Reference the Department of Ecology's employee's Dec. 23, 2009, Sequim Gazette article, the 11th in a series of "informative articles," the public was again treated to what amounts to a large dose of arrogance, no change as the result of the public's inputs, and the cram-down approach; when the discussion period ends, the department's position will be the law.

The department's premise is that the Sequim Valley needs the state to regulate our use of water because it is scarce.

This premise is devoid of facts to support it.

_ First, the department has not conducted any groundwater tests to determine the underground water migration patterns into the surface water and/or the deeper aquifers.

_ Second, in spite of the valley's growth since the 1950s, the Dungeness River outflow is greater on a yearly average than when the state began to monitor stream flow, almost 60 years ago. This fact is based on the state's own water flow data.



Rain recharges

Perhaps the increased flow could be explained by an increase in the precipitation rates since the 1950s. However, just maybe the wells in the area pump extra shallow surface water onto the ground faster than it percolates from the river. Later, the surface water aquifer is recharged during the rainy season.

_ Third, there are at least two significant deeper Sequim Valley water sources at the 400- and 600-foot levels.

A 600-foot-deep well that was drilled at the New Dungeness Lighthouse turned out to be artesian.

_ Fourth, the department's insistence that we must accept its water management system assumes that the Dungeness River also is directly connected to the lower water aquifers.

Yet the department has not provided one iota of data that shows that the deeper wells are drawing water from the river.

Apparently the department believes that the Dungeness River bottom is porous to each water source level and therefore all new wells must be regulated.



Test, don't assume

Rather than taking this assumption on faith, there are some relatively easy tests, study of each aquifer, to determine if there are distinct similarities in the compounds and metals that are in the water, that should prove or disprove any water level connections.

If there are significant connections between the Dungeness River and the deeper levels, then it might be reasonable to impose a well-regulation system.

However, even without testing, it is reasonably clear that the 600-foot level is not connected to the higher aquifers. Otherwise, there should be a lot of artesian springs in our valley.

Before imposing the department's proposed draconian solution, the testing should be completed.

If there are no significant connections, the additional lower-level water sources would add to the available surface water system and the Dungeness River, not take away from it.



Drill deeper wells

This means that there would be no need for an ever-increasing Ecology Department bureaucracy.

Instead, new wells, other than the exceptions now recognized by the department, should be drilled to the 400- or 600-foot level, so as to avoid taking water from the Dungeness River.

A professional Department of Ecology would have withheld imposition of its position as law until appropriate testing was completed and the Dungeness River bed connection or lack of same to the lower water levels had been ascertained.

We Sequim Valley residents must make an active part to challenge, through letters and phone calls to the appropriate politicians and other officials, the department's position.

If we ignore this situation, each of us should prepare for cram and ram.



Bruce Busch lives in Sequim.