Members Attendance

VISITORS:  Bill French, interested Citizen & PWCN; Farida Leek, graduate student, WSU; Hanxue Oiu, post-doctorate, WSU; Kathleen Warnick, interested Citizen; Joan Wu, Professor, WSU.

 

1)      Call to Order and Approval of March 27, 2003 Minutes
Mark Workman, PBAC Chair, called the meeting to order at 2:35 PM.  The minutes of the March 27, 2003 meeting were approved by consensus.

2)      Long-Term Ground-Water Hydrograph Analysis for the Palouse Basin Aquifers
Farida Leek summarized in a Power Point presentation her initial findings from plotting and analyzing the data from previous studies.   Water level data were plotted against precipitation, cumulative precipitation, pumping and cumulative pumping.  She briefly mentioned key Palouse Basin studies from Russell’s in 1897 to the present.   The summary plots were helpful visual aids for showing what is happening to water levels in various parts of the basin and in the different aquifers.  The downward hydraulic gradient from the perched water tables in the Loess to the Wanapum to the Grande Ronde aquifer system was clearly depicted in a composite of water levels plotted for the 3 aquifer systems.  The consistent drop in water levels in the Pullman area was much clearer than in the Moscow area where the fall appeared much more subdued.  Farida, Joan Wu and Hanxue Oiu will continue to plot and analyze historical data.  They are starting to build a GIS database with the hydrogeological data they are collecting and plan to construct a two dimensional model across the basin.

3)      PBAC Intergovernmental Agreement
Mark Workman stated that everyone was close to agreement on a final draft of the intergovernmental agreement.  The document is now set up so that smaller communities and the counties can have one vote by paying membership fees of $2000 annually and a second vote is available to all by paying the $8000 now assessed the major pumpers.  He requested that all comments be turned in to him by April 30.  Mark said he needs a contact person and mailing address for each participating entity.

4)      By Laws
Mark asked committee members to review the by laws handout and get back to him with comments. 
 

5)      Revised “Description of Palouse Basin Ground Water Availability” to be handed out by IDWR & DOE to non-residential applicants for PBAC
The committee decided to review it for another month.

6)      Naylor Farm Update 
Mark Workman reported that he, Mark Cook and Naylor Farm representatives have reached agreement on all items in the proposed protocol except who should have the final say in interpreting disputed results, IDWR or another party such as a consultant.  Discussions are still going on concerning this final item. 

7)      Reports and Announcements
The new WSU Well
A five-foot plus thickness of river rock at 780 feet has caused problems for the driller, Geotech.  A change was made from direct air to reverse air to avoid cobble blocking the pipe.  Caving and sluffing, however, have continued to be a problem.  The plan now is to temporarily case off this section so that drilling can continue below the river bed which is a very good producing zone.
WSU hopes to have the well in operation by this coming fall.

Kirkland announced that the UI Arboretum Associates are having Jim Knopf of Boulder, Colorado speak on ‘xeriscaping’ at their annual meet this evening.  Mr. Knopf is a landscape architect  who has designed many xeriscape and native plant gardens as well as writing several books on the subject.

8)      NEXT MEETING DATE

The meeting was adjourned by consensus.

Respectfully Submitted,

Larry Kirkland

Note: these minutes are submitted in draft form and have not yet been approved by the Committee.