Members ATtendance

VISITORS:  Bryony Hansen, Golder Associates; Kent Keller, Professor, WSU; Farida Leek, graduate student, WSU; Hanxue Qiu, post-doctorate, WSU.
 

1)      Call to Order and Approval of June 19, 2003 Minutes- Mark Workman, PBAC Chair, called the meeting to order at 2:36 PM.  The minutes of the June 19, 2003 meeting were approved by consensus.

2)     Continued Discussion of PBAC Goals for FY 2004- Kirkland reviewed PBAC’s three major goals: to insure a dependable, long-term water supply for the Palouse Basin region; to stabilize the Grande Ronde water levels by 2020 and to accomplish this in an economically efficient manner.   Due to the lack of natural recharge to the Grande Ronde aquifer system, PBAC will need to enhance and augment the minimal recharge reaching the Grande Ronde with water from the Wanapum aquifer system and/or surface water.  To accomplish this most efficiently will require locating the best recharge areas and evaluating one or more pilot recharge projects.  Identification and monitoring of the various aquifers in the Grande Ronde and Wanapum systems are needed to help identify the best recharge sites and assess what happens to the recharge on entering the Grande Ronde aquifer system.
Kirkland recommended that PBAC provide additional support to complete a well field into the Wanapum and Grande Ronde aquifer systems as a top priority.  The additional funds are necessary because Washington DOE will not permit a single hole, multilevel monitoring system, as originally envisioned and the extent of monitoring and water sample analysis needed is now know to be greater than originally envisioned in the OK project.  The preferred site is northwest of Moscow in a location on line with the dip between Angel Point and Kamiak Butte.  Results of the WSU well # 8 pump-test may influence the preferred location.

3)      PBAC Research Budget for FY 2004- To take the next step toward stabilizing the Grande Ronde aquifer system water levels and ensuring a sustained water supply for the Palouse Basin region, PBAC needs to continue its research of key unknowns.  After some additional discussion of the top priority projects (see handout: “Outline of Proposed PBAC Goals/Projects/Expenditures for FY2004 Starting in July, 2003” ) Jay Becker moved and Rob Corcoran seconded that UI be authorized to bill the four pumping entities: Moscow, Pullman, UI and WSU  $20,000 apiece for continued PBAC authorized research as outlined in the handout.  It was emphasized that for each project there needed to be a contract agreeing to the deliverables.  The motion passed unanimously.
   At the June PBAC meeting, the Committee authorized billings of $8000 each for the pumping entities: Moscow, Pullman, UI and WSU; and $2000 each for Whitman and Latah Counties for PBAC administration costs in FY2004.  By consensus it was also agreed that Colfax should now be billed since it had signed the intergovernmental agreement and joined PBAC.
   Informally it was also agreed that a provision of all future research contracts should be to provide all water level, water quality and other relevant data to the party in charge of entering data to the Palouse Basin GIS data base being started by Joan Wu, Farida Leek,  Hanxue Qiu and others.  

4)      Election of new PBAC Chair and Vice-Chair - After some discussion of what to do since the current vice-chair, Steve Busch, is leaving the Moscow City Council and PBAC, and how to balance the chair and vice-chair positions between the two states, Mark Workman moved that Jay Becker, UI, be elected chair and Rob Corcoran be elected vice-chair for the 2004 fiscal year.  Tom Townsend seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

5)      Intergovernmental Agreement- Mark Workman said the signature copies were still being circulated and he expected the last signatures to be added shortly.

6)     Moscow Water Conservation Considerations - This information item was skipped over.

7)      Naylor Farm Update - Workman and Kirkland gave a quick update on the status of the protocol and the supplemental information required of Naylor Farm LLC by IDWR.   Letters of approval of the protocol including withdrawal of protest subject to adoption of the protocol by IDWR are being presented to the Pullman and Moscow councils.  Final OK of the protocol by Naylor representatives to PDWR is also needed.
        Both Workman and Kirkland met with the Latah County Commissioners and County attorney to discuss PBAC issues and the County’s involvement as an intervener in the Naylor Farm water right application.  If both Latah and Whitman Counties approve the protocol agreed to by Pullman and Moscow, it will simplify the protest process before IDWR.  Both counties are reviewing the proposed protocol at this time.

8)      Reports and Announcements

a)  Pump-test of the new WSU Well - Kirkland reported that the planned pump-test of the new WSU well # 8 has been postponed until the first week in August.  A two day test is planned.  The first day will be pumping at a constant head.  The second day will involve a step test at increasing head.  Kirkland thanked WSU and all pumping entities for working together with Erik Stern and those helping with monitoring to take advantage of this valuable opportunity to check connectivity within the Palouse Basin.

b)   Anaconda Information from Wyoming Historical Society- Kirkland reported that Erik Stern spent some time at the Wyoming Historical Society in Cheyenne in June reviewing Anaconda drilling records for the Moscow area.  Erik copied many of the clay deposit drilling records, which should be helpful in identifying the top of the basalt flows in the area.  Unfortunately, no records of deep well drilling were found, even though several parties had expressed their belief that Anaconda had drilled at least one deep well.  Erik and Jim Osiensky will review the drilling records for helpful information.

 

9)      NEXT MEETING DATE

The meeting was adjourned by consensus.

Respectfully Submitted,

Larry Kirkland