HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004 05-04 PreCITY OF MERIDIAN
PRE -COUNCIL MEETING
AGENDA
Tuesday, May 4, 2004 at 6:15 p.m.
City Council Chambers
Roll -call Attendance:
X Shaun Wardle X Bill Nary
X Charlie Rountree X Keith Bird
X Mayor Tammy de Weerd
2. Adoption of the Agenda: Approve
3. Presentation on Meridian's Water Resources by Ed Squires: Presented
(` 45 minutes)
"Approximate allowable time set for agenda item may change depending on
discussion. Please use the designated minutes as a guideline only.
Meridian City Pre -Council Agenda — May 4, 2004 Page 1 of 1
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Meridian City Pre -Council Meetina May 4. 2004
The Meridian City Pre -Council meeting was called to order at 6:15 P.M. on
Tuesday, May 4, 2004 by Mayor Tammy de Weerd.
Members Present: Mayor Tammy de Weerd, Bill Nary, Keith Bird, Shaun Wardle
and Charlie Rountree.
Staff Present: Gary Smith, Shari Stiles, Brad Watson, Bill Nichols, Mike Worley,
William Musser, Dean Willis and Will Berg.
Others Present: Ed Squires
Item 1. Roll -call Attendance:
X Bill Nary X Keith Bird
X Shaun Wardle X Charlie Rountree
X Mayor Tammy de Weerd
Item 2. Adoption of the Agenda:
Bird: Mr. President.
Nary: Mr. Bird.
Bird: I move we adopt the agenda as published.
Rountree: Second.
Nary: It's been moved to adopt the agenda as published. All those in favor say
aye.
ALL AYES. MOTION CARRIED.
Item 3. Presentation on Meridian's Water Resources by Ed Squires:
Smith: Thank you, Mr. President, Madame Mayor and Council members, good
evening. This evening Ed Squires is here to give you a little presentation on our
water system and Ed has been our hydro -geologist for — ever since, Well #14
was installed. That was his first well that he helped us on and he is a registered
professional geologist in the State of Idaho. A graduate of Boise State
University. He has a master's degree from Boise State in geology and he has
done an excellent job for us, given us great advice and helped us along
developing our water system and our network of wells. So, at this time I will turn
Ilk
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May 4, 2004
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the program over to Mr. Squires and let him bring his presentation to you. Thank
you.
Squires: Madame Mayor, members of the Council. I am very hoarse tonight. I
have been talking too much. I am not in any pain and I will do my best, if you will
just bear with me. I feel fine, I just — we did a field trip for the geological society
of America on Saturday and did too much talking. If you can't hear me, then I will
speak up. I think I am going to step over here. If you can't hear me then say so.
Bird: You can just take that out if you want.
Squires: I am very pleased to be here tonight in front of you all. It's been a real
pleasure working with the City these last 12 years.
Nary: Mr. Squires, if you use the microphone — otherwise —
Squires: Oh, I see. Okay. Got it. It's been a real pleasure working with the City
the last 12 years; I guess its been now. It seems like a lot less than that, but I
have a lot of really good news for you tonight. It's always a pleasure to deliver
good news. Next slide, please Bryan. This is Bryan Cavanaugh, my colleague
at Hydrologic. He is responsible for a lot of our work product to you. I like to
start out with a slide because it points out the idea that we need to think about
our actions, when it comes to water resources before we do it. I am going to
deliver the real important information right up front, the things that I think the
Council needs to know. Some of it may be you all know already. I am sure you
are aware that in the culinary supply for the City it comes 100 percent from
groundwater and that may not seem surprising to you, but it is somewhat
surprising. It comes from 18 active wells right now. This is the map of most of
them up there and that is also somewhat surprising because just about anywhere
else in this Valley and in most of the Pacific Northwest it would take twice that
(inaudible) to provide the same amount of water. The City is endowed with
incredibly productive aquifers. It has the most productive aquifers in this Valley
for sure. Some of the most productive aquifers that I have ever worked on. I
have worked on aquifers and wells around the United States and around the
Pacific Northwest and the west especially. I have worked on almost all the
municipal supplies in the Treasure Valley and the Snake River Plain, so I feel
qualified in saying that and telling you that your aquifers are amazing. Next slide,
Bryan. As Gary said, the first well that I worked on was Well #14 and that was a
time when it looked as though there might be a shortage of water. There has not
been a time like that really since, but Well #14 in this cannon of water on the right
side there that is about 3,000 gallons a minute coming out of there and that's
about — that's a whole lot of water, in fact, that canal was empty when we started
the pump test, so its a significant amount of water. Here would be an average
well in the Valley by comparison. Over on the right, Well #22 during the pump
testing of that well, most recently and this Well #14 that literally filled that canal in
just a short time. These are big quantities of water from the ground especially.
