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About Applegater. (Jacksonville, OR) 2008-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 2008)
Applegater November-December 2008 15 Cantrall-Buckley update BY LAIRD FUNK Five hundred cubic yards of drainfield rock, 2,300 wetland plants and 5,000’ of drip tubing and we’re done! Hard to believe, but in essence that’s all that’s left to do to complete the entire new waste water collection, wetland treatment and re-use system for Cantrall-Buckley park. After thousands and thousands of feet of pressure sewer line and electrical conduit and all the wiring it contains, and tens of thousands of gallons of new septic tanks with pumping units, the wastewater improvement project for the park is coming down to the end. About mid-September, a major step was accomplished with the installation of a 4,000-gallon fiberglass septic tank to serve as the dosing tank for the drip dispersal system in the campground meadow. Jim Bottroff’s crew arrived on a warm Wednesday morning and proceeded to excavate the 20’ x 12’ x 10’ hole needed for the tank and bed it with one foot of round ¾”- rock. Next day, on a truck too big to make it up into the campground, the tank arrived and was unloaded on the roadway. This required that we carry the tank, dangling from the bucket of large tracked excavator, nearly a quarter mile to the waiting hole. Into the hole it went followed by yards and yards of more round rock and topped off with the two access risers. Then we set the two large valve boxes that house the control valves and filtering system (top photo). This tank will receive and store the treated water from the wetland treatment cell. In my last report, the cell was excavated and waiting the next steps. Late in September those steps happened with the invaluable help of the Jackson County Corrections public service work crews. Arriving at the park on a chilly fall-like morning, I was greeted by 30 orange-clad workers with supervisors and a giant 2,800 lb.-roll of 45-mil thick pond liner that would measure 168’ x 65’ when unfolded. Working on the long lawn of “D” Area our initial job was to unroll and unfold the accordion folded liner, refold it like a tarp and reroll it into a size we could better handle over at the treatment cell. The rest of the day was spent by one crew raking and leveling a 4” layer of sand on the bottom and the 45 degree walls of the prepared cell. Bottroff’s new conveyor delivery trucks made it look almost easy as they threw sand 45’ to the far wall and made it stick with the help of the crew and a judicious application of water. After that they filled the bottom and finished off next day with the remaining long side (middle photo). Using a tractor to lift the liner roll, it was placed on a truck and hauled to the treatment cell where it was positioned carefully on the end of the excavation and rolled down the bank to the bottom. After that, the job got harder as the combined crews proceeded to unroll the huge roll down the length of the cell and up the We Wish You Well! with Bob Quinn Amidst this holiday season, all of us here at Quinn’s Well Drilling & Pump Service would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our val - ued customers & faithful readers of our weekly columns. We wish you & yours a joyful holiday and would like to share with you this week— The Goose Story… This fall, when you see geese heading south in a “V” formation, you might be interested to know what science has discovered about the way they fly. •As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird behind it. The whole flock adds at least a 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. Lesson: People who share common direction are traveling on the thrust of one another. •Whenever a goose falls out of for - mation, it suddenly feels the drag & resistance of trying to go it alone and gets back into formation to take advantage of the bird in front of it. Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed where we want to go. •When the lead goose gets tired, she rotates to the back and another takes the lead. Lesson: It pays to take turns doing hard tasks and sharing leadership. •Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up the speed. Lesson: We need to make sure our honking from behind is encouraging, not something less helpful. •Finally, when a goose gets sick or wounded & falls out, two of the other geese fall out of formation to stay with him until he is able to fly or dies. Then they launch out to form another “V” shape & catch up with the group. other end, all the time being unable to step on the sand bed because it had to remain absolutely smooth. After the sun warmed up the material, the 30-man crew unfolded one side of the liner and passed it up to waiting helpers on the bank. Then, lining up all along that side on the bank and pulling one section at a time into a straight line, they carefully aligned the unopened edge of the liner down the middle of the cell. After that, the crews unfolded and handed off the remaining section to helpers on the west bank and folded the corners so that it lay properly. Justifiably proud of their accomplishment, most of the crew (some seemed camera-shy) happily posed for a portrait in the now lined cell (bottom photo). Meanwhile Roy Hogg of TruRoy Electric installed all of the control panels in the two control buildings and started making the connections needed to make a system out of the thousands of feet of various wires we had pulled. With some control panels being interconnected, it was a challenge to sort out which wires went where and then where else. But now it is mostly done and we are waiting for PP+L to bring us power to the campground. In October, Jackson County will be modifying the water system with the help of Quinn’s Well Drilling which has donated much of their labor and parts to the project. Work also will start on the new bathroom sewer and power systems and grading for the bathroom site. Stay tuned for the next update! Laird Funk • 541-846-6759 Bob Quinn is on the board of directors for the Oregon Ground Water Association and owner of Quinn’s Well Drilling and Pump Service located at 6811 Williams Hwy. As part of a tradition of information that began more than 50 years ago, these columns are provided to help take the mystery out of well drilling and groundwater. Visit Quinn’s web site at www.quinnswell.com — it’s a tremendous source of information. We provide well drilling, plus we install, maintain and repair complete water pumping systems. Contact our professional staff by phone, e-mail, or visit our office. 862-9355