We urge legislators on the state bonding committee to fund a $7.5 million request for the dredging of Fountain Lake.

This Shell Rock River Watershed District project isn’t just some selfish plan to benefit boaters. This is a communitywide effort to clean up our waters. This is the locals being on board with the state’s efforts to clean up the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

And this community has come a long way to get to this point.

In 2005, 81 percent of Albert Lea voters said yes to a local-option sales tax to assist in cleaning up local waters. Since then, work has been done on fish barriers, flood mitigation, water monitors, landfill reclamation, creek restoration, rain gardens and other projects.

This local support is all the more reason why the state assistance is money well spent: The people want this. The people will appreciate state help. The people understand the importance of clean waters to the state’s economy.

Our waters are some of the first that visitors to Minnesota see. Manufacturing, lack of monitoring and carelessness have led to neglected and contaminated waters that are only now on the rebound. Help us reach the goal.