Next slide. I can tell you that the water quality is some of the best I have seen in
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general across the whole system. It's very, very good water quality. Well #25,
this is an example of some of the collaboration that the City has had. These are
students from Boise State University during the sampling of the new most
recently completed Well #25, but the water quality for the most part requires zero
treatment. A little bit of chlorination to keep the system clean and disinfected, but
other than that the water quality is absolutely delicious as I am sure a lot of you
know. Next slide, Bryan. It also has the highest artesian (inaudible) in the
Valley. The aquifers have the highest pressures of any aquifers in the Valley and
the graph on the right is the water level in one of our test wells and the red line
represents ground level. ft's not uncommon for the deep wells in the Meridian
area and in some locations even the shallow wells to have above ground artesian
heads. This well here was Well #19 and it's a little dark, but I will attempt to
describe it to you. This flow in the foreground is the pump test we did. I can't
even call it a pump test, it's the flow test we did of that well when it was
completed because we didn't even need a pump to test it. At five feet above
ground level this well flowed at 1,200 gallons a minute without a pump anywhere.
When the well was shut in, you will see this rather elaborate stage with the ladder
in the background. The water flowed over the top of that pipe that goes off the
screen. It's about a 25 to 30 foot head on this well. Pretty amazing. I would say,
also that the City's wells are the most productive wells in the Valley. I think they
are constructed the best in the Valley of all the Valley's wells I think they have the
best materials, the best seals, the best screens bar none. I think they are wells
that are going to last a very, very long time into the future without need for any
significant replacement or repairs. Especially important, I think, is looking at the
Well #20, well construction. The graph on the left shows the sediments that we
encountered during drilling and the (inaudible) well construction with the screen
or the intake for the well at the bottom of the well. Well, what is significant about
that drawing is that it's a 20-inch casing or an 18-inch casing from the ground
level all the way down to nearly 500 feet and the reason that's important is that
as water levels decline in the Valley, which they almost certainly will. These
wells will be impervious to that decline because of the way they are constructed.
The wells can be deepened — the pumps that are in the wells can be deepened
and deepened to keep up with the decline and so at this location where the water
level now flows above ground level you can see by that little upside down triangle
that's over the top of the well. Then there is a PW well, the pump and water level
that is down just a little ways further. Well, that's where it is when it's pumping at
a large rate of flow at 1,500 gallons per minute. So, that rate of flow and the
water level in that well would have to lower by 500 feet before this well will
become inoperable. That's not the case with most of the Valley's wells. Many of
the Valley's wells, the big wells and the wells of other municipalities, especially
Boise's will reach a point where they can no longer lower their pumps rather
quickly and when that happens there will be big water rights disputes. There will
be valley wide contentious cases like we all read about now going on over in the
eastern state plain. The City can rest easy that you don't have to get in that
(inaudible) because it will all get settled long before the water levels and the
City's wells get down to a critical point. This is just an example of some of the
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materials that go into the building of one single well and these white bags are the
clay seal that protects the wells and the screened (inaudible) from surface land
use activities. Here is an example on Well #21 in the foreground the 18 inch
casing that goes in gets welded all together and lowered down into the well. It's
all very thick steel casing. It gives you an idea of how deep these wells are. The
City has a very strong, strong source with ample backup and Well #20 is
probably one of the finest facilities I have ever seen. It's just an absolute
beautiful facility and of course you have got big storage there with the reservoir.
You have got a very strong well and a power generating in case of a power
outage. The City has enough backup supply in terms of wells, for instance this
year you would probably saw come through two emergency well repairs through
Rick's department that were unplanned. Even though those two large wells had
to be taken off line momentarily at a time when the water use is ramping up,
there was still not a crisis because there was ample supply to take care of that
deficit. This was the job that I speak of on Well #16 where a sand problem
developed and that has now been repaired for good, I think. It was a fluke that it
occurred, but I think it's repaired for the long term. Here is the inside of the Well
#20 pump house and these large pumps in the foreground are simply the pumps
that pump to the system, but the smaller pump in the background — that's the
pump that is actually on the well and that is the well underneath that small pump
in the background. The reason it's such a small pump is because of the high
artesian pressure and the fact that the water level does not go down very far and
you turn on the pump. That may not seem surprising to you, but there are places
in the Valley where pumps have to bring the water up from 700 feet before they
can pump it into the system. Well, here is why you want to have that ample
backup redundant source. This was the (inaudible) fire that happened in Boise.
Okay, well it started —the test well program initiated was with Well #14. With that
well, we started drilling a pot (inaudible) hole ahead of the main supply wells.
The reason for that is to obtain water quality ahead of time and to obtain water
levels ahead of time and to explore the system. So, this was the first test well.
We've employed test wells all the way through to Well #25 with the exception of
Well #22, which we talk about in a little bit. But, I wanted to give now that I have
told you all of the important things I think you need to know; all the good news.
What I wanted to do now was take a few (inaudible) to talk about hydrogeology
101, okay? Where does it come from? I would like you to envision our basin,
which is not that large of a basin. It's like a bathtub; a bathtub filled with sand
and gravel and claves and then filled up with water. It has impermeable sides
and ends on it. This is a seismic section done in the 70s by the oil companies,
by Chevron and they happen to run. You can't — it's off the screen, but this
seismic section started in the Boise Foothills and it ran out underneath north
Meridian. Along with the seismic section there were some very deep wells drilled
in in north Meridian. One of them, the JN James #2 Well was drilled to 14,000
feet and I still have the cuttings from that well. The seismic section would be this
red highlighted zone, if you will. That's the bottom of our basin. That's the
(inaudible) volcanism; it was just volcanic rocks down there and everything above
it is sedimentary and these lines here show the (inaudible) aquifers that are laid
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down. The two wells, the two dark lines at the surface show two -1,000 foot wells
in Boise. So, the basin right here is nearly 5,000 feet deep. Our deepest wells
are going about 1,000 right now and they will never go to 4,000 because of
temperature concerns. Right now — I will give you some more good news about
the City. The City of Meridian water temperatures are quite good at 1,000 feet.
In Boise, if you drill to a 1,000 feet you have got hot water you can't use. That is
another astounding fact, 1 think. So, we have a good idea of the shape of the
basin. Would you go back one, Bryan? Also I would like to point out in here that
another thing, how did the basin get there? The basin bottom, the pink line. At
one time you might think of that as being flat, but the basin has slowly dropped
down along these faults; these faults that are caused when we have
earthquakes. That's how the basin really formed, The crust was getting pulled
apart and as it pulled apart, these rocks fractured and dropped down into the
basement. So, these faults are — they play a key role in how we develop the
water supplies because sometimes they often act as permeable boundaries and
they can also act as conduits for geothermal water, upwelling into the aquifer.
Here is an example of how those faults form. This was the Challis earthquake
where Double Springs Road was offset about five meters and it's just over a very
long period of time of earthquake after earthquake like this. That's how the basin
dropped down and then it created a hole in the (inaudible--) Boise Front
(inaudible) on the sides eroded and filled it in. Next slide. We can see evidence
of these faults everywhere in the Valley. This is on Freeze Out Hill. Here is one
such fault and you can see these layers do not continue through. This side of the
fault is dropped down with respect with this fault. I think I would also point out
that this (inaudible) shows how the geology controls the water supply into the
ground. This is very coarse sand. From the rain water that falls on this hill,
percolates down through the hill until it hits the top of this day layer. Then it
forces it out with the hill is cut away and that's what supports this vegetation and
that's how the geology really controls how the water moves in the subsurface, so
it becomes paramount to try and understand the geology and I think the City has
done an excellent and prudent job of doing just that. Next slide please. Here is
another fault on the south side of our Valley (inaudible) the ten -mile ridge where
gravels are juxtaposed next to sands. Next slide. In this rather unclear picture, I
have put this in there because all the water that's in our aquifer system had to
percolate through these grouts. There is a layer of gravels. Flood plain terrace
gravels of the Boise River and the (inaudible) is the terrace graveled that
Meridian sits on and it's saturated because when you dig canals in these gravels,
they leak and they fill up the gravels with water, so everything that gets into the
deep aquifer has to first percolate through these gravels and these gravels are so
important that we don't pollute them for that reason and yet, we have to drain
things into them and we spill things into them and its so important that we realize
that we live right on top of our water supply. Because of these faults that I spoke
of, there is nowhere to go get more water. You can't go above Boise and drill
wells. You can't go into the foothills and drill wells. We live in a very delicate
balance, where we are right on top of what we need to drink. Next slide. Now, in
terms of the deep aquifers, the prolific productive aquifers that I said Meridian
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has, this is an outcrop example of such an aquifer. This is a Delta, these are the
four set beds on a Delta and this sand layer is a layer that I believe continues
right into Meridian and this overlying section here is a thick mudstone; its a clay
and it's not very permeable at all. So, the artesian pressure that we enjoy, for
example at Well #19, its the pressure that is in this saturated sand under the
ground and what happens is we begin drilling from land surface and we drill
through this mudstone and there is no water in the mudstone. But, the minute
we get into this sand, it's like popping the cork off and water is squirting out all
over because of the pressure that is inside of here. That's very — it's identical I
believe to the sands that we are drawing the water supply from and again that's
why we don't see any green. There is green where the basin sediments start
and when there is not there is no green. There is a little bit of green up Stewart
Gulch, that's because that's irrigated with geothermal water and a great waste, I
might add. Next slide. Okay, well one of the things that we like to pride
ourselves on also is that in the old days we didn't understand very well how wells
were constructed. There was very little documentation of how they got
constructed. That ends of being a problem down the road because often you
need to go in and repair wells or you need to see if they are sealed or perhaps
there is a contamination or water quality problem. Things nowadays are a lot
more sophisticated and the test well program that we initiated, we drill test wells
for a number of reasons. One of them is to run sophisticated probes down in the
earth and from those probes we can tell exactly where the aquifers are, what
temperature they are, how permeable they are, etc. before we ever start drilling
and that gives us an incredible advantage right there. Next slide. I won't belabor
the technical details of these things. This is a gamma ray log; it's like a Geiger
counter. It reads natural radioactivity. This is like a lamp cord. It measures the
electrical conductivity of the earth's materials. But, I think you can see very
clearly that this — there is something similar that the logs veer apart here. They
are measuring two completely unrelated physical parameters, yet they are doing
it at the same level and what this is showing is in the sand layers, you see a
permeability and a high resistively. In the gamma, you see very low radio
activity because it's just the sand and it's in this way along with the drill cuttings
we can see where the clays are and where the aqua (inaudible) are and where
the sands are. Next slide. Another thing that we are able to do through
advanced drilling of test wells is we are able to find out the aquifer pressures
before we drill the well and are able to monitor them. Well #20 is a good case in
point because through the test well drilling program at Well #20 we found not
one, not two, not three, but four prolific aquifers and they are all separated by
clay layers. We made a tube — a (inaudible) tube — a little two inch well into each
one of those aquifers and we have only completed one well at that location.
Now, we are talking about the second one as you know. Because of what we
know about the section there and this can all be planned in advance and the
second well can be positioned right next to the original well. It doesn't have to be
separated by a great distance because we know that it's separated (inaudible) by
a thick clay between the two zones. Also, in a water right situation where we
drilled Well #20 there were a lot of real interested parties so we in advance of
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drilling this new well we have been monitoring the zones continuously in Well #20
test well so that we can say whether or not there will be an influence from
anybody else's well. That saves the City a humongous amounts of money later
on because instead of having to do a prolonged, technical aquifer test, we
already have it and we let somebody else do it for us. Of course, the drill cuttings
— the actual rocks that we drill out of the well and we are able to examine in store
and (inaudible) for sand, filter and screen analysis and we put that all together as
a product for this particular area this is the most recent test well we are actually
working on Well #26 as test well as we speak, but this was the last one we
completed and it's a cross section. The (inaudible) shows the drilled earth and
there is the four tubes that I spoke of that we sampled in this particular well, I
think, you can imagine without a technical background even that the lower
aquifer between 670 and 700 feet looks like a major aquifer, but because of the
test well we determined that it had very, very poor water quality in it. So, we did
not complete the well into that aquifer. Next slide. This is some of the tubes that
I was speaking of that we put down to the various levels in the test well. Next
slide. This was Well #24 test well with the four zones as we were completing it
and here is the sampling of it, clearing it to get the water samples out of it,
fortunately in that well everything floated to the surface too so we didn't have to
pump it. Then finally the secure enclosure that keeps it all safe and sound. I
already mentioned the sieving and the identification of the cuttings and then as
we get this information, this is an old slide but it — from well to well we can then
do correlations of the subsurface in trying to connect these aquifers and they are
three dimensional geometry in the subsurface and in the City — I haven't seen
anywhere in this Valley that has done a better job than that than the City of
Meridian because I will say that our community has a tendency to throw money
at projects where oh, we need a project — 5 million Treasure Valley Hydrologic
project. But, for 5 million you can't do very much, but progressively as the wells
are drilled that's the time to do the study and if you get that as you move along,
you develop something that is much far superior than just a rushed, hurried
project that we really have no data for. Next slide, please. Okay, well two things
I was going to — we have had a lot of good discoveries out here and — but there
are two things that really stick out that we have discovered in the subsurface.
One is that there is a major change in water chemistry. A very, very major
change down around four to five hundred feet and those two water chemistries
are like night and day. One has total dissolved solids in the five to six hundreds.
That's the upper one. The deeper aquifer, which we try to complete our wells
into has — is more like river quality water. It is so fresh that it has total dissolved
solids less than one hundred. It's like rainwater. That's unusual. Most of the
time the deeper waters are more saline, more salty because they have been in
contact the rocks longer, okay? But on this Meridian 15 supply well, again
looking at the geophysics, I think you can see there is a big change between four
and five hundred and that's because on the resistively logs, the lamp cord log
where you measure the conductivity the waters are so saline that it's not
resistive; it's conductive, its like — you know, you could liken it to a battery. But
down below five hundred, it's very, very resistant because it's very, very fresh
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water. The second major discovery is that associated with that change in water
chemistry there is a gravel layer much like the gravel layer we have at the
surface and I believe that it is another buried system of flood plain terrace
gravels, much like we have at the surface today. We have traced that gravel in
virtually every well in the Meridian area. Next slide. In fact, we have filmed it.
We had a rare instance when we were drilling Meridian #21 that the well had to
sit for a while and we were adding a great deal of water to it, so we went out and
went down with our camera to verify this buried gravel layer and took it's picture.
Next slide. So, you begin to put this all together and you can develop a cartoon
like this. I think this cartoon is probably pretty accurate and I believe that that
gravel layer that is the change from oxidized waters to reduced waters, I believe
it's a major conduit for the City's water and I believe it's what brings that fresh
water down deep quickly. I won't belabor that anymore, but you can rest assured
that this concept is the thing that we are working on as we go. Okay, I wanted to
go from the test wells just quickly to talk about the supply wells a little bit and I
told you that the aquifers were full. They are more full in Meridian than anywhere
I know and here is putting the test pump in Meridian 15 and even with this
artesian bypass diverting water away from the well, the well is so full that it flows
over when we try and put the pump in, okay? In Well #20 pump house, we have
got that small little pump that pumps to the system. Next slide. Out in the United
Water Idaho system, this is the size of pump you need to pump half the water
that Well #20 has pumped and that's because the pump lifts out here are so
incredible. The water is 500 feet below ground, so that equates to big power bills
that you do not have and maybe take for granted because it's very expensive to
produce this water. Next slide. Your pumps, you don't need pumps that look like
this. You might have one or two or three pump bowls, but to pump water from
600 feet and all the extra electrical power it takes is pretty significant. So, that's
something that we are very, very fortunate to have. Next slide. Again, the repeat
of the slide on Well #20 and I won't belabor that, this is what I mean by being
able to lower the pump bowls all the way down to 500 hundred feet and still
obtain water from the same well. Next slide. This is an example of a
photograph, two photographs actually taken under water down in the recently
completed Well #25. What we typically do is after the well is completed; we go in
to inspect the construction and to make sure that the screens are clear. As you
can see they are. Make sure that nothing was dropped down the well. So, the
white numerals at the center of the photo are the depth below ground level. One
view looking down the screen and the other one looking sideways through the
screen slots — that's where the water comes in on. Okay? Next slide. The City
has really led the way in this, in the Boise Valley with everything; with filter packs;
the screens; the casing and in most cases ahead of regulatory agencies. The
City of Meridian was building wells with 3/8 inch well casing before it was a
requirement and most recently the City took another very large step and I think
an important step and that is using the use of plastic PVC well casing in it's wells.
In Well #24 was the first well in Idaho made of PVC well casing from municipal
supply. I think it leaps the City into a whole new era — wells that are a 100 -year-
old wells; perhaps, because the casings are no longer corrodible. The screens
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are stainless steel, so it's a non rust -able well, if you will. I believe that the PVC
casing is going to really reduce water quality problems associated with steel
casings as well. Next slide. Also, the City has gone back with this acquired data
and has reconstructed old wells and sealed them and installed new casings in
them and deepened them and made them more productive like the new wells
and that has been a significant cost savings for the City instead of developing a
whole new facility. Everything is in place and the well is just rehabilitated. Next
slide. Well #12 is another example. Okay, now I wanted to take just a few slides
and talk about the future. Something that I call pave over because it's
happening. This is a typical scene that's happening all over Meridian everyday. I
come out here and get scared everyday by a new Wal-Mart that wasn't there it
seems just a little while before. Mere is the situation; the flood irrigation, the
diversion of significant quantities of river water from the Boise river in it's laterals
and spreading on the ground and it raised the pressure in our aquifers; it raised
the water levels several hundred feet in this area and most of that overlying water
— that oxidized zone that I showed you in the upper 400 feet, most of that water is
derived from this see pitch through the ground and that is one of the reasons that
it has so many total dissolved solids in it because as it bleached through the
unsaturated zone, it dissolved constituents and particles and elements from the
soil. Well, this is going away. Next slide, please. It's called pave over. There is
a lot of area that's not getting water now and it's happening at a very rapid pace
here in Meridian. Next slide. I think this slide is very educational because this
shows you the three things that are happening. We are drawing more deep
water out — new well, okay? We are dialing the canals so they don't leak and we
are paving over the ground and all three of those things all mean less water
going into the ground and more water coming out and that is going to affect us
some day and it's going to affect us sooner than we think because it's not a slow
gradual for me, it's more of an (inaudible). It takes a while to show up, but this is
why and I am pleased to tell you that the way your wells are constructed and the
way that you have located these aquifers you are going to be the last City to feel
these affects. That's positive for you, but you will probably be the first city in the
Valley to recognize it because of the test wells and the monitoring that you are
doing. Next slide.
Nary: Mr. Squires, could you start to sum it up, because we are almost out of
time?
Squires: Sure. This is a graph dating back to 1955. It generally shows a decline
in the amount of water diverted from the Boise River and that is another
component of the lack of recharge. Next slide. Next slide. I was going to talk a
little bit about contamination and I will just say that in terms of anthropogenic
constituents, contamination — man made contamination the City doesn't have
any. It's miraculous. In terms of natural contamination, there are some natural
constituents that we have to deal with. None of them, by the way, are in violation
of any of the safe drinking water act, water constituents. Next slide. I put this
slide in to talk about water rights, but I think that's another subject, another day.
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can tell you that I think the City has been very proactive in their water rights and I
think that they are very on top of the water rights. They are right at the leading
edge of what's happening. Next slide. The contamination slide. Next slide. This
is an example of Well #22 — speaking of natural contamination. We didn't have a
test well on Well #22 and we ended up with some manganese rich water; a
mistake that I don't think we will make again. Next. I would just take a moment
to point out that the City has been very, very proactive in collaborating in the
Valley. They have contributed and not been recognized, perhaps, so much for
their contributions to Treasure Valley Hydrologic project which led to these age
dating of the ground waters. Next slide. Also to some recent seismic soundings
through the City that's helping us determine that aquifer system. I think to
continue —
Bird: Who is that guy out there posing?
Squires: Actually, I didn't expect to see most of the crew here today, but I
wanted to say that and I am sure you know that the crew that's taking care of
your water supply is an extraordinary group from the top to the bottom, I would
say. Next slide. So, I wanted to propose a new change to the City logo and this
is a flowing artesian well down here and that's all I have, unless there are any
questions.
De Weerd: Mr. President.
Nary: Madame Mayor.
De Weerd: Mr. Squires, I guess we realize the lack of recharge and how we are
(inaudible) all of our drainage ditches and our irrigation canals and we are trying
to be sensitive to that. What is the answer to that? Now that we are not flood
irrigating and that water isn't percolating into the ground, what can we be doing?
Squires: Well, it's a very, very hard question. I think the City is doing some
things. I think they are close association with Nampa Meridian Irrigation District
is an extreme positive. The City and the Water District need each other both in
the worst way. Fortunately, the City is requiring pressurized irrigation and that's
a very positive thing because it keeps the canals flowing. It doesn't take water;
reduce the head for irrigation, which causes contaminants to move down. That's
a very proactive thing that the City is doing. I think tiling canals is a mistake, but
it's something that remains to be worked out with the irrigation districts. We are
talking at the incipient stages about artificial recharge as a municipal use. We
are working in the water rights arena to acquire district water; a future needs part
of the district water. It's not anything that's cast in stone, but it may be that we
will actually try to enhance the recharge to make up for the pave over. But, it is a
difficult question and there is no way around the fact that the flood irrigation is
going to go away. This is precisely the problem that is happening in the eastern
(inaudible) plain. We spread volume amounts of water on the surface there for
Meridian City Pre -Council Meeting
May 4, 2004
Page 11 of 11
years and years and years and now we are pumping more, we are intercepting it,
we are paving it over and it's going away. The spring users that they are relying
upon that the spring flows in the canyon. It's just going away and it's not going to
be reversible anytime soon. To a certain extent, there is nothing we can do
because that's just a natural progression of development, but there are proactive
things we can do and I think the City is on the right track to doing those.
De Weerd: Thank you.
Nary: Council, any other questions for Mr. Squires?
Bird: None, thank you.
Nary: Mr. Squires, thank you very much. That was very informative. I
appreciate that. Council, we have reached the end of our agendas is there a
motion to adjourn?
Bird: So moved.
Rountree: Second.
Nary: It's been moved and seconded to adjourn. All those in favor, say aye.
ALL AYES. MOTION CARRIED.
MEETING ADJOURNED AT 7:02 P.M.
(TAPE ON FILE OF THESE PROCEEDINGS)
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