Expansion causes destruction

The author of ``Paddle-Wheeler Sails Into History,'' Oct. 5, describes her cruise on Lake Nasser, now open to tourists to visit ancient Nubian sites that are strewn around the shores of the lake.

According to environmental specialists, the development of the lake as a tourist destination and as a center of agricultural and industrial expansion will degrade the quality of the waters of the lake, which is a water reservoir.

Maintaining the lake and its embankments as a national reserve with little or no development will not only preserve the lake from polluting ingredients, but also keep the lake as a natural barrier between Africa and the Mediterranean region. The lands around the lake are of poor quality and lie at a high elevation requiring the lifting of water to more than 50 meters.

The introduction of power boats will degrade the quality of the waters of the lake, and the building of hotels and other structures on the monument sites will destroy the serenity and beauty of the area. Rushdi Said, Annandale, Va.,

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