Editor,

Perry Lovelace of Langley responded to my concerns about our island’s aquifer with reasonable thoughts about an islandwide Public Utilitiy district like that of Jefferson County. There are positive aspects in his proposal, but there still are concerns because we are an island where resources like our aquifer are more limited.

Mr. Lovelace is correct to identify our aquifer as being “single source.” It is limited to our replenishing rainfall. Being an island surrounded by undrinkable seawater that continually infuses itself into our freshwater aquifer, we must have an abundance of rainwater that exceeds the amount we extract for ourselves just to keep the aquifer clean, drinkable and refreshed. Without that “excess,” the whole aquifer can become poisoned like has recently been happening to nearby Pass Lake.

Has no one noticed that Pass Lake has become so polluted that it had to be closed to public access several times in the past few years? We sure don’t want that happening to our aquifer! Overuse by a burgeoning populace will do that.

What’s more, the aquifer’s quality and quantity are governed by flow patterns establish over eons of time that tinkering can disrupt.

The Wagon Wheel Trailer Park’s experience appeared to be a recent case in point. It’s well went completely dry when the Navy started major pumping nearly a mile away at their golf course well. It was an apparent effort to drain away pollution from their notorious landfill operation but had disastrous effects elsewhere.

Our island aquifer has different concerns than mainland aquifers. The overlying terrain has variances that affect the aquifer’s quality and quantity. It is gravelly in places and dense in others. It is more protected by hundreds of feet depth in places, while being “artesian vulnerable” in others.

Then too, private wells have rights guaranteed by RCW 90.44.050 that deserve protection. Washington’s water laws historically encouraged private well investments. Should they be ignored and violated?

Al Williams

Oak Harbor