[Vision2020] A few facts about Palouse water

Dale Courtney dale@courtneys.us
Fri, 18 Jul 2003 16:17:24 -0700


This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_019E_01C34D48.12FDE8C0
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

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
=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=
=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=
=AF=AF=AF


------=_NextPart_000_019E_01C34D48.12FDE8C0
Content-Type: text/html;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META HTTP-EQUIV=3D"Content-Type" CONTENT=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Diso-8859-1">
<TITLE>Message</TITLE>

<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2800.1170" name=3DGENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<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>&nbsp;</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>&nbsp;</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>&nbsp;</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>&nbsp;</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).&nbsp; The UI golf course uses recycled effluent =
water--not water=20
  pumped from the aquifer.&nbsp; The Elks golf course has its own well =
that=20
  pumps from the recharging upper aquifer.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; Take a fine emotional =
issue=20
    that we can rant and rave about and inject facts into it!&nbsp; Fie =
upon=20
    this so-called "Geologist"!&nbsp; What is that anyway?&nbsp; =
Something like=20
    a geomancer?&nbsp; She's a wizard!&nbsp; 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-&nbsp; 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
    =
=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=
=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=
=AF=AF=AF</P></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_019E_01C34D48.12FDE8C0--