vision2020
Re: groundwater declining
Shahab, I think you are a little off the mark in your thinking that private
out of town wells draw from the same groundwater source that the city does.
For the most part they don't! It is more likely that our city friends will
run out of water before your county cousins do. The groundwater source the
city draws from (Grande Ronde Basalt aquifer) is very deep and the
mechanisms by which this deep aquifer is recharged are largely unknown. The
groundwater sources tapped by "private" wells are very shallow and these
wells are recharged by the local annual rain fall. These shallow ground
water sources do not drain vertically but drain horizontally towards the
Columbia Basin and ultimately to the ocean. My understanding of the deep
aquifer tapped by Moscow/Pullman is that it is unaffected by variations in
the local rain fall. These are two different water sources and they do not
appear to be connected. Maybe someone on the list with more technical
knowledge about the recharging mechanisms of they area's groundwater sources
could add to this discussion.
The disturbing trend is with those deeper wells. There may still be pockets
of problems in the county and those problems would be the result of local
dwelling density and usage or local geological situations where shallow
ground water can't be retained as in the South flank of Moscow Mountain.
Ground water in my area of the county is artesian or almost artesian and
wells are very shallow - less than 100 feet.
All this being said, we are still face a problem in our community which will
greatly effect us who live in the county. Along with conservation we are
likely going to have to help, financially, the cities find alternate sources
of water. Here is where us country folk can help. One option for an
alternate source of water would be a surface reservoir. This would capture
more of the seasonal ground water, have a relatively short pumping distance
and relieve pressure on the deep aquifer. Another option I've heard is to
pump water up from the Columbia.
Below is a quote that might interest you from
http://www.uidaho.edu/pbac/okproject.html the site hosted by Palouse Basin
Aquifer Committee that further explains the problem with the Grande Ronde
Basalt aquifer.
"The research (PBAC Funds Major Research Project ) will be conducted by Drs.
Kent Keller of WSU and Jim Osiensky of the UI. Both professors will utilize
some of the funding for graduate student projects. The Palouse Basin relies
entirely on groundwater to meet all of its water supply needs. There are two
major aquifers within the basalt that are being tapped by water wells: wells
shallower than 250 feet are generally in the Wanapum Basalt which generally
yields less than 1,500 gallons per minute (gpm); deeper wells in the Grande
Ronde Basalt aquifer are capable of yielding upwards of 3,000 gpm.
Previous studies have indicated that annual pumping withdrawals in the
Palouse Basin by the four major entities is substantially less than rates of
flow through the basin (for example, in the form of precipitation). However,
groundwater level data collected in the pumping centers of Pullman, Moscow,
and Palouse indicate that water levels in the Grande Ronde aquifer are
declining at a rate of 1.5 feet per year, in continuation of a 100-year
trend. "
Will Simpson
Kestrel Creek Gallery
Exploring the Potential of Wood Turned Art
http://www.kestrelcreek.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Shahab Mesbah <meteor2@moscow.com>
To: Greg Brown <gregb@alaskapacific.edu>; <vision2020@moscow.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2001 4:35 PM
Subject: RE: groundwater declining
> Dear Greg,
>
> I agree with almost all of what you say! The fact is that the wells in the
> area are dropping fast. The city well will not run out soon but the
private
> (out of town) wells are far shallower and will be running out soon indeed.
>
> As you mention Moscow has not done well to conserve the problem is mainly
> our culture. Lets face it... there are individuals that conserve in this
> country but we, as a population, are very much into consuming everything.
We
> cause all kinds of damage to our environment because we refuse to
> acknowledge the fact that our consumption level is not sustainable. We
> continue to consume the majority of the resources in our world yet we are
> but a fraction of the population.
>
> Your brother in arms,
>
> Shahab...
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