[Vision2020] So, Is Moscow ready for a reservoir?
Matt Decker
mattd2107 at hotmail.com
Wed Oct 11 23:00:41 PDT 2006
Mark,
Instead of the Snake, what about the palouse river, as councilman Lambert
has suggested?
Also, since you gave a deadline on the Wanapum being dry within 15-25 years,
how long for the Grand rhonde?
Thanks
Matt
>From: Mark Solomon <msolomon at moscow.com>
>To: Jerry Weitz <gweitz at moscow.com>, Joe Campbell <joekc at adelphia.net>,
> Nils Peterson <nils_peterson at wsu.edu>
>CC: "vision2020 at moscow.com" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] So, Is Moscow ready for a reservoir?
>Date: Tue, 10 Oct 2006 22:21:24 -0700
>
>Jerry,
>
>That's more than a "couple" but I'll try to
>answer where I can. A reservoir would ideally be
>sited where it is a gravity flow from the site to
>town to minimize energy needs. That would screen
>to the S. Fk or Paradise Creek sub-watersheds.
>The S. Fk has a lot more upland area for
>watershed collection so that would be my first
>glance cut. Again, ideally, there would then be a
>landowner who is willing to sell their land to
>the city for a just price. Eminent domain could
>be used and would not be affected by Prop 2.
>Public/private partnerships are certainly
>possible although development of homes is
>probably not a good idea for water quality
>reasons. No idea on grants although as I said
>during the Critical Groundwater Management Area
>petition times, designation as a CGMA would give
>a solid basis for grant proposal applications.
>I've suggested for the last year that there could
>be a partnership with Pullman for reservoir
>development. Pumping from the Snake is very
>costly without even thinking of the ESA hurdles
>that would be encountered.
>
>Mark
>
>At 10:06 PM -0700 10/10/06, Jerry Weitz wrote:
> >Mark, a couple of questions: Where do you think
> >the "ideal" location of a reservoir would be?
> >If Proposition 2 succeeds, how would this bode
> >out for the reservoir? Is there a possibility
> >of having a public/private partnership where the
> >public owns the reservoir and the shoreline
> >would have homes to help mitigate the costs?
> >Are there grants available and would Moscow
> >qualify? Could Moscow and Pullman be partners?
> >Can the Palouse river or Snake river be used?
> >Thanks Jerry
> >
> >At 12:59 PM 10/10/06, Mark Solomon wrote:
> >> >From today's Daily News. Please note there is a
> >>significant reporter error in the statement
> >>attributed to me re the Grande Ronde going dry in
> >>10-20 years. I specifically referred in my
> >>presentation to the Wanapum and the time frame I
> >>forecast was 15-25 years based on historical well
> >>levels when Moscow relied entirely on the Wanapum
> >>aquifers. We now pull 30% of total demand from
> >>the Wanapum, an amount very close to the volume
> >>pumped in Moscow during the 40's and 50's with
> >>its then smaller population.
> >>
> >>Mark
> >>
> >>********
> >>
> >>MCA panelists: Moscow reservoir may make sense
> >>
> >>Group of five agrees that feasibility study needed before further
>discussion
> >>
> >>By Ryan Bentley, Daily News staff writer
> >>Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - Page Updated at 12:07:07 PM
> >>
> >>Moscow resident Kit Craine believes elected
> >>officials must push forward and find a secure
> >>source of water for the area.
> >>
> >>She said people won't seriously push for an
> >>alternative source of water until they wake up
> >>one morning and don't have any water to take a
> >>shower.
> >>
> >>Mark Solomon, coordinator of the Latah County
> >>Hydrogeologic Project and an area water advocate,
> >>said if people in Moscow wake up with dry pipes,
> >>it's too late.
> >>
> >>Solomon was one of five panelists at a Moscow
> >>Civic Association forum on an alternate community
> >>water source Monday night at the 1912 Center.
> >>
> >>The panelists agreed at the end of the meeting
> >>that before anyone started digging a reservoir, a
> >>feasibility study must be completed and reviewed.
> >>
> >>Gary Riedner, Moscow city supervisor, said a way
> >>to pay for a new reservoir has to be identified.
> >>State and federal grants need to be sought before
> >>bonds or rate hikes are floated toward residents.
> >>
> >>He said Moscow has $50,000 specifically budgeted
> >>to identify additional water sources, and that
> >>money could potentially be used to help pay for a
> >>feasibility study.
> >>
> >>None of the panelists had any firm idea of how much a reservoir would
>cost.
> >>
> >>Jerry Fairley, a University of Idaho assistant
> >>professor of hydrogeology, said a reservoir must
> >>be looked at as a long-term investment to keep
> >>the area alive.
