Lakewood is a lovely name for a city. It is such a nice name that cities in other states have chosen it too. No other one has such a valid claim to the name as our fair city of Lakewood, Ohio. We are situated on the shore of one of the great lakes of the world.

We have not always appreciated how lucky we are. In days within memory we used the lake as a sewer for our wastes. It wasn't until the fish all died that we realized something had to be done about it. Fortunately, it wasn't too late. The quality of the lake water has been greatly improved in recent years. More needs to be done, of course, but the greater threat now is not to the quality but to the quantity of Lake Erie's water.

For many years the arid parts of our country have lusted after the copious supply of our fresh water. Plans to divert water from our lakes to the dry states of the west have so far been quashed. But their growth in population is giving them more political power with each passing year. It is imperative that the eight states of the Great Lakes Basin work together to keep this precious resource from being literally drained away.

Leaders from the eight Great Lakes Basin states have been working diligently for four years to draft a pact for the management of the waters. After much study and some necessary compromises they have agreed to a pact which will preserve the lakes while it recognizes the needs of the states of the Great Lakes Basin and allows them to be used for the common good. The core principle of the pact is that water from the lakes may not be diverted except in some exceptional and clearly stated cases. This reservoir of water is the result of the melting of glaciers at the end of the last ice age. When water is consumed within the boundaries of the basin it will eventually find its way back to the lakes. When it is diverted outside the boundaries it is gone forever. Great care must be taken to avoid setting a precedent for diverting water, even though a few diversions won't have any noticeable effect on lake levels. But once diversions start it will be impossible to stop them.

The concerned leaders and experts who have spent so much time drafting the present agreement are not amateurs. They know the laws about property rights and the precedents of water management and mismanagement. It is urgent that the pact be passed now. After it is accepted by the legislatures of the eight states it has to be passed by Congress. This won't happen when the western states get more power in Congress and become ever more desperate for water. We aren't selfish. We should be glad to share our water with our fellow citizens. All they have to do is come live and establish businesses where the water is. Shipping it out won't work. Mother Nature will not be trifled with.

Citizens of Lakewood Ohio be aware! Hold your representatives accountable for protecting this most precious resource that is the gift of Mother Nature to our part of the country.