September 21, 2000 Meeting Minutes
University of
Idaho, McClure Hall Rm. 411
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X |
UI: Larry Kirkland,
Facilities Engineer |
X |
WSU: Craig Benjamin
(Chair), Assistant Director of Facilities Operations |
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UI: Jay Becker
(Vice-Chair), Assistant Director, Utilities and Engineering |
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WSU: Robert Hengst,
Engineering Services Manager |
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X |
Moscow: Gary Presol, Dir.
Public Works |
X |
Pullman: Mark Workman,
Dir. Public Works |
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X |
Moscow: Steve Busch, City
Council Member |
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Pullman: Sue Hinz, City
Council Member |
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Latah County: Loreca
Stauber, County Commissioner |
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Whitman County: Les Wigen,
County Commissioner |
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X |
Latah County: Tom
Townsend, citizen |
X |
Whitman County: Derek
Pohle, County Engineer |
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X |
Executive Secretary and
Technical Advisor: Juliet McKenna |
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Bill French (Moscow resident), Jerry Fairley (UI), Tom Scallorn (Moscow Water Dept.), Kathleen Warnick (Latah County resident)
Chair Craig Benjamin called the meeting to order at 2:35 PM. Minutes were approved with minor editorial corrections provided by Larry Kirkland. The minutes stated in error that the first half of 2000 pumping figures were attached. Pumping data are attached to these minutes and will be posted on the PBAC website in the near future.
The following changes
were made to the Intergovernmental Agreement:
First paragraph:
change effective date to November 1, 2000.
Fourth paragraph: add
“et seq.” after Idaho Code Sections
VI (D). Clarify the
means of restoring voting rights: “…shall lose all voting rights until such
time as that Entity pays for the current fiscal year”. The Committee agreed that it should be as
flexible as possible to allow Entities to participate, and requiring payment of
lapsed back-dues may be cost prohibitive for some Entities.
X (C). Delete
reference to property as that is covered in item X (D).
The Bylaws were amended in Article IV (c) to state that hiring is subject to the provisions of Section IV (D) of the Intergovernmental Agreement.
XI. Real Property: the item was left as is, but the Committee noted that in the future, there may be a need to acquire real property and that the IG Agreement will be revisited if and when that time arises.
There was additional discussion on comments received by Latah County regarding the inability of the Board of County Commissioners to commit to funding by future BOCCs. It was agreed that J. McKenna and C. Benjamin would meet individually with Latah County to discuss this.
The revised version was sent to members on September 30, 2000 for approval by legal counsel or other appropriate persons at each Entity. Copies were also sent to the appropriate state regulatory agencies for their information, including IDWR, IDEQ, and WDOE. Pending receipt of all comments, a final version of the document ready for signatures should be available by the next meeting.
Idaho Representative Tom Trail and Senator Gary Schroeder have indicated their support of our request, but have made it contingent upon securing funding of an equal nature from Washington. As discussed at the last meeting, this is unfortunate because historically, IDWR has expressed much more interest in developing a solution to the basin groundwater problem than their Washington counterparts. Furthermore, PBAC does not currently have a relationship with local Washington state legislators like the one we have been cultivating in Idaho for several years. L. Kirkland and C. Benjamin agreed to discuss the matter with Tom Trail and request his support for Idaho funding, even if we are not able to secure funding from Washington this year.
It was suggested a group work with Washington legislators on this request. Sue Hinz, Jay Becker, Derek Pohle, and Les Wigen will be involved since they have indicated they know one or more of the three Washington legislators (Don Cox, Larry Sheahan, Mark Schloeser).
The COE reported that they have discussed our request for assistance, but have not put together a scope of work yet. [Note: J. McKenna spoke with Dave Reese on October 2, 2000 and he indicated PBAC should expect a preliminary scope of work by October 31, 2000.]
J. McKenna convened a group of university researchers and PBAC members to discuss approaches to solving the water supply problem in the Palouse Basin. Copies of the minutes from this workshop are available from J. McKenna. The stated PBAC goal is to halt declining water levels in the Grande Ronde aquifer by 2020. Approaches fall into two categories: reducing demand for groundwater from the Grande Ronde or increasing recharge (supply) in the Grande Ronde aquifer. Specific steps under each scenario are listed below:
Decrease demand for
groundwater in GR
a) Increase pumpage from Wanapum (shallow) aquifer
b) Increase wastewater reuse for irrigation
c) Reduce per capita consumption through rate increases, subsidies for water-efficient appliances, education programs etc.
d) Import water from outside the basin (Clearwater or Snake Rivers)
e) Use surface water directly
Increase supply of groundwater
in GR via recharge
a) Sources of recharge
i) Surface water – Paradise Creek, Palouse River, South Fork of the Palouse River
ii) Wanapum (shallow) aquifer
iii) Wastewater – Moscow WWTP, Pullman WWTP
b) Locations for Recharge
i) Paradise Creek valley /Moscow Mountain front
ii) WWTPs (Pullman and Moscow)
iii) Municipal wells
iv) Palouse River valley near Palouse
c) Techniques
i) Recharge ponds/infiltration basins
ii) Injection wells
iii) Convert municipal wells to aquifer storage and recovery wells
iv) Passive recharge wells connecting shallow and deep aquifer systems
Participants provided ideas on how to study the various alternatives and how their research may apply. Jim Osiensky stated that his research in the last year suggest Moscow and Pullman may be functioning as separate subbasins with a hydraulic boundary in between depending on pumping conditions in Moscow and Pullman. Another observation is that pumping in Pullman produces no measurable response in wells outside of Pullman; pumping in Moscow produces a measurable drawdown in the Washington Department of Ecology "test well" located on Sunshine Road and the Moscow-Pullman highway, about halfway between the two towns. Jim stated that attempting to increase recharge to Grande Ronde seems to be a "bleak proposition"; water infiltrated into recharge ponds constructed in the sediments of Bovill may not reach GR; gravity drainage wells located strategically around the basin present several problems including water quality degradation and decreasing stream discharge.
