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About Applegater. (Jacksonville, OR) 2008-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2008)
6 May-June 2008 Applegater ion l t a c a Va Rent Creekside Cottage Country/Casual- Southern Oregon 1BR furnished cottage/full kitchen. Perfect weekend get-a-way / nearby place for visiting family & friends in Williams, Applegate Valley. Cottage is 30 min. to Grants Pass; 45 min. to Jacksonville. $75 a night dbl. occupancy; 2-night minimum. $10 more per person, per night- futon couch. Due to creek ages 16 & up only. 541-846-6227 Spring fever or mosquito bite? BY EUGENE PAPINEAU, MS Warm weather is around the corner and with it will be the inevitable arrival of mosquitoes. Some of the first to arrive in early spring will be those adult mosquitoes that have made it through the winter and are looking for a blood meal that they need to produce eggs for a new generation of unwanted biters. The Applegate area also has its share of the western treehole mosquito, whose larvae live in the rot cavities of oak and madrone trees that fill up with rainwater during winter storms. The larvae hatch into adult mosquitoes in late spring and like to bite in the daytime in shaded areas around the home. They are carriers of dog heartworm and a serious problem in some areas of the county. Once summer arrives, mosquitoes will start hatching from eggs laid in a variety of containers found around homes such as old tires, buckets, tubs, barrels, boats, tarps over woodpiles, swimming pools, ornamental ponds, water troughs, and the list goes on and on. Any container that holds water is capable of producing mosquitoes. The best way to prevent these sources from becoming a mosquito- producing nightmare is to empty out the water. No water, no mosquitoes! These nighttime-biting container-breeding mosquitoes are the kind of mosquitoes that can carry West Nile virus (WNV). WNV has been documented in mosquitoes in many areas of the county, but as yet has not been found in the Applegate area. These mosquitoes also are capable of carrying other forms of viral encephalitis such as St. Louis and western equine. All these diseases are carried into an area by wild birds that are fed on by local mosquitoes. The virus lives in the mosquito and is transmitted to a new host in the mosquito’s saliva when the insect bites a person or animal. To protect yourself against these disease- carrying insects, be aware that peak mosquito-biting times are from dusk to dawn. Take extra care to use repellent (DEET) and wear protective clothing while outside during these hours. WNV vaccine is available for horses through your local veterinarian and, if you have not already had your horses vaccinated, now is the time to do it. If you are overwhelmed by mosquito hoards this spring or summer, the Jackson County Vector Control District is here to help. Technicians are available to treat breeding areas to prevent mosquitoes from hatching, and fogging trucks can eliminate adult mosquitoes from around your home. The District also has a disease surveillance program that tests dead birds (crows, raven and jays) for WNV. Jackson County’s mosquito control programs begin the first week in May. Information about these programs can be found on the web at www. jacksoncountyvectorcontrol.org or by calling 541- 826-2199. Eugene Papineau, MS • 541-826-2199 Manager, Jackson County Vector Control District Spring, landscaping and groundwater exemption BY KATHY SMITH The Applegater is looking for an attorney to help us with occasional legal advice regarding our nonprofit organization . Please contact Greeley Wells, 541-840-5700 or greeley@ carberrycreek.net. With the ever increasing days of sunlight and warm temperatures, many of us are perusing seed catalogs, planning this year’s garden or redesigning our landscape. It was brought to my attention this past year that even some of the long-time garden and landscaping experts in our area were unaware of the exempt groundwater use each landowner is entitled to from their individual well or a shared well according to Oregon Water Law. By exempt, the Oregon Water Resources Department means water use that does not require a water right obtained through registration, certificate of registration, application for a permit, permit, certificate of completion or ground water right certificate. In terms of irrigation, the exemption for the use of groundwater described by Oregon Revised Statute ORS 537.545 Exempt uses (1) (b) is “Watering any lawn or non-commercial garden not exceeding one-half acre in area.” This means that for an individual landowner, a total of not more than a half acre may be irrigated from the combined groundwater sources on the property. The reason combined sources of groundwater are mentioned is because there be may be more than one well on the property, or a combination of sumps and wells. In addition, if two or more landowners are sharing a well, the allowed exempt use would then be a total of a half acre of irrigation for the two properties. I am frequently asked if the landowner can water a half acre in one area one week and a different half acre the next. The answer is no; the half acre is at a fixed location. So while I encourage you to get out and enjoy the sunshine while growing your own food or planting flowers, remember to limit your groundwater use to one-half acre of irrigation unless you have additional groundwater rights. And, as always, if you have any questions, call me at 541-471-2886. Katherine A. Smith • 541-471-2886, ext.223 Watermaster, District 14 “The only realistic solution to blackberries is cobbler.” — T. J. Pierce