[Vision2020] Water thinking

[Tim Lohrmann]

Mark's post below made me wonder again about the Palouse water situation.
  The official thinking/policy on our water supply and possible need for conservation sure seems to be "all over the map" around the area.
   
  On one hand The City of Moscow seems to believe that the situation is critical so we need water use restrictions, conservation planning and etc. 
  But at the same time they are apparently going ahead with the ball fields project on Palouse River Drive that will require an estimated 5.8 million gallons of water per year for irrigation. 
   
  Don't get me wrong, baseball is awesome.
  Kids playing baseball is even awesomer, if I can use that word. 
   
  But shouldn't we determine if we can really spare the water first?
  I mean as much as I love baseball, I'd rather the kids have enough to drink, bathe and wash clothes. 
  You know, cover the basics first. 

  Then over in Pullman we have WSU building a new 18-hole golf course. 
  I don't know how much water that's going to require, but I'm sure it's a heckuva lot. 
  It's sort of the same sit. as the ball-fields project only maybe more so. 
   
  So what gives?
  Do the leaders really think our water shortage is critical? 
  Or do we really have plenty to grow grass for fun? 
   
  Just curious,
  TL
   
   
   
   
   
  "Those 'technicalities' have a name, Bobby. They're called the Bill of Rights."
                                                                            ----Hank Hill
   
   
    

Mark Solomon <msolomon at moscow.com> wrote:
  See the article below to see and example of the sudden chaos that
could happen here if we don't address our diminishing water supply.

Mark
********
June 12 Rocky Barker's blog: State poised to dry thousands of acres of crops
By Rocky Barker - Idaho Statesman
Edition Date: 06/12/07

Idaho Department of Water Resources Director David Tuthill will earn
his money this week.

A judge dismissed the lawsuit of groundwater users last week and
lifted the restraining order over Tuthill and he told more than 700
waterusers Friday he was prepared to carry through his curtailment
order this week. If he does that then 33,000 acres of crops already
planted could be dried up this year.

He will tell a Legislative interim committee what he's going to do
this morning. He has a real quandary. The groundwater users want him
to grant them a hearing before proceeding with the curtailment so
they can make their case that the two fish producers have not been
injured as much as they say they have by the groundwater pumping of
the Eastern Snake Plain aquifer.

But the senior water users, the fish producers, are telling Tuthill
to do the curtailment first and only then grant the hearing. If he
calls the hearing they may go to court to force him to carry out the
curtailment order.

This all seems to be a lot of process but the stakes are high. Drying
up so much land could put hundreds of farmers out of business. They
would default on bank loans and leave towns and counties across the
northern Magic Valley with less tax revenue. State revenues also
could suffer.

On the other side, some fish producers already have suffered. Simple
mitigation - providing water purchased from reservoirs - can't be
delivered to them easier if at all in some cases. And the groundwater
users are competing with the Bureau of Reclamation for the reservoir
water that is available. They send it downriver to aid salmon under
the terms of the Nez Perce agreement and they pay more than the
groundwater users say they can afford.

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