[Vision2020] A few facts about Palouse water
Bill London
london@moscow.com
Fri, 18 Jul 2003 16:21:48 -0700
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Please do not be so quick to assume that Elsa Peters is injecting fact
into this discussion of aquifers (in her letter reprinted below).
Elsa Peters reflects her own biases more than facts in her letter about
the aquifer.
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.
Concern for this diminishing aquifer source is not an irrational fear,
it's just common sense.
BL
David Camden-Britton wrote:
> 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!
>
> PS: Thanks for the post, Dale.
>
> At 06:45 PM 7/17/2003 -0700, you wrote:
>
>> A few facts about Palouse water
>>
>> 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."
>>
>> 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.
>>
>> 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).
>>
>> 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.
>>
>> 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.
>>
>> Elsa Kirsten Peters
>>
>> Pullman
>
> David Camden-Britton -=)*(=- davidcb@acm.org
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Please do 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 reflects her own biases more than facts in her letter about
the aquifer.
<br>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.
<br>Concern for this diminishing aquifer source is not an irrational fear,
it's just common sense.
<br>BL
<p>David Camden-Britton wrote:
<blockquote TYPE=CITE>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!
<p>PS: Thanks for the post, Dale.
<p>At 06:45 PM 7/17/2003 -0700, you wrote:
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite><b><font color="#800000">A few facts
about Palouse water</font></b>
<p><font color="#800000">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."</font>
<p><font color="#800000">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.</font>
<p><font color="#800000">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).</font>
<p><font color="#800000">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.</font>
<p><font color="#800000">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.</font>
<p><font color="#800000">More facts and less fear could greatly help move
our public discussion of water use forward. Thanks, Wayne, for asking.</font>
<p><font color="#800000">Elsa Kirsten Peters</font>
<p><font color="#800000">Pullman</font></blockquote>
<x-sigsep>
<p></x-sigsep><font face="Courier New, Courier">David Camden-Britton -=)*(=-
davidcb@acm.org</font> _____________________________________________________
List services made available by First Step Internet, serving the communities
of the Palouse since 1994. <A HREF="http://www.fsr.net">http://www.fsr.net</A> <A HREF="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com</A>
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