A boost to the entire city

Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, Iowa: On the prairie, it’s difficult to believe an interactive water feature planned for downtown would face controversy.

South Dakotans love water. We flock to lakes on warm summer days, and even when they’re frozen over, we cut holes to get to the fish. We paddle vessels down our lazy rivers and gaze in awe at the falls in our city center. We invest in developments such as the Lewis & Clark pipeline in order to make sure we have adequate drinking water.

The city plans to put a water feature along the river greenway area, paying for it with part of the $4 million in surplus budget money from last year. There have been those who oppose the idea, but it makes sense to add this type of attraction downtown for the good of all. Dare we say it’s exciting?

Beauty

The water feature will add beauty, an interesting element for walkers and bikers, a place to eat lunch, a place to relax to the sound of the water and maybe even dip a toe in it. It probably will become a gathering place similar to features in other cities.