[Vision2020] A few facts about Palouse water
Dale Courtney
dale@courtneys.us
Fri, 18 Jul 2003 16:17:24 -0700
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Bill,
=20
That doesn't cut it for an answer. The issue is not how much water is or
should be going to water golf courses.=20
=20
The question is -- is the total amount of water of the two aquifers =
falling?
Or is it just the deep aquifer that is lowering?=20
=20
Please answer that one question.=20
=20
Best,
Dale
-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com] =
On
Behalf Of Bill London
Sent: Friday, 18 July, 2003 16:22
To: David Camden-Britton
Cc: vision2020@moscow.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] A few facts about Palouse water
Please do not be so quick to assume that Elsa Peters is injecting fact =
into
this discussion of aquifers (in her letter reprinted below).=20
Elsa Peters reflects her own biases more than facts in her letter about =
the
aquifer.=20
She asserts that more water is pumped from the aquifer for golf courses =
than
is used in the ever-expanding number of homes (each with toilets, lawns,
sinks, etc). The UI golf course uses recycled effluent water--not water
pumped from the aquifer. The Elks golf course has its own well that =
pumps
from the recharging upper aquifer. The homes in Moscow rely on water =
pumped
from the deep wells that are, in fact, dropping more than a foot in =
depth
annually.=20
Concern for this diminishing aquifer source is not an irrational fear, =
it's
just common sense.=20
BL=20
David Camden-Britton wrote:=20
Great... Nice. Take a fine emotional issue that we can rant and rave =
about
and inject facts into it! Fie upon this so-called "Geologist"! What is
that anyway? Something like a geomancer? She's a wizard! Yes!=20
PS: Thanks for the post, Dale.=20
At 06:45 PM 7/17/2003 -0700, you wrote:=20
A few facts about Palouse water=20
It's a nice change of pace to see Wayne Olson's letter to the editor
(Opinion, July 9) asking for facts, not rhetoric, about "our aquifer."=20
First fact: There are at least two aquifers below Pullman and Moscow. =
There
may be more, but two are known to all drillers and geologists in the =
area.=20
Second fact: The water level of the upper (more shallow) aquifer is not
dropping at all. Indeed, water levels in the upper aquifer have done =
nothing
but rise in my lifetime (I'm 43).=20
Third fact: The water levels near Moscow-Pullman city wells in the lower
aquifer are dropping. That statement, however, does not imply that the =
water
levels farther away are dropping (it's a huge aquifer) nor does it imply
that we "will run out" of water in the lower aquifer. Ask another =
geologist
if you don't care to believe me on these points.=20
Fourth fact: Most water used in both Moscow and Pullman during the =
summer is
not consumed by "new housing developments," a favorite target of members =
of
the Moscow Civic Association (most of whom, of course, were new arrivals =
on
the Palouse themselves some years back). Most water used in the summer =
goes
to watering golf courses, not to flushing the toilets of new city =
residents.
More facts and less fear could greatly help move our public discussion =
of
water use forward. Thanks, Wayne, for asking.=20
Elsa Kirsten Peters=20
Pullman
David Camden-Britton -=3D)*(=3D- davidcb@acm.org
_____________________________________________________ List services made
available by First Step Internet, serving the communities of the Palouse
since 1994. http://www.fsr.net mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
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<DIV><SPAN class=3D161401523-18072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#800000 =
size=3D2>Bill,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D161401523-18072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#800000 =
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D161401523-18072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#800000 =
size=3D2>That=20
doesn't cut it for an answer. The issue is not how much water is or =
should be=20
going to water golf courses. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D161401523-18072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#800000 =
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D161401523-18072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#800000 =
size=3D2>The=20
question is -- is the <U>total</U> amount of water of the two aquifers =
falling?=20
Or is it <U>just</U> the deep aquifer that is lowering? =
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D161401523-18072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#800000 =
