[Vision2020] aquifer protection update

Sat, 13 Dec 2003 11:44:54 -0800

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_000B_01C3C16E.886416D0
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Mr. Schmidt,

I think that the issue of water availability will be one of the
overriding political forces in the West for the next 50 years. I am
hoping that Moscow does indeed treat this resource carefully. And I hope
that we take the time and resources to determine what truly drives the
availability of our water. That is not necessarily having one's "head in
the sand". That is balancing a wide range of issues while gathering as
much information as is possible. What I would like to see is additional
funded research into these issues.

I am a bit confused regarding several of your assertions regarding the
Grand Ronde aquifer. Having been through the reports, I see the
following:

1.	In 1930, Moscow, Pullman, WSU and UI were pumping 500 million
gallons per year out of the Grande Ronde aquifer and the rate of decline
of the aquifer each year was about 1.5 feet per year. In 1999 these
entities were pumping 2,500 million gallons out of the aquifer each year
and the aquifer is still dropping 1.5 feet per year (1999 PBAC annual
report). So how do we arrive at the conclusion that the decrease in the
aquifer is caused by pumpage rates in this area?
2.	By the mid 1990s, the elevation in the Moscow wells began to
stabilize. (http://www.ci.moscow.id.us/pw/index.asp).
3.	The per capita water usage by UI and Moscow was 106 gal /day in
2002 (down from 160 gal/day in 1990). For Pullman and WSU it was 158
gal/day (down from 168 gal/day in 1990).
(http://www.ci.moscow.id.us/pw/index.asp).

There is one additional issue I think we should remember - Idaho
Department of Water Resources can only manage the Grande Ronde aquifer
in Idaho. Once the water crosses the Washington border, they have no
authority. About 60% of the water pumped from the Grande Ronde aquifer
in our area is from Washington.

Bill Strand

------=_NextPart_000_000B_01C3C16E.886416D0
Content-Type: text/html;
	charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<html xmlns:v=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" =
xmlns:o=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" =
xmlns:w=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" =
xmlns:st1=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" =
xmlns=3D"http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">

<head>
<META HTTP-EQUIV=3D"Content-Type" CONTENT=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Dus-ascii">

<meta name=3DProgId content=3DWord.Document>
<meta name=3DGenerator content=3D"Microsoft Word 10">
<meta name=3DOriginator content=3D"Microsoft Word 10">
<link rel=3DFile-List href=3D"cid:filelist.xml@01C3C16E.867984E0">
<o:SmartTagType =
namespaceuri=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
 name=3D"place"/>
<o:SmartTagType =
namespaceuri=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
 name=3D"State"/>
<o:SmartTagType =
namespaceuri=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
 name=3D"City"/>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
 <o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
  <o:DoNotRelyOnCSS/>
 </o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
 <w:WordDocument>
  <w:DontDisplayPageBoundaries/>
  <w:SpellingState>Clean</w:SpellingState>
  <w:GrammarState>Clean</w:GrammarState>
  <w:DocumentKind>DocumentEmail</w:DocumentKind>
  <w:EnvelopeVis/>
  <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
 </w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<style>
<!--
 /* Font Definitions */
 @font-face
	{font-family:Helvetica;
	panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;
	mso-font-charset:0;
	mso-generic-font-family:swiss;
	mso-font-pitch:variable;
	mso-font-signature:536902279 -2147483648 8 0 511 0;}
 /* Style Definitions */
 p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
	{mso-style-parent:"";
	margin:0in;
	margin-bottom:.0001pt;
	mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
	font-size:12.0pt;
	font-family:"Times New Roman";
	mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
	{color:blue;
	text-decoration:underline;
	text-underline:single;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
	{color:purple;
	text-decoration:underline;
	text-underline:single;}
span.EmailStyle18
	{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
	mso-style-noshow:yes;
	mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
	mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
	font-family:Arial;
	mso-ascii-font-family:Arial;
	mso-hansi-font-family:Arial;
	mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;
	color:navy;}
span.text1
	{mso-style-name:text1;
	mso-ansi-font-size:11.0pt;
	mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
	font-family:Helvetica;
	mso-ascii-font-family:Helvetica;
	mso-hansi-font-family:Helvetica;
	mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;
	color:black;}
span.SpellE
	{mso-style-name:"";
	mso-spl-e:yes;}
span.GramE
	{mso-style-name:"";
	mso-gram-e:yes;}
@page Section1
	{size:8.5in 11.0in;
	margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
	mso-header-margin:.5in;
	mso-footer-margin:.5in;
	mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
	{page:Section1;}
 /* List Definitions */
 @list l0
	{mso-list-id:469708451;
	mso-list-type:hybrid;
	mso-list-template-ids:255199598 67698703 67698713 67698715 67698703 =
67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715;}
@list l0:level1
	{mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
	mso-level-number-position:left;
	text-indent:-.25in;}
ol
	{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
	{margin-bottom:0in;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
 /* Style Definitions */=20
 table.MsoNormalTable
	{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
	mso-style-noshow:yes;
	mso-style-parent:"";
	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
	mso-para-margin:0in;
	mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
	mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
	font-size:10.0pt;
	font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
 <o:shapedefaults v:ext=3D"edit" spidmax=3D"1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
 <o:shapelayout v:ext=3D"edit">
  <o:idmap v:ext=3D"edit" data=3D"1" />
 </o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>

