The following is a full-page advertisement that appeared in the Mount Pleasant Daily Tribune on 25 May 2003. Don Henley is from Texas, so that would explain his founding of the Caddo Lake Institute. It is excellent that a celebrity has jumped into the fray of environmental protection of fragile river and other wetland systems. R.

An extraordinary number of residents of the Dallas/Ft. Worth area have expressed a deep affection for Caddo Lake in East Texas. The beautiful Caddo ecosystem has long been a part of the lives of hunters, fishermen, boaters, birdwatchers and all manner of outdoor enthusiasts.

There is now an opportunity to do something good for Caddo when the Eagles give a very special performance at NextStage, in Grand Prairie, on June 10. The Caddo Lake Institute will make premium seating available for those who wish to join in supporting the effort to protect and preserve (and heal) Texas' only natural lake -- Caddo Lake. The purchasers of those premium seats will also be invited to enjoy a catered dinner backstage with the band.

Over the past decade, the Caddo Lake Institute and its colleagues have fought off numerous ill-conceived attempts to exploit Caddo Lake. The Institute has employed the best scientists, statewide and nationally, and has compiled a large body of data and information based on sound, scientific principles. We have gained the trust and the respect of the people in the lakeside communities because we do our homework and we tell the truth, even if it isn't pretty.

To put it bluntly, Caddo lake is under siege. The Caddo Lake Institute and like-minded organizations need help to combat those forces who would thoughtlessly exploit the Caddo ecosystem and do irreparable harm. We need to make sure that the "powers that be", in both Austin and Wasthington, DC, continue to hear our side of the story. Legislators and the public-at-large need to know that special interests are violating the public trust and exploiting public property for private gain.

As the state's population explodes, water is becoming more scarce and more precious. In Texas, many of our rivers are drying up because of over-consumption by municipalities and industry. The Rio Grande is lost, the Nueces is very sick, and the Colorado and Guadalupe are at risk. The Nueces Bay is on life support, and San Antonio and Matagorda Bays are next.

Because the State has failed to protect fresh water flows in rivers and into bays, private groups such as the Caddo Lake Institute and the San Marcos River Foundation have had to step in and invest large sums of money in an attempt to do what the State should have done. Now, the water speculators are asking the Legislature to kill citizen efforts to protect these public resources.

There is now great concern that Caddo Lake will be damaged because of insufficient natural flows from Big Cypress Bayou, the main river that feeds it. These flows, which are called in-stream flows, flush out the replenish lakes such as Caddo. These flows keep the lake healthy and full of life.

The real threat now to the health and well-being of Texas rivers and lakes is the Texas Legislature. A bill has just passed the Texas Senate which would allow all water-use permits to be granted except those of an environmental nature. In other words, industries, municipalities and the new wave of water marketers (or water speculators) could obtain water-rights permits, but those organizations, such as the Caddo Lake Institute, who want to make sure that there is enough water remaining, even in times of prolonged drought, to support wildlife, outdoor sports and recreation, are being frozen out of the process.

The Texas Senate has stopped environmental water permits -- permits that would keep our lakes and rivers from being sucked dry -- but they have not stopped permits for every other consumptive use. Our message to the Texas Legislature is, " ... if anybody is denied getting water rights, everybody ought to be denied water rights until a proper study can be done and fairness is applied to the process." It appears that the Legislature wants to thwart all public efforts to keep lakes and rivers healthy while they allow private interests to go forward. Once again, it seems that we have a case of the common good being trampled by special interests. Texas' rivers, reservoirs and public lakes belong to all of the people, not just some of the people.

The Caddo lake Institute possesses the only complete application for an environmental water right and it should be allowed to go forward. All those entities, whether private or public, who possess a complete application should be allowed to go forward.

With water becoming one of the most important issues of the 21st Century, we are at a critical juncture in the life of Caddo Lake. What happens during the remainder of this year may determine whether Caddo Lake lives or dies -- whether it regains its health and continues to support an extraordinary array of wildlife and recreations, or whether it fades into oblivion.

For premium tickets to this special Eagles performance on June 10, please contact Tina Shoemaker at (310) 925-6236 or Tina@slotix.com or contact Harry Sandler at (347) 234-1323 or HarrySandler@aol.com.

Your help is needed to Protect Caddo Lake! Please ask your Senator or Representative in the Texas Legislature to "Amend bills in the Texas Legislature to order the Texas Commission on Environment Quality (TCEQ) to issue a permit on the Caddo Lake Institute's application to protect Caddo Lake's environmental water."

To make your voice heard at the Texas Legislature, please contact Senator Ken Armbrister (phone 512-463-0118, fax 512-475-3736), Representative Bryan Hughes (phone 512-463-0271, fax 512-463-1515), Representative Tommy Merritt (phone 512-463-0750, fax 512-463-9085), Representative Robert Puente (phone 512-463-0452, fax 512-463-1447), Senator Bill Ratliff (phone 512-463-0101, fax 512-475-3751) and Representative Barry Telford (phone 512-463-0692, fax 512-463-5896).

Caddo Lake Institute
Don Henley, Founder
Dwight K. Shellman, President
http://www.caddolakeinstitute.org/

The Caddo Lake Institute is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.