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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 17, 2018)
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2018 5 A The history and hope of Woahink Lake W hile all water belongs to the public, persons seeking to use water need to obtain authorization from the Oregon Water Resources Department (WRD), unless the source is a municipal- ity. WRD’s mission is to serve the public by practicing and promoting responsible water management. Woahink Lake has received a great deal well-deserved atten- tion lately. Located 2.4 miles south of Florence, its surface is 38 feet above sea level. It is 74 feet deep, about 36 feet below sea level — the deepest lake on the Oregon Coast. The name Woahink is proba- bly an anglicized form of a Suslaw Native word on survey maps going back to 1857. The surveyor hired Native helpers from Fort Umpqua who provid- ed the indigenous name. Woahink Lake, was formed long ago by migrating coastal sands. Its drain, Woahink Creek, flowed west, across land des- tined to be part of Highway 101. To avoid constructing a bridge, a dam, raising the lake level approximately 7 feet, was creat- ed over which vehicles could travel. Creek flows were rerouted through an outlet-control-struc- ture (OCS) into a hand-dug- ditch, useable as long as the OCS is maintained and the lake is kept at a certain and definite level, as authorized by a 1939 easement. Should the state abandon the OCS, or fail to properly main- tain it, the easement is automat- ically terminated and the land reverts back to the property owner. There is no problem with water withdrawal. Woahink Lake can supply enough water to serve the area. Ground water discharge, as subsurface water infiltration, maintains lake level and stream flow; seasonal water level fluctuation is around 1.5 feet per year and lake turnover is 1.2 years. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) memori- alizes discussions and actions taken between Dunes City and the State of Oregon to resolve mined minimum flow rates for Woahink Creek; the Department of Human Services, which regu- lates public water systems and administers the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s drinking water treat- GUEST VIEWPOINT B Y S USIE N AVETTA AND J OHN S TEAD W OAHINK L AKE A SSOCIATION B OARD MEMBERS water right problems regarding use of water from the lake and its OCS. The MOU indicates that ODOT quitclaimed its interest in the OCS to the prop- erty owner who intends to quit- claim his interest to Dunes City. The city has taken no action regarding the MOU. Woahink Lake is managed by five state agencies and Dunes City, including the Department of Fish and Wildlife, who deter- ment requirements; the Department of Environmental Quality, which monitors water quality degradation; the Division of State Lands, which authorizes use of land under water (the lake bottom); and the Water Resources Department (WRD), which administers water use with impartiality of interest, and in a consistent and coordinated manner. Dunes City holds six differ- ent water right permits. The two oldest permits make enough water available to supply a pop- ulation of 25,000. The first permit, approved in 1969, proposed a water supply system to pump up to 1.4 cfs (cubic feet per second) from Woahink Lake for domestic use. The second permit, approved in 1979, authorized up to 1.5 cfs from Woahink Lake for munici- pal use. The third permit, issued in 2005, authorized the use of Woahink Lake for storage of up to 419 acre-feet of water from Woahink Creek for “multiple purposes” from Oct. 1 through July 31 of each year. The fourth permit, issued in February, 2005, authorized the construction of a reservoir and storage of up to 410.0 acre-feet of water for multiple purpose [sic]. The fifth permit, also issued in February of 2005, authorizes use of the stored water for creek flow augmentation. Finally, the sixth permit, issued in December 2005, sub- allocated WRD’s responsibili- ties to Dunes City by adding 216 points of diversion to the City's 1968 permit. Dunes City thus controls the domestic use of water from Woahink Lake; requiring that citizens who do not have water rights sign up for its “Shared Domestic Water Supply Program”, at an initial cost of $500 plus $100 annually. We hope this helps clarify the state of Woahink Lake, its histo- ry and the permits and approvals that were put in place to guide its future. (Editor’s Note: Viewpoint submissions on this