Carlsborg, Washington
How to misrepresent a rural area as URBAN
In 1990 after the passage of the Growth Management act,
Clallam County, WA decided that the Carlsborg area was "most urban in nature".
One only needs to see the 1990 aerial photo to prove their statement is wholly untrue.
The area outlined in yellow is the proposed "Urban Growth Area" comprised of
3 mobile home parks, a few businesses along Highway 101and mostly open space and farmland.
The mass of trees in the center is the old mill site, long abandoned and unused with the exception of
a landