[Vision2020] Water Concern?

Thu Oct 18 19:36:42 PDT 2007

Interesting. If the incumbent candidates you favor are so concerned (and "responsible") with water usage in Moscow, unlike their challengers, why did the city of Moscow not follow its own regulations for lawn watering? The grass (and sidewalks) around city hall sure received more than its fair share of water as did gormley mtn. view and east city park. Why do they continually favor the dedication of additional park land? Land which, like the golf course in Pullman, will require huge amounts of water to maintain. I have not heard the candidates your organization endorses make any resolutions to address the water issues in Moscow other than in the form of anti-growth anti-business rhetoric. If it's outrageous to want to have a green lawn and an aesthetically pleasant and restful cemetery why not apply the same standard to city property? (300 sq. ft. of xeriscape at the 1912 bldg. excepted, of course.) I believe that as far as the MCA candidates are concerned the water issue is a tool first and a genuine concern a distant second.

g
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Bruce and Jean Livingston 
  To: g. crabtree ; vision2020 at moscow.com ; Mark Solomon 
  Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2007 5:20 PM
  Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Water Concern?

  Gary says, while discussing Mark's suggestion that the Wanapum aquifer likely will be in crisis mode in 15-20 years:
    "Could be 50-75 years, could be 115-120 years? Could be we really don't know 
    for sure? Could be that Krauss, Carscallen, and Steed have as firm a handle 
    on the water situation as any of the MCA candidates do."
  Not so, Gary.  The GMA candidates are "ostriches" with their collective heads in the sand.  And they are very poor stewards of the environment. 

  I think if you follow the usage curves for when the Wanapum got depleted once before, our current usage curves and increase in number of wells going dry shows that we are going down the same path and very likely going to be facing the "crisis" referenced by Mark in about 15-20 years (not the century or more that you speculate) -- unless we do something to curb usage of the Wanapum.  We had to do this once before, more than 40 years ago, when we essentially stopped pumping the Wanapum in the City of Moscow  because the Wanapum was going dry.  We (City of Moscow) punched a well into the Grand Ronde aquifer and started pumping it, instead, which allowed the Wanapum to re-charge.   We started drawing on the Wanapum again, more recently (80s?), and the usage is tracking what went on in the first half to mid-20th century.

  I have several nearby friends within a mile of Moscow whose wells have gone dry this year.  It is fact, not a mirage or doomsaying, and the failure of the GMA candidates to learn from history while they watch it repeat itself is quite remarkable.  I would suggest that it shows just how foolhardy they are, and I really get a kick out of those GMA PAC ads showing swimmers splashing around in lots of water, while their candidates essentially say "use more and grow green lawns," and "don't worry about frittering it away; since Pullman is, we should too."

  That race to consume, just like WSU's decision to throw 50 million gallons on a golf course, is environmentally irresponsible conduct of a very high order.  GMA candidates don't chastise Pullman for that; they instead assert that we shouldn't bother to conserve and not have green lawns, since they're not conserving  across the border in Pullman and at WSU.  

  I'll take the more responsible attitude of the MCA candidates.  No surprise there, of course.  

  We'll  watch out for our water.  We'll protect property rights and value in doing so, while protecting neighborhoods and encouraging development that creates real jobs that drive an economy, not just retail and housing.  

  http://www.moscowcivic.org/

  And we will continue to do responsible things that are good for the City of Moscow, like opposing the Naylor Farms strip mining project, unlike the GMA.  

  Bruce

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: "g. crabtree" <jampot at roadrunner.com>
  To: "Joe Campbell" <joekc at adelphia.net>; <vision2020 at moscow.com>; "Mark Solomon" <msolomon at moscow.com>
  Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2007 3:33 PM
  Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Water Concern?

  >I assume the statement that includes "...regarding
  > the upper aquifer which if continued to be pumped at current levels could be 
  > in crisis as soon as 15-20 years from now." is couched that way to leave 
  > room for the obvious corollary?
  > 
  > Could be 50-75 years, could be 115-120 years? Could be we really don't know 
  > for sure? Could be that Krauss, Carscallen, and Steed have as firm a handle 
  > on the water situation as any of the MCA candidates do.
  > 
  > g
  > ----- Original Message ----- 
  > From: "Mark Solomon" <msolomon at moscow.com>
  > To: "Joe Campbell" <joekc at adelphia.net>; <vision2020 at moscow.com>
  > Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2007 2:34 PM
  > Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Water Concern?
  > 
  > 
  >> I'd suggest the GMA candidates do some homework and actually read
  >> some of the studies/reports on our aquifer, particularly regarding
  >> the upper aquifer which if continued to be pumped at current levels
  >> could be in crisis as soon as 15-20 years from now. That aquifer
  >> currently supplies 30% of Moscow's water.
  >>
  >> m.
  >>
  >> At 11:51 AM -0700 10/18/07, Joe Campbell wrote:
  >>>  >From the Johnson article noted above:
  >>>
  >>>"I think it's been used as a way to stop growth in our town and I
  >>>don't think that's a great idea," Carscallen said of the water issue.
  >>>
  >>>"We don't have a water emergency. I think most of us can agree to
  >>>that," said Krauss. "We could have, at the least, 200 years of water
  >>>left. ... But right now, folks, I'm just really tired of seeing all
  >>>our yards just burned up, including the cemetery."
  >>>
  >>>"I know that there are people who believe that we should be
  >>>showering with 5-gallon buckets, to flush our toilets with when we
  >>>get through," said Steed. "And I really don't want to live that way."
  >>>
  >>>Carscallen, Krauss and Ste! ed are all endorsed by the GMA.
  >>>
  >>>--
  >>>Joe Campbell
  >>
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  > 
  > 
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