is highly valued—this is separate from wanting to use the lake for a functional purpose such as fishing, swimming and boating.

·         Many value the quiet, isolated public areas on the lake—particularly at times when the visitor population isn’t high. 

 

The respect and reverence observed for the visual aspects of the lake are also present for cultural landmarks in the community.  These landmarks include longtime businesses (such as the Ritz), the cottage-style of housing common in the early to mid 1900’s and older specimen trees such as those in the city park.  When change occurs to landmarks—either intentionally such as the replacement of cottages with new homes, or unintentionally such as the fire at the Ritz—the community senses a loss in its physical character.  Residents expressed a desire for the lake and the community to “be as in their memory,”—realizing also that some changes are necessary, inevitable and uncontrollable.

 

The lake is a sacred element internally to many people.  Residents find value in both active use and a passive closeness. This internal form of attachment was found consistently through most interviews, however it is often a quietly held, personal reflection and value.  This contrasts with the second form of attachment identified, External Attachment.

 

b. External Attachment to the Lake.  Above and beyond the internal or personal importance of the lake, residents also maintain a separate form of attachment or relationship to the lake via the ‘external’ world—visitors and tourists to the lake and community. 

 

The Clear Lake community is largely organized around tourism.  Events and opportunities are created to attract people to the water for purposes of economic development.  The elements of attraction are often related to direct contact with the lake / water, such as boating, fishing, snowmobiling, hunting and swimming.  The revenue generated by outside visitors to the lake region is substantial, and the community realizes that they are able to maintain the “physical-ness” and infrastructure they have as a result of these revenues.  As such, they have a strong attachment to sustaining the attraction of visitors to the lake. Decisions about change and development in the community include strong consideration of the needs and desires of visitors and other active-users of the lake. 

 

2.  Attachment Summary.  Residents value both their internal and external attachments to the lake.  A combination of these values guides decision-making about changes in the community and the lake edge.  External attachments sometimes override the quieter, more personally held internal attachments. The following examples illustrate the difficulty in balancing the two.

 

·         Agricultural land in the watershed has been converted to subdivisions to allow population growth. This change compromises the rural character of the land residents value.

·         It’s more difficult to see the lake when driving around it, because the new houses are so much larger than those they replace and views are more restricted. One resident remarked, “Local people, like me, like to drive around the lake and look at it.  It needs to be accessible for the people of Iowa.”

·         Fewer lots and areas left undeveloped in the watershed.

·         The sense that access to the lake is restricted for those not living on it—even the boat launches at the street dead ends are rented out as boat slips.

·         Replacement trees in the city park are trees that grow more quickly rather than the slow-growing native species they replace.

·         Emergent vegetation is removed for aesthetic reasons and boat access, even though residents realize it is important for fish habitat.

 

D.        Organizational and Social aspects of the Clear Lake community

 

Residents discussed many aspects of the community and how decisions are made.  Over and over, they described it as a great place to live and work. Many residents of the community choose to live in Clear Lake because it is where they want to be—rather than because it is where their job is, for example.  This strong connection to ‘place’ included descriptions of the community as ‘a special place,’ and as having a ‘sense of magic.’

 

1. Aspects of the Community.  As commonly observed in Midwest communities, residents perceive change in the social connection between the agricultural and urban communities.  The presence of agriculture in the lake’s watershed is perceived as diminished as compared to fifty years ago.  Urban growth—residential, commercial and industrial—has likely contributed to this change in perception. 

 

There is a sense of satisfaction with the community. As one resident indicated, “People are pretty happy with the physical-ness of Clear Lake.” Clear Lake has long favored continued growth and development as a means to stabilize this physical infrastructure.  Some factions within the community are beginning to question the long-standing belief that continued growth will always lead to prosperity.  There is concern that the community may reach a point where its size may actually be detrimental to the elements of the community they value—such as a lack of traffic congestion, well-maintained streets and infrastructure and the tight-knit social connections between residents. 

 

2.  Working Relationships Inside and Outside the Community.  The community leadership structure was described as fair and trustworthy, with a history of making decisions that take into account many situations and individuals.  Changes undertaken in the community were described as being from the “bottom-up,” rather than “top-down.” 

 

Clear Lake is a great example of a community that takes action on its own when there is a need—rather than relying on organizations outside of the community to do something for them.  This long history of self-initiative is evident at both the individual level and within organizations.

 

Residents perceive well-established and strong working relationships with other communities, agencies and outside organizations.  There has not been a strong history of dialogue with the community of Ventura—but residents indicated they believe communication channels with Ventura are open and that past joint efforts between the two communities have been successful.

