Members ATtendance

VISITORS:  John Bush, UI Professor Geological Sciences; Angie Petersen, Drinking Water Analyst, ID DEQ; Kathleen Warnick, interested citizen.
 

1)      Call to Order and Approval of July 17, 2003 Minutes
Jay Becker, the new PBAC Chair for fiscal year 2004, called the meeting to order at 2:30 PM.  The corrected minutes of the July 17, 2003 meeting were approved by consensus.

2)      Administrative Items
Becker requested that a number of non-agenda administrative items be taken up first. 
Jay discussed the need to get help to catch up on the major administrative tasks including the annual report and the PBAC webpage.  He suggested getting a student to help with the reports and a webpage. 
With regard to requests for talks and information, Steve Busch recommended that these requests be run by the chair, Becker, and Becker set the priorities for dealing with them.
It was also suggested that the two Cities have a water summit or information presentation similar to one held in the past to discuss topics of interest and answer questions from the public in one concentrated session.
A number of other suggestions were made for being more effective in getting information out including a prepared local ground water presentation that anyone could run through.
Barney Waldrop moved and Workman seconded that the chair and executive secretary work together to readjust priorities so that the big issues can be completed.  Passed unanimously. The Committee briefly discussed highlighting the accomplishments and progress of the past year.  Becker asked entities to present accomplishments to the executive secretary for inclusion in the next annual report.
Intergovernmental Agreement:  Mark Workman said Moscow is the last entity that needs to sign the agreement and Moscow now has the signed copies of the agreement.  Tom Scallorn said he expected Moscow to officially sign the agreement shortly.  The signed copies will be available to all entities by the next meeting.

3)      Consideration of Making Allowance for Shallow Aquifer Pumping in the 1% Agreement
Kirkland said this was an appropriate time to revisit this topic which he has brought before PBAC several times before.  Since the shallow or Wanapum aquifer system is receiving recharge in excess of what is currently being withdrawn from it, any diversion of pumping from the deep aquifer, which is not being adequately recharged, is in the best interest of all parties.  The issue is complicated since UI and Moscow are the only pumping entities that have ready access to the shallow aquifer system.  However, there is a cost premium involved since extracting more shallow aquifer water will require new wells, possibly additional water treatment and new infrastructure.  Although the voluntary agreement to hold pumping increases to 1% or less in order to stabilize the deep aquifer water levels is now known to be based on a false paradigm, limiting deep aquifer pumping is needed now more than ever since the new paradigm say deep aquifer water levels will only be stabilized if sufficient recharge is added to the deep aquifer system.  Thus it behooves the entities to reduce the amount of deep aquifer pumping in order to minimize the amount of recharge that must be added to stabilize the deep aquifer water levels.
Kirkland proposed that a discount rule for use of shallow aquifer water be recognized in calculating total pumping in order to encourage pumping entities to switch as much pumping as possible from the deep aquifer to the recharging shallow aquifer.   Steve Busch, Moscow’s council representative, acknowledged that the timing was not the best for Moscow to be pushing for such a rule since Moscow’s total pumping is over the 1% limit for the past several years and just under the 125% ceiling.  However, Moscow has been pumping increasing amounts of shallow aquifer water, now up to about 30% of total pumping, which makes its deep aquifer pumping look comparatively good. 
Several different accounting options were mentioned but no action was taken to change the accounting procedure.  It appeared there was general recognition that the original intent of the 1% agreement no longer applies.  The topic will be reviewed at a future meeting.

4)      Moscow Water Conservation Considerations
Kirkland briefly reviewed the recent challenge to the City of Moscow by a coalition of groups desiring to see increased water conservation adequate to bring Moscow’s total water use under the 1% agreement level.  To accomplish this, Moscow needs to reduce its water use by at least 90 million gallons over the next several years.  The coalition has also talked to the University of Idaho, which is below the initial 5 year moving pumping average and significantly below the 1% pumping increase projection, about reducing water use.  And it has discussed talking to the City of Pullman and WSU about reducing deep aquifer pumping.  Moscow now has software which allows it to track water use by user categories and the water department is more aggressively encouraging water conservation.  However, due to the hot, dry summer and only voluntary limits on daily water use, pumping is up in Moscow for the summer months.  The coalition has threatened to request that the Idaho Department of Water Resources take over local water management and mandate strict pumping limits and conservation in Moscow where efforts have only been voluntary to this point. 
Steve Busch reviewed some of the planning Moscow is now doing to determine what is the best way to increase water conservation in Moscow.  He also suggested that PBAC consider viewing the totality of the Moscow-Pullman area as one community for water pumping and use purposes.   Several times the issue of growth was raise and whether the accounting might be adjusted for growth.  No action was taken.  This topic will be considered further at a future meeting with the related previous topic of water accounting.

5)      Continued Discussion of PBAC Goals for FY 2004
Kirkland presented a request for $8000 from Keller and Osiensky to complete the necessary water sampling work for the basin.   Kirkland previously thought this work could be done as part of the $25,000 project evaluating potential recharge areas and passive drainage well sites.  Even though the information will be helpful to the latter evaluation, the sampling work is being done by different people and needs to be a focused effort completed in the near future.  Kirkland proposed that the water sampling work be broken out as a separate project of $8000.  The recharge sites study can then be reduced to $20,000.   However, this necessitates authorizing an additional $3000 in expenditures, which PBAC has.  By consensus it was agreed as long as formal proposals are brought to PBAC clearly spelling out deliverables.

6)      Naylor Farm Update 
Workman said the two Cities have sent letters to IDWR stating their willingness to withdraw their protests if Naylor Farms and IDWR also agree to the protocol in the letters.   Naylor Farm has not as yet acknowledged agreement to the protocol to IDWR.  Nor has Naylor Farm turned in the information required by IDWR on surrounding well locations, business practices and best use of water practices.  IDWR has also recognized Latah and Whitman Counties and two citizens as interveners.  These will also have to agree to the protocol; otherwise, the water right issue will go to a hearing before IDWR.

7)      WSU Well # 8 Pump-test  
Kirkland reported that the WSU well # 8 pump-test was finally completed but only after additional difficulties resulting from a collapsed drainage pipe.  The tests indicated a very productive well, substantiating previous testing.  No final data are yet available on the impact of the pumping test on surrounding wells.  Erik Stern showed Kirkland the plot for the DOE test well, which seemed to indicate no impact.  Erik is in the process of downloading data from other loggers.  A further report will be made when these data are analyzed.

8)      Kirkland introduced Angie Petersen, the Drinking Water Analyst from Idaho DEQ in Lewiston, who has taken over Hudson Mann’s responsibilities in the area of ground water.  Kirkland and Petersen will discuss options for funding the previously proposed joint well water quality study and report back to PBAC.

 

9)      NEXT MEETING DATE

The meeting was adjourned by consensus.

Respectfully Submitted,

Larry Kirkland