 CITY OF YELM & WATER FACTS:A. This SW annex will potentially increases the size of the city four (4) times with one stroke. B. The supply for this water sucking phenomena is projected to come from a well-field located within the SW annex itself. The facts of this matter have been quietly delivered to the State Department of Ecology WITH NO PUBLIC NOTICE in the form of a ¾ of a million dollar Water Mitigation Plan last fall. C. Roughly the increased water delivery by such a plan is projected to be 4,500 acre feet per year pumped at a rate of up to 7,500 gallons per minute. What does this amount look like, 7,500 gpm flowing out of the ground? --A household tap or a garden hose likely would run at a rate of around 5 gpm. The current entire City of Yelm water rights give the city the right to pump water to a total of around 700 acre feet per year, at no greater sustained rate of a couple hundred gallons per minute. Quantity of Water Pumping Rate Now – City plus or minus 700 afy 300 gpm Projected – City plus or minus 4,500 afy 7,500 gpm D. Much of Yelm areas water supply, including the city, is from subsurface aquifers pumped by either the city or local private wells. Just as if you pulled the drain plug in your bathtub, the sudden loss of such enormous quantities of water from the aquifer will create a larger water level depression. Do you think this might have an effect on some of the local wells pumping their tiny amounts from this aquifer? E. BEFORE THE CITY COULD BE ALLOWED TO DO THIS, THEY MUST GET PERMISSION FROM THE STATE AND FROM YOU! In order to get that permission they must describe what the effects of such a proposal will be on the surrounding aquifers, including creeks, rivers and your well. The document used to perform this function is called a Water Mitigation Plan. The plan quietly (without public notice) was given to the state for permission and mentions nothing about ground water impacts to the immediate area, including local wells or Thompson Creek, which drains the area directly adjacent to this proposed well-field. --This means by omission of mentioning your well that you have not been asked permission. What do you think about that? You might want to ask yourself the following questions: --What would the effect of such drastic pumping be on your well? --If local maximum admitted depressions lower the aquifer up to 23’, might this have an effect on your well? Might this put the water level of your well lower then your pump? Might this possibly dry up your well? What would your property be worth without water? Who would be responsible for such a thing? Do you think that the city will pay for this later on? If this is going on behind your back, don’t you think it’s time to speak up? It is highly recommended that you write a nice letter to the appropriate folks at the State Department of Ecology stating that under no circumstances is this incredibly expensive Mitigation Plan telling us what we need to know about the local impacts to our aquifers and private wells, and should therefore be rejected until it gives us the facts. It is also suggested that you direct the DOE to notify you of any future actions on this item. Direct your correspondence to:
Tom Loranger, Manager |