> >>
> >>Solomon pointed to Troy as an example. Its water
> >>supply comes from a reservoir and it is looking
> >>at expanding its existing supply to meet demand
> >>and plan for future growth. Troy has pursued
> >>applications and permits over the last four
> >>years, and it has started to seriously look at
> >>payment options in the last year.
> >>
> >>Solomon said a reservoir that would meet Moscow's
> >>needs would have to hold about 300 million
> >>gallons of water, roughly double the size of
> >>Spring Valley Reservoir.
> >>
> >>Solomon said if something is not done within the
> >>next 10 to 20 years, Moscow could see water
> >>levels plummet and wells begin to run dry in the
> >>Grande Ronde aquifer the same way it witnessed
> >>levels drop in the Wanupum aquifer in the 1950s
> >>and '60s.
> >>
> >>Steve Robischon, executive manager of the Palouse
> >>Basin Aquifer Committee, said PBAC is an advisory
> >>committee and does not have an opinion on the
> >>matter. He said the idea of building a reservoir
> >>that would retain runoff isn't new.
> >>
> >>The only current source of water for Moscow and
> >>Pullman is the two aquifer systems. The Wanupum
> >>is a shallow aquifer, while the Grande Ronde is a
> >>deep aquifer that provides most of the cities'
> >>municipal water.
> >>
> >>Robischon said groundwater levels have continued
> >>to fall since the first recording in 1897. The
> >>reservoir idea has popped up several times since,
> >>but each time the discussion has died down before
> >>any serious research was done.
> >>
> >>Aside from the obvious problem of how to pay for
> >>a reservoir, there is the question of where it
> >>would be located.
> >>
> >>Fairley said the most logical place would be
> >>somewhere on the western slopes of Moscow
> >>Mountain, where engineers could use the
> >>granitic-rock base as a type of liner.
> >>
> >>Moscow would experience an immediate positive
> >>impact, and Pullman and other well owners in the
> >>Palouse Basin would benefit from Moscow pulling
> >>less water from the aquifer systems.
> >>
> >>For a potential reservoir to be successful, the
> >>panelists agreed that Moscow and Latah County
> >>have to work with the rest of the region.
> >>
> >>Dianne French, board member of the Palouse Water
> >>Conservation Network, said people must conserve
> >>in the interim. That doesn't necessarily mean
> >>turning off the faucet.
> >>
> >>She said sincere conservation could cause
> >>stabilization in the aquifers. As an example, she
> >>pointed to Seattle, where the city uses the same
> >>amount of water it did in the 1970s despite the
> >>fact its population has doubled.
> >>
> >>French said simple things like faucet aerators
> >>and more-complicated systems that use effluent
> >>water for lawns and gardens can save communities
> >>millions of gallons a year.
> >>
> >>"There are no more water sources in the ground,"
> >>Solomon said. "All that's left is what falls from
> >>the sky, and we need to figure out a way to keep
> >>some of that."
> >>
> >>Ryan Bentley can be reached at (208) 882-5561,
> >>ext. 237, or by e-mail at rbentley at dnews.com.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>This electronic edition of the Daily News is
> >>protected by copyright. © 2006 Daily News
> >>
> >>
> >>At 7:35 AM -0700 10/10/06, Joe Campbell wrote:
> >>>It was a wonderful meeting, Nils! I want to
> >>>thank the panelists: Jerry Fairley, Dianne
> >>>French, Gary Riedner, Steve Robischon, and Mark
> >>>Solomon. They all did a wonderful job and I
> >>>learned a lot!
> >>>
> >>>Hopefully Mark or someone else who attended the
> >>>meeting can note some of the highlights. Water
> >>>is not exactly my area of specialization!
> >>>
> >>>--
> >>>Joe Campbell
> >>>
> >>>---- Nils Peterson <nils_peterson at wsu.edu> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>=============
> >>>I was sorry to miss the meeting last night. Of the major agenda items
>facing
> >>>the city, starting to develop a long range plan for water is about the
>top
> >>>of my list.
> >>>
> >>>I'd like to hear some of the thinking that got presented. I've heard
>that
> >>>there might be a candidate location on the Mountain, which was
>identified a
> >>>few years ago.
> >>>
> >>>=======================================================
> >>> List services made available by First Step Internet,
> >>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> >>> http://www.fsr.net
> >>> mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> >>>=======================================================
> >>
> >>
> >>=======================================================
> >> List services made available by First Step Internet,
> >> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> >> http://www.fsr.net
> >> mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> >>=======================================================
>
>
>=======================================================
> List services made available by First Step Internet,
> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> http://www.fsr.net
> mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>=======================================================
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