“The water in the Bad River watershed means everything to our community,” says April Stone Dahl.
In 2014, however, the watershed’s future was in jeopardy: bacterial contamination from agricultural runoff made even afternoon swims in the lake hazardous. Due to an inconsistent dialogue with the DNR, April decided to take measures into her own hands. Each month, she volunteers to take water samples, and brings her children along to learn the importance of environmental preservation. April signed on as part of Midwest Environmental Advocates‘ Petition for Corrective Action, which was sent to the EPA.
“In my community, we’re taught that water is a precious gift,” said April. “We have to take care of it because we are all the protectors of the water. I’m not a scientist. I’m not a lawyer. I just know it’s important to protect the water. Clean water is a human right.”