(my notes on
the) East
Orcas Water Supply Planning Committee
When the East Orcas Water Supply committee was formed, Olga Water Users
Inc offered to provide web hosting and support
to provide web access to the public for agendas, minutes, notes and
references. The motion was not supported, to the information
here is meerly my personal notes, references and comments. These pages
are not sanctioned by the East Orcas Water Supply committee.
Mountain
Lake water conservation plan
This plan was presented during the last 4 minutes of a
meeting to the committee on June 7, 2005,
but there was no discussion. The plan has the potential to be developed
into something quite beneficial to Rosario and others.
The request to have the details of the plan included with the minutes
was denied.
I was invited by the managing director of Olympus Partners (the owners
of Rosario) to talk about water related issues.
That opportunity (Aug. 17, 2005) was used to present the plan directly
to
the owners (since going through the committee members failed).
There appeared to be interest, and I was told to expect follow up
contact
soon, but the conclusion was that the plan would only
be considered after all of the hydroelectric rights were conveted to
domestic use. This is a dangerous solution in the long term,
since is gurantees consumption in the long term. Even a "Management
plan" would only work as long as the capacity is not developed
for domestic use.
The managing director of Olympus Partners saw the benefit to Rosario
Resort in postponing the time to dry taps.
She understood that the least senior water right holders were at the
highest risk,
but even Rosario would benefit. The benefit to the environment and
wildlife will help when it comes to environmental impact studies.
The East Orcas Watershed is complicated and has been
significantly
altered from it's natural state.
Here is
a diagram that shows the flow of water and has links to many of the
details
Information on the East Orcas Watershed
Notes on the purported water
shortage in the Eastsound aquifer
State reference showing the exempt wells use
much less than 5000 GPD.
State Dept. of Ecology
Guidelines on Watershed Planning (not reviewed by this
committee)
Coming up with a plan:
They did it, so can we:
Lopez
Village Water Supply Report and Recommendations
Part of the County wide plan: Surface
Water Storage Assessment (San Juan County)
(Do not believe the comment about the
Upcoming events:
The next meeting is
probably in Sept. No agenda published yet.
Rosario water right modification (diversion from Cascade Creek) due to
publish in August 2005
List of outcomes
Archive documents:
Water
Resource Management Committee Planning Goals
East Orcas Water Supply Planning (Eastsound area)
Agenda for
4-6-04 meeting (Orcas Island Senior Center 4:00 - 6:00 PM)
Minutes
of 2-24-04 meeting
Minutes of the
1-30-04 meeting
San Juan County Water Resources Management
Committee WRIA
2
Minutes of 10-15-03
meeting
BOCC Resolution to form the Eastern Orcas Island Water System Planning
and Resource Management committee
Damage
to estuine wetland on Cascade Creek
due to the culvert "temporary repair" as it flows into Buck Bay
Reference documents:
Chapter
x Surface Water (4-7-04 draft)
Chapter
x Ground Water (3-31-04 draft)
Appendix,
reports and studies
List of links on groundwater reuse and
aquifer recharge
Growing
away Wastewater
Exempt
well information
BOCC
1/27/2003 meeting
minutes on the proposed moratorium on exempt wells in Eastsound
Sandy's
response to the Islands'
Sounder article on a proposed
moratorium on wells in Eastsound
Letter
to the Board of County Commissioners about Eastsound ground water
modeling
Ecology
guidelines that allow us to use estimated use for exempt wells and
recharge of the ground water due to septic systems
Estimates of Ground
Water Recharge by Laura A. Orr, Henry H. Bauer, and J.A. Wayenberg
The average exempt well draws 334 gpd,
of which only 85 gpd is consumptive (Does not go back into the ground)
Not 5000 gpd as often mentioned by EWUA (58.8 times the realistic
number).
BOCC motion: San
Juan County Water Resource Management Committee (WRMC) to form sub
committee.
Wa State Dept. of
Ecology Watershed Planning documents
Ecology Guide to
Watershed Planning Addendum 1 (OK to use estimates for exempt
wells see page 139/168 )
Ecology
WRIA 55 - 57 Watershed Planning Assessment (Sub—Task
3.5: Estimate septic recharge into water table)
National Ground
Water Association
Kitsap
County exempt well paper (Conclusion: Exemption should be retained,
link has expired)
Usually a water right permit is required from the Washington State
Dept.
of Ecology before constructing a well. There is an exception in RCW
90.44.050 for several uses including stock watering, gardens,
lawns, single and multiple domestic use not exceeding 5000 gpd. A water
right for 5000 gpd is not automatically created by constructing an
exempt well. Only that portion put to "regular beneficial use" can be
perfected as a right. The is described in RCW
90.03.290. Exempt withdrawals should not interfere with senior
rights.
Here is the Attorney
General's opinion on exempt ground water withdrawals (published by WA
DOE).
For meeting notices check the San Juan Islander http://www.sanjuanislander.com/events.shtml
Please send out a notice to the Orcas
Watershed mailing list if it has not been sent out yet.
State funded San
Juan County Water Shed Planning
San
Juan County Water Shed Planning
Find out when the meetings are: San
Juan County Calendar of Events (Courtesy of the San Juan
Islander)
Meeting notices, minutes and comments:
SAN JUAN COUNTY WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE related meetings
9/?/2003 Sorry, the minutes are not available here
yet.
10/15/2003 (Grange, Friday Harbor) Agenda
1st Draft of the minutes
Sandy's notes
Comments from David Hoopes, lead
entity, salmon recovery specialist, San Juan
County Conservation District.
Our watershed:
Salmon in Cascade Creek
Wildlife and plants in our watershed
Diagram of the Mountain Lake, Cascade Lake
watersheds
To have information added or corrected please call Sandy at 376
3815.
Thanks!
Or email:
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