Opinion By Don Russell [Acronyms defined at the end of the article] Derek and Janet, I am now 92 years old and don’t have much time left. I have witnessed, photo documented, water quantity and water quality monitored, written numerous papers on the condition of the CCSS watershed, prescribed the actions necessary to restore the…
Category: Utilities
Common Enemy Doctrine, Water law
Anyone who lives along a lake, river creek or stream needs to be aware of these laws regarding waterways. Currens v. Sleek,, September 9, 1999, Case No. 66830-2, Washington State Supreme Court determined that liability exists for anyone who causes damage to another’s property by increasing surface water flow onto that other property without exercising…
SEPA – when it really matters, or does it?
By Marianne Lincoln [Podcast link] [Editor Update: [Editor Update: Wetland Variance, Tommy’s Carwash, Application Number: 979272Related Application Numbers: 958554 and 975551Tax Parcel Numbers: 0319121055, 0319121057 and 0319121058Examiner’s Hearing: March 30, 2022, at 9 A.M., at the Pierce County Public Services Building,South Entrance, Public Meeting Room, 2401 South 35th Street, Tacoma, WA 98409.] SEPA is an…
The Clean Water Act and your water
The Clean Water Act’s (CWA) goal is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters. The term, TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) will appear throughout this article. Other important Congressional Acts are the SDWA (Safe Drinking Water Act) and the Sole Source Aquifer Program (SSA) of the EPA (Environmental…
Brookdale Road Closures for sewer pipe, again
PIERCE COUNTY — A sewer interceptor is a sewer trunk line that receives wastewater flows from multiple collection lines. These could be main or trunk sewers, or force mains, or other kinds of sewer lines. This combined flow is then directed to a wastewater treatment facility or another interceptor. To address capacity need and to…
Orca protection Gov. Inslee? You need more state water protection laws and some enforcement teeth
Along with the arguments about Clover Creek’s demise, the creek people of Pierce County have been lamenting the lack of laws, enforcement, or possibly downright laziness in the State Department of Ecology. At present, Washington State really has no legs to stand on to protect those orcas. As small as their numbers are already, this…
Report adverse road conditions to Pierce County
Pierce County Planning and Public Works (PPW) is monitoring all rivers and responding to localized flooding events on county roads, stormwater facilities, and levees. They can be reported through an online or mobile app. Flooded roadways Drain, ditch or pipe plugged in unincorporated Pierce County City flooding: Tacoma Lakewood Puyallup Other hazards, (there are many…
Dire warnings on our watershed – dialogue
Several members of the Chambers Clover Watershed Council have been exchanging some very concerning emails recently. Based on their experience, credentials, and length of service in the stewardship capacity, these are worth your interest. (Cindy Beckett, Don Russell and Kurt Reidinger) Starting with a reply to Ms. Beckett’s email in the previous article, “Destruction of…
Destruction of this creek has always been illegal
A message from Cindy Beckett, EPA Watershed Manager, WSU Master Watershed Steward: I really do wish that everyone would finally understand this….. no elected “official” on the county or executive level, nor anyone on Pierce County staff, has any authority whatsoever over this creek system. I really mean this! Authority falls onto both the State…
Friends of Spanaway Lake Annual Meeting Feb. 24
The Friends of Spanaway Lake is holding their annual meeting on February 24, 2022, at 7 p.m. at Sprinker Recreation Center and virtually over Zoom. They have posted the event on Facebook if you are looking for the connection link. This past year, the property owners with front footage on the lake voted to create…
A disaster called Clover Creek
Since 1853, when Washington became a Territory, Clover Creek has been diverted, dammed, dug up, relocated, culverted, drilled back into the ground and had vast amounts of pollutants dumped into it. The creek was named by Christopher Mahon who settled a Donation Land Claim there, where the Brookdale Golf Course was later sited. Their home…
Water
By Marianne Lincoln 1-18-2019 WaterIt rains.It pours.You get all soaked going out the door.It’s in the air.It’s on the ground.It’s everywhere you look around.You dig a hole.It fills right up.There’s more than enough to fill your cup.Build a road,It pulls it down.The potholes spread all over town.Build a house, With a gorgeous view,It slides right…
Pierce Prairie Post 