<body bgcolor=3Dwhite lang=3DEN-US link=3Dblue vlink=3Dpurple =
style=3D'tab-interval:.5in'>

<div class=3DSection1>

Mr. =
Schmidt,<o:p></o:p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

I think that the issue of water
availability will be one of the overriding political forces in the West =
for the
next 50 years. I am hoping that <st1:City><st1:place>Moscow</st1:place></st1:City> does indeed treat this resource carefully. And I hope that =
we take
the time and resources to determine what truly drives the availability =
of our
water. That is not necessarily having one&#8217;s &#8220;head in the =
sand&#8221;.
That is balancing a wide range of issues while gathering as much =
information as
is possible. What I would like to see is additional funded research into =
these
issues.<o:p></o:p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

I am a bit confused regarding =
several of your
assertions regarding the Grand Ronde =
aquifer. Having
been through the reports, I see the =
following:<o:p></o:p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

<ol style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0in' start=3D1 type=3D1>
 <li class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'color:navy;mso-list:l0 level1 =
lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in'><font
     size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
     Arial'>In 1930, </span></font><st1:City><st1:place><font size=3D2
       face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Moscow</span></font></st1:pl=
ace></st1:City><font
     size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>, =
</span></font><st1:City><st1:place><font
       size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Pullman</span></font></st1:p=
lace></st1:City><font
     size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>, WSU
     and UI were pumping 500 million gallons per year out of the Grande =
<span
     class=3DSpellE>Ronde</span> aquifer and the rate of decline of the =
aquifer
     each year was about 1.5 feet per year. In 1999 these entities were =
pumping
     2,500 million gallons out of the aquifer each year and the aquifer =
is
     still dropping 1.5 feet per year (1999 PBAC annual report). So how =
do we
     arrive at the conclusion that the decrease in the aquifer is caused =
by <span
     class=3DSpellE>pumpage</span> rates in this =
area?<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
 <li class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'color:navy;mso-list:l0 level1 =
lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in'><font
     size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
     Arial'>By the mid 1990s, the elevation in the =
</span></font><st1:City><st1:place><font
       size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Moscow</span></font></st1:pl=
ace></st1:City><font
     size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> wells
     began to stabilize. =
(http://www.ci.moscow.id.us/pw/index.asp).<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
 <li class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'color:navy;mso-list:l0 level1 =
lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in'><font
     size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
     Arial'>The per capita water usage by UI and =
</span></font><st1:City><st1:place><font
       size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Moscow</span></font></st1:pl=
ace></st1:City><font
     size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> was
     106 gal /day in 2002 (down from 160 gal/day in 1990). For =
</span></font><st1:City><st1:place><font
       size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Pullman</span></font></st1:p=
lace></st1:City><font
     size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> and
     WSU it was 158 gal/day (down from 168 gal/day in 1990). (<a
     =
href=3D"http://www.ci.moscow.id.us/pw/index.asp">http://www.ci.moscow.id.=
us/pw/index.asp</a>).<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
</ol>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

There is one additional issue I =
think we
should remember - Idaho Department of Water Resources can only =
manage
the Grande Ronde aquifer in =
<st1:State><st1:place>Idaho</st1:pla=
ce></st1:State>. Once the water
crosses the <st1:State><st1:place>Washington</st=
1:place></st1:State> border,
they have no authority. About 60% of the water pumped from the Grande =
Ronde aquifer in our area is from =
<st1:State><st1:place>Washington</st=
1:place></st1:State>.<o:p></o:p></=
p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Bill Strand<font color=3Dnavy><span =
style=3D'color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

</div>

</body>

</html>

------=_NextPart_000_000B_01C3C16E.886416D0--