Groundwater declining

[Greg Brown <gregb@alaskapacific.edu>]

>
> From: "Juliet McKenna" <pbac@uidaho.edu>
> To: vision2020@moscow.com
>
> To clarify a couple of points
> 1. While it is true that of the four pumping entities, only Moscow
> has exceeded the voluntary pumping limits enacted in 1992, I
> would be hesitant to point the finger at them.  All four entities have
> implemented conservation measures that have resulted an average
> increase of 0.3% per year in groundwater use since 1992,
> compared to the average of more than 1.1% per year in the
> previous decade.  In spite of this, we continue to see water level
> declines. Moscow is also the first of the four entities to specifically
> earmark staff time to water conservation programs.  Contact the
> Moscow Water Department to learn more.

   I'm not convinced.  The .3% figure masks the
*relative contribution* of increased pumpage by the 4
entities, with only Moscow failing (individually) to
meet "conservation" goals.  According to the 1999
annual report, Moscow exceeded both the 125%
historical usage cap and the < 1% increase goal
based on a 5 year rolling average.

   If all entities behaved the same way as Moscow,
the picture would look much worse.

   We should also keep in mind that the figures
still represent *increased* pumpage, even if
the increases are modest.  By definition,
increased pumpage is *not* conservation but
rather groundwater mining and constitutes
intergenerational theft.

--
Greg Brown (gregb@alaskapacific.edu)
Associate Professor
Environmental Science Department
Alaska Pacific University
(907) 564-8267
http://polar.alaskapacific.edu/gregb