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D161401523-18072003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#800000 =
size=3D2>Please=20
answer that one question. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#800000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#800000><FONT size=3D2><FONT=20
face=3DArial>Best,</FONT><BR></FONT><FONT face=3D"Vladimir Script"=20
size=3D5>Dale</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #800000 2px =
solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader lang=3Den-us dir=3Dltr =
align=3Dleft><FONT=20
face=3DTahoma size=3D2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>=20
vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com] <B>On =
Behalf=20
Of </B>Bill London<BR><B>Sent:</B> Friday, 18 July, 2003 =
16:22<BR><B>To:</B>=20
David Camden-Britton<BR><B>Cc:</B> =
vision2020@moscow.com<BR><B>Subject:</B>=20
Re: [Vision2020] A few facts about Palouse =
water<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>Please do=20
not be so quick to assume that Elsa Peters is injecting fact into this =
discussion of aquifers (in her letter reprinted below). <BR>Elsa =
Peters=20
reflects her own biases more than facts in her letter about the =
aquifer.=20
<BR>She asserts that more water is pumped from the aquifer for golf =
courses=20
than is used in the ever-expanding number of homes (each with toilets, =
lawns,=20
sinks, etc). The UI golf course uses recycled effluent =
water--not water=20
pumped from the aquifer. The Elks golf course has its own well =
that=20
pumps from the recharging upper aquifer. The homes in Moscow =
rely on=20
water pumped from the deep wells that are, in fact, dropping more than =
a foot=20
in depth annually. <BR>Concern for this diminishing aquifer source is =
not an=20
irrational fear, it's just common sense. <BR>BL=20
<P>David Camden-Britton wrote:=20
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=3D"CITE">Great... Nice. Take a fine emotional =
issue=20
that we can rant and rave about and inject facts into it! Fie =
upon=20
this so-called "Geologist"! What is that anyway? =
Something like=20
a geomancer? She's a wizard! Yes!=20
<P>PS: Thanks for the post, Dale.=20
<P>At 06:45 PM 7/17/2003 -0700, you wrote:=20
<BLOCKQUOTE class=3Dcite cite=3D"" type=3D"cite"><B><FONT =
color=3D#800000>A few=20
facts about Palouse water</FONT></B>=20
<P><FONT color=3D#800000>It's a nice change of pace to see Wayne =
Olson's=20
letter to the editor (Opinion, July 9) asking for facts, not =
rhetoric,=20
about "our aquifer."</FONT>=20
<P><FONT color=3D#800000>First fact: There are at least two =
aquifers below=20
Pullman and Moscow. There may be more, but two are known to all =
drillers=20
and geologists in the area.</FONT>=20
<P><FONT color=3D#800000>Second fact: The water level of the upper =
(more=20
shallow) aquifer is not dropping at all. Indeed, water levels in =
the upper=20
aquifer have done nothing but rise in my lifetime (I'm 43).</FONT> =
<P><FONT color=3D#800000>Third fact: The water levels near =
Moscow-Pullman=20
city wells in the lower aquifer are dropping. That statement, =
however,=20
does not imply that the water levels farther away are dropping =
(it's a=20
huge aquifer) nor does it imply that we "will run out" of water in =
the=20
lower aquifer. Ask another geologist if you don't care to believe =
me on=20
these points.</FONT>=20
<P><FONT color=3D#800000>Fourth fact: Most water used in both =
Moscow and=20
Pullman during the summer is not consumed by "new housing =
developments," a=20
favorite target of members of the Moscow Civic Association (most =
of whom,=20
of course, were new arrivals on the Palouse themselves some years =
back).=20
Most water used in the summer goes to watering golf courses, not =
to=20
flushing the toilets of new city residents.</FONT>=20
<P><FONT color=3D#800000>More facts and less fear could greatly =
help move=20
our public discussion of water use forward. Thanks, Wayne, for=20
asking.</FONT>=20
<P><FONT color=3D#800000>Elsa Kirsten Peters</FONT>=20
<P><FONT color=3D#800000>Pullman</FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE><X-SIGSEP>
<P></X-SIGSEP><FONT face=3D"Courier New, Courier">David =
Camden-Britton=20
-=3D)*(=3D- davidcb@acm.org</FONT>=20
_____________________________________________________ List services =
made=20
available by First Step Internet, serving the communities of the =
Palouse=20
since 1994. <A href=3D"http://www.fsr.net">http://www.fsr.net</A> <A =
=
href=3D"mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com</A>=20
=
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=AF=AF=AF</P></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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