 

The IDNR is seen as the overall decision-maker for the lake. The community also believes that is has the ability to help shape decisions made by IDNR regarding the lake. Residents interviewed perceived that IDNR has been fair in their decisions and actions regarding the lake. 

 

3.  Communications.  All communities have the ability to communicate information within them, although this ability ranges in effectiveness. The structure for these communications is both formal (newspaper and radio stations, for example) and informal (coffee shop discussions, public meetings and working committees, for example).  The communication structure within Clear Lake appears incredibly well functioning. The local press was credited for communicating current issues and information about the lake.  There is also a very functional informal communications network, enabling information to be passed between different groups of residents and neighborhoods.  An example of this informal communication structure is most obvious in the consistency of local knowledge pertaining to the lake.

 

4.  Local Knowledge of the Lake.  There is a high level of awareness about the lake system in a general sense.  For example, there is a strong understanding of the importance of emergent vegetation for fish habitat and wetlands—even though residents report that less of it remaining today than in previous years.

 

Residents acknowledge the somewhat large amount of ‘natural’ vegetation occurring in the watershed—marshes, unmanaged woodlands and prairies.  Most interviewed accepted the aesthetic qualities of these landscapes—even though they wouldn’t want it in their own yard—because they recognize its importance for wildlife habitat.  These ‘natural’ areas were also valued for the primitive, quiet experience they offer people. 

 

5.  Physical Change in the Community.  Residents indicated that a large amount of change has occurred in the physical nature of the landscape over the past fifty years.  Individual property owners along the lakeshore have made a majority of the changes discussed in the interviews.  Examples of these changes include the following,

 

·         Demolition of cottage-style homes and replacement with large homes with a different architectural style,

·         Land around the edge of the lake is completely built up—there are no vacant lots,

·         Disappearance of rental cottages and boat rental facilities on the lake,

·         Conversion of farmland to condominiums and single family housing, and

·         Loss of local businesses, such as the Ritz, and their failure to rebuild in the same location.

 

Public perceptions of these changes range from broad acceptance to alarm at their fast pace.  These changes have contributed to a significant amount of visual change over time—in some cases very quickly. 

 

The community as a whole tends to make decisions about visual or physical change on public property slowly and deliberately. There is a high value on new features or elements looking like they have always been there.  The new seawall is an excellent example of this from a materials and construction standpoint. It also illustrates the cautious, “bottom-up” decision making processes employed by the community. 

 

 

E.         Water Quality Perceptions

 

The Clear Lake community, particularly the urban residents, holds the Clear Lake Diagnostic / Feasibility Study in high regard.  They helped sponsor this study to clarify the existing water quality conditions and recommend future management strategies.  This study has been incredibly visible to residents of both the urban and agricultural communities.  Residents have observed and interacted with field personnel conducting sampling and met personally with Dr. Downing at public events.  This high level of contact with the project has given residents a sense of confidence about the study, the personnel conducting it and the outcomes. 

 

Residents expressed concern with the quality of Iowa’s water in general--they realize that clean water is a critically important to human health.  There is a wider range of beliefs about water quality conditions in Clear Lake itself.  Some residents interviewed were deeply concerned about water quality conditions in the lake and believe there is a real problem.  Others were less sure there is a real problem, stating they believe the lake “has always been this way” and that “it can take care of itself.” There was also confidence expressed that the lake will “always be here” and available to them.

 

A similar range of beliefs exists regarding their hope for improvement in water quality conditions in the lake.  Many residents have a high sense of optimism that conditions can be improved through changes in behavior and land management.  For example one resident stated, “All is not lost here, but we need answers—our future is promising.”  Others believe that people have significantly less control over water quality conditions. When responding to their beliefs about human ability to impact water quality in the lake, responses included, “it’s tough to make change” and “our hands are tied.”

 

The amount of money that may be required to enhance water quality conditions is a concern locally.  Some view that the necessary changes will likely be expensive and not effective—“a lot of money will be spent and not much will be accomplished.”  Others are certain that improvements can be affordably made, citing the construction of stormwater filtration boxes, reduced lawn chemicals and sanitary sewer improvements already undertaken.

 

There is a high level of knowledge about the steps the Clear Lake urban area has taken to improve water quality conditions.  The Clear Lake Enhancement And Restoration Project directed water quality education and improved public awareness in a role of lake water quality representative to the urban watershed.  Because the scope of the CLEAR Project was limited to the urban landscape, community understanding about the role of the agricultural watershed is not clearly defined. 

 


F.         Community Needs As Related to the Lake

 

Residents were questioned about additional community needs specifically related to use of the lake and water quality conditions.  All responses centered on recreation and use of the lake.  Four distinct needs were communicated. 

