Post date: Jul 16, 2012 6:13:49 PM

YOUR WATER SUPPLY AT RISK!

TO: Residences and Businesses in the vicinities of northeast Camano Island

FROM: Juniper Beach Water District and Camano Water Systems Association.

REGARDING: Meeting of all concerned Camano Island Residents

June 18th, 7:00 PM, Camano Center, 606 Arrowhead Road, Camano Island WA

Why are we concerned about Northeast Camano Island’s aquifers?

Leque Island is part of the groundwater recharge area for the sole-source aquifer from which all wells in NE Camano Island draw their water. Actions planned by WDFW and WSDOT threaten saltwater intrusion into the aquifer. Recently Livingston Bay has been included as an area in which farmland would be converted to an estuarine area. However, that means salt water will cover the aquifer in that area too.

Elevated chloride levels threaten our health!

As salt content rises, water may begin to taste salty, but long before a salty taste is detectible the elevated chloride level will threaten health.

Your residential and commercial water supply is at risk!

And so is the value of your home.

Those contemplating the possible sale of their home now or in the future should realize that saltwater intrusion will impair the market value of your home or business.

What’s your home worth without water?

After WDFW breached the dike north if SR 532 saltwater began to wet the toe of the new Mark Clark Bridge roadbed. Rather than require WDFW to fix the breach, WSDOT spent $600,000 to armor the roadbed with riprap. Now realizing the road bank armoring doesn’t solve the problem, WSDOT plans to spend $30 million to raise the roadbed, rather than spend $50,000 to fix the dike. This is an enormous and irresponsible expenditure of taxpayer resources.

Goodbye Farmland.

Once WDFW completed its acquisition of Leque Island it shut down agricultural use. The planned saltwater flooding of the island will destroy the island permanently for agriculture. Removing the protective dikes that serve the farmland area south of Terry’s Corner known as “Livingston Bay-Diked Farmland And Nearshore Habitat (#1618), will flood the farmland completely to the bottom of the road bed of SR532, continuing behind the Livingston Bay Community.

Other affects:

This can have an effect on not only the drinking water, but also septic systems in the area. Aquifer “D” which is located from the existing shoreline and runs inland at an elevation of -50 to -70 feet deep and deeper in other areas will be affected. The heavy seawater will overflow the area with ten foot and higher tides more than 400 times a year. Percolation of seawater or vertical seawater intrusion is inevitable in the present soil conditions. The more than 100-year-old dike protection has given an “ecological element” to the area and demands an in-depth study before conditions can be concerted. The area that needs study is not just the Leque Island or Livingston Bay areas, but from Fox Trot Road east to Davis Slough and from Juniper Beach north to Davis slough.

Likewise, Leque Island has long been prime recreation land, guaranteed by a perpetual public recreational easement filed by WDFW itself. This recreational use will be destroyed by the state agency’s plans to flood the island.

Recreational and Agricultural uses will be destroyed

These four associations, Juniper Beach Water District, Camano Water Systems Association, Washington Waterfowl Association, and the Snohomish County Farm Bureau have joined together and retain Everett attorney Peter Ojala to file suit against WDFW, asking the court to order WDFW to repair and maintain the Leque Island dike.

Juniper Beach Water District, Camano Water Systems Association, Washington Waterfowl Association and the Snohomish County Farm Bureau oppose the plans of WDFW to destroy Leque Island, Livingston Bay and other areas with saltwater flooding.

Join us 7 pm June 18 at the Camano Center!

Juniper Beach Water District

Camano Water Systems Association

Washington Waterfowl Association

Snohomish County Farm Bureau