and other top- ics are always welcome as part of our goal to encourage community discussion and exchange of per- spectives.) LETTERS Letters from aA R ECYCLING GETTING HARDER AND HARDER I have been recycling ink jet car- tridges and phones for close to three years. I started the fundraiser in May 2014, and to date we have raised $979.22. The recycle company takes less and less of our ink jet cartridges. We last sent in 191 ink jets — they accepted 10. Before that, we sent in 324 and they took 18. I have searched for another recycle source only to find the same problem. I am a Master Recycler and keep hoping for change in the system. I will keep working the recycle program for now. S IUSLAW N EWS If I send in the wrong ink jet or phone, sometimes they deduct money for my mistake. I was told we can get $3 for ink jet cartridges at Staples — only if they are purchased from them Thoughts, please? —Pat Rongey Florence I NACCURACIES PORTRAY NRA IN BAD LIGHT This is in response to the Letter to the Editor from Charles Pennington “Learn the Art of Compromise,” Jan. 10), regarding an imagined meeting between Generals Lee and Grant in late 1864 at Grant’s home in Galena, Ill. The letter is so full of inaccurate and false statements that I scarcely know where to begin. I thought it was a spoof, and I’m still not sure. First, Lee and Grant only met once prior to Lee’s surrender at Appomattox in April 1865. That was during the Mexican War, in the late 1840s. Had Lee attempted such a visit, he would have either been shot or cap- tured. Lee’s in-laws were not named “Arlington.” Arlington was the name of the family estate; Lee’s in-laws were named “Custis” and were descended from Martha Custis Washington, our very first, First Lady. Lastly, compromise had nothing to do with ending the War Between the States; the transfer of Arlington had nothing to do with it. It was taken by the Union Army and never returned or paid for. Mr. Pennington goes on to assert that the NRA is some sort of de facto leg- islative body. Once again, not true. The NRA is simply an organized group of like minded individuals who seek to legally influence various elect- ed officials. This is no different from groups such as The Sierra Club, Trout Unlimited, The VFW, the American Legion and Planed Parenthood, to name just a few. This is unfortunately a common tac- tic used by those opposed to the rights of law abiding citizens to own firearms; if the facts don't suit them, they just make them up. C LIMATE CHANGE ISN ’ T — Keith Herring PARTISAN ISSUE Florence Mayor Joe Henry wrote in a response letter (“Focusing on Local Issues has Broader Impact,” Jan. 13), that “neither the Mayor of San Francisco nor I can have much impact on Global Warming.” Of course you can. Every single person has an impact — and the more people in the city, the bigger the impact is. The United States is second only to China in the amount of greenhouse gasses we release into the atmosphere. Therefore, we should make the most amount of effort to cut down on the damage we do to the planet. Also, to become a “Climate Mayor” is an environmental decision. Period. And as such, every mayor should join in. Climate change is not a partisan issue. It is a global crises that every one of us needs to address. Florence —Liat Meller —Stan Easter Florence A MUSIC FESTIVAL I WON ’ T FORGET I had the privilege of attending Sunday’s performance of the Winter Music Festival at the Florence Events Center. Marty Adams and Friends were phenomenal and the gospel choir brought the house down. It was an experience I will not for- get. We have so many talented people and are so blessed that they share those talents with the community. Hats off to Kevin Rhodes, Marty Adams and Bob and Bonnie McDuffee for all their work, talent and dedication, as well as those not mentioned here who volunteered their time and talents to help bring this festival to our town. Florence The Top Choice in Florence Real Estate. View all our active listings in Florence at... NEW LISTING Charming vintage style home set back for privacy. Upgraded electrical, vinyl windows, plumbing, all new appliances. RV parking spot. 2 Bdrm, 2 Ba 1284 sq ft $239,900 BH7626 ML#18699596 NEW LISTING Beautiful one owner home with private low maintenance back yard. Double fi nished garage with drop down storage, shelving & work bench 3 Bdrm, 2 Ba 1818 sq ft $279,900 BH7623 ML#18546871 NEW LISTING Original owner, custom home. 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