1.      A bike trail around the lake—this was the most frequently mentioned need,

2.      More public docks for day visitors,

3.      Additional parking for boat trailers and vehicles while boating, and

4.      Small pocket parks on lakeshore land suitable for picnics, viewing the lake and general relaxing.

 

Some individuals indicated that there are no needs stating, “I can’t think of anything we don’t already have, besides there’s no land left.” 

 

G.        Opportunities for the Diagnostic / Feasibility Study

 

The Clear Lake community and watershed are positioned well to respond to the challenges and needs identified by the Diagnostic / Feasibility Study.  This research concludes that there is an enormous potential within the community to make and adjust to the changes necessary to enhance water quality conditions.  Several conditions presently exist in Clear Lake that support this conclusion:

·         Residents care about Clear Lake very deeply. They have both a personal attachment to the lake as well as an economic need to maintain its integrity.

·         Clear Lake, on an individual and a community scale, has a long local history of taking action locally to facilitate changes they believe are important.

·         Most community members already acknowledge a water quality problem in Clear Lake and they wanted this study to identify contributing factors to the conditions and suggest alternatives.

·         The community already has a high understanding of water quality basics and has taken action locally in response.  They have also responded positively to past awareness and education efforts regarding water quality.

·         The level of communication within the community is very high—supporting the effective dispersal of study results and alternatives.

·         Although some residents question the community’s ability to impact water quality conditions in the lake, many residents and decision makers are convinced that conditions can be improved and are willing to support IDNR’s efforts to enhance water quality conditions.

·         The community is largely tolerant of the visual aspects of landscape elements contributing to enhanced water quality—wetlands, prairies, grassed waterways, filter strips and riparian buffers.  Residents will be able to rationalize the importance of these elements if they are included in the final solutions selected by IDNR and the community. 

·         The youth and future generations of the community possess an enormous opportunity to bring new energy and momentum to the issues present in the community. 

 

 


H.        Appropriate Considerations for Future Action

 

Three opportunities emerged as a result of this portion of the Diagnostic / Feasibility Study.  They are presented here as considerations for future community action that are unrelated to water quality.  Each is connected with strengthening the relationship between people and the ‘place’ of Clear Lake—in different ways.  These considerations include (1) Community ‘Sense of Place,’ (2) Interpretation of Local History and (3) Perceptions of Public / Private Ownership.

 

1.  Community Sense of Place.  Close relationships between a place or landscape element foster a high sense of satisfaction for residents.  These relationships include deliberate attempts to identify the often-intrinsic features that give a place its specific identity.  Once identified, these elements or features can be protected and even strengthened.  The elements and features then become the trademarks or characteristics that set the community and watershed apart from others in the state.  Articulating and enhancing a community or region’s sense of place has benefits for both residents and visitors.

 

Community responses to the loss of long-time physical features in Clear Lake illustrate the appropriateness of sense of place studies.  Although some choices and changes related to physical elements of a community are inevitable and uncontrollable, others can be planned for.  An example would include the visual appearance of City Beach and the adjacent city park.  Residents have significant internal attachment to both of these landscapes and value the fact that they have changed little over generations.  The identification of other specific characteristics or places in the community would allow the community to make active decisions about their management rather than react to change after it occurs. 

 

2.  Interpretation of Local History.  There is an enormous amount of local history in and adjacent to the lake.  Local residents value this history but often don’t articulate its importance.  A legible interpretation of the past 200+ years in Clear Lake would be a benefit to residents, including youth, who enjoy remembering the past and learning more about their home.  Visitors would have an additional type of experience to choose from. The interpretation could also be linked with a bike trail around the lake, adding value to both experiences.

 

A sample of potential elements that could be interpreted include:

·         The geologic history of Clear Lake and its watershed,

·         Pre-history, European settlement and recent history,

·         History of agriculture in the region, and

·         Water quality topics relating to the lake: changes over time and efforts to enhance water quality.

 

3.  Perceptions of Public / Private Ownership.  The perception that the lake is becoming more privatized is an important concern.  More research is needed to identify the factors contributing to the perception.  Community elements, such as pocket parks on the lakeshore, are a beginning step in shifting this perception.

 

Pocket parks are small, neighborhood-scale places that are set aside for everyday types of passive activity, including picnics, relaxing in the shade, people watching and looking at the lake.  These types of activities occurred in informal ways more frequently before the lakeshore was built up.  Pocket parks, and other similar efforts offering residents and visitors more opportunities to experience the lakeshore, would be a positive contribution to the community’s concern with change from a “public” lake to a “private lake.”