Give Your Input Online and at Outdoor Campus West on Protecting Sylvan Lake

Sylvan Lake, one of South Dakota’s most romantic spots is being “loved to death,” says Rapid City landscape architect and park planner Patrick Wyss.

Wyss is helping Custer State Park officials come up with a master plan to address trail erosion, silt buildup, algae problems, and other issues affecting the popular Black Hills tourist destination. You can help, too:

1. Take this survey to tell Wyss and park officials about your use and ideas for improvement of Sylvan Lake.
2. Attend the Sylvan Lake Master Plan Public Workshop this evening, 5–7 p.m. MDT, and the Outdoor Campus Aldo Leopold in Rapid City.

One could argue that the earthiest solution to protect the natural beauty of the area would be to blow up the dam and get rid of the fake lake. But I wouldn’t put that idea on the table; some human interventions in the landscape are worth fighting for. We now have to strike the right balance between access and conservation.