Dale Ralston discussed a recharge proposal submitted previously to PBAC by Ralston, Keller, Richelle Allen-King to divert water from the South Fork Palouse River into Wanapum aquifer and construct connector wells from the Wanapum to the Grande Ronde aquifer in order to passively recharge the Grande Ronde. Unknowns are the connectivity between the basin from the Palouse River to the Pullman and Moscow pumping centers, the location of recharge to the Wanapum, and if potential for recharge would offset the quantity pumped.
Also of note were comments by Bob
Haynes of IDWR. He stated that case
history shows that groundwater and surface water needs to be managed
conjunctively in Idaho. Water rights are the primary concern in any
injection/recharge study; however, this is not a reason to stop potential
projects. All actions will affect some other water users (there are not any
"no impact" alternatives) which calls for mitigation. In general, the
state is receptive to new ideas and supportive of local management. Two ways to
mitigate water right uses are to 1) buy water rights or 2) manage high and low
flows such that minimum flows are always met. He also reminded the group that
legally, the state could shut down expanded use of drinking water wells in the
basin because it appears there is groundwater mining occurring, which is
illegal in the state. He emphasized that right now PBAC is leading the effort, not
the state agencies.
Jim Bellatty of Idaho DEQ cautioned that the state has an antidegradation policy for all groundwaters. Both representatives of IDWR and DEQ indicated that they would be comfortable with a pilot recharge test.
Juliet McKenna suggested that the Committee should line up speakers for technical presentations on some of these water supply solutions. Phil Brown of CH2MHill in Portland, an expert in Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) technology in the northwest, will be giving a presentation in Spokane on September 27, 2000, which Juliet would attend. Another presentation on water rights issues in ASR will be given by George Schlender of the Washington Department of Ecology will occur on October 25. Other potential speakers include Jan Boll and Paul McDaniel of UI who are both doing local studies of surface water and soil infiltration in the basin and Jack Wenders, an UI economist who is an expert on water pricing as a means to reduce water demand.
Pullman added a brief water conservation tip in the “message” portion at the bottom of their August water bill. Helena Gregory, former conservation coordinator for PBAC, provided Pullman with a list of messages to use each month. Mark Workman suggested shortening the messages for a greater impact. Messages will continue to appear each month.
J. McKenna asked members to forward ideas for interns to her as she will begin recruiting some next month.
M. Workman stated that Pullman’s first year of summer conservation rates were effective in encouraging conservation. One mobile home park owner was paying upwards of $1,000/month for water in the summer and is now considering a retrofit of his water distribution system to eliminate costly leaks.
Bill French wrote a letter to the editor asking water users to use less water. He also presented Moscow’s and Pullman’s pumpage data for the months of July and August, and apparently during the month of August, Moscow exceeded all previous records for water pumped. Bill thought this information would have been more effective if it was issued by PBAC and was accompanied by some water conservation tips.
The Committee asked J. McKenna to present water use data in a more timely manner, so that the information could be publicized at the time of high water usage, and hopefully achieve some conservation by educating consumers. J. McKenna said that Entities generally provide water data to her monthly or quarterly, but there are often delays. She will look into ways to provide this data more often and regularly update the PBAC web site with groundwater pumping data.
Moscow’s budget for water conservation has increased by 5 times for fiscal year 2001 (begins 10/1/00). The money will be spent on a 6th grade water fair, materials for curricula in the schools, and part-time staff to distribute water conservation devices.
WSU is in the process of hiring an energy manager, who will also be in charge of water efficiency on campus.
Drilling for Pullman’s new well will resume on October 15, 2000 and is scheduled for completion by December 15.
J. McKenna presented a new logo design completed by Printing and Design on campus. There were several criticisms, but the Committee agreed that J. McKenna should decide on the final design.
Mark Workman voiced a concern that after the recent Water Supply Workshop, it may be an appropriate time to reevaluate the Osiensky-Keller research and either reassure PBAC that they are confident in their pursuit or propose some scope revisions. J. McKenna explained that the format of the workshop was not meant to showcase the current research, but to look beyond it and discuss additional research directions with an eye on solutions. It was agreed to request that Jim Osiensky and Kent Keller meet with the Committee to answer some of their questions.
The Committee would like to get a speakers slot at the January Quarterly Leadership Breakfast for the leaders of Pullman, Moscow, both Universities, and both Counties. Members of the Committee are concerned that the Entities are not aware of the issues nor clear on what needs to be done. [Note: The University of Idaho is in charge of hosting the next meeting in January, and L. Kirkland is looking into who to contact about it.]
Thursday, October 19, 2000 at 2:30 pm
McClure Hall Room 311
The meeting was adjourned by consensus.
Respectfully Submitted,
Juliet M. McKenna
Executive Secretary/Technical Advisor