[At this writing, another portion of Clover Creek, near the Brookdale Golf Course development has gone dry. The following information was supplied from Cindy Beckett, a Certified Watershed Steward.]
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The fight is just beginning on the Brookdale Golf Course disaster.  Already the Clover Creek stretch starting at the earth dam on the eastern most part of the course has dried up, all the way across the course and continuing to the west.  Completely dry until today’s rain (11-3-2020).

Residents living along the dried up stretches have been doing emergency rescue of ‘what was struggling to stay alive’ in the receding waters, they sent me some amazing pictures. 

Fresh water clams, salamanders, all kinds of life.  They have them in tubs for now.  I had no idea so much water life was in there, but it explains why the Herons started a rookery there.

We are still looking into why the creek dried up at that point.  A neighbor east of there reported he still has water at his location, adding to the mystery.  I will be contacting Ecology (Washington State).

MTCA office(Model Toxics Control Office) tomorrow to find out who is overseeing the testing and disposal of the Dieldrin contaminated soils there or if sampling has even been done across the width of the course as they are dozing the roadway now. 

USACE (US Army Corps of Engineers) is looking into the loss of flow now, and there is the issue of the jurisdictional wetlands on the course that needed Army Corps review and permits that I’m sure the developer did not apply for.  Pierce County is not off the hook by just saying other permits are required, they have to assure that proof of contact and response letters obtained by the developer is in the file, something the Hearings Examiner (HE) was supposed to check for.  I recently learned that my complaint about the HE’s (lack of) authority to approve this kind of action where water law and contamination of the soils are outside his bailiwick and scope of his law practice experience, goes to the AG (Attorney General), not the bar assn. 

This unqualified HE issue is the responsibility of the County Council as they appoint the HE, so they should confirm he has knowledge of these laws and regulations and applies them in his considerations, before appointing him to be the ear for the people, not the planning department, and it would be good if everyone raises this issue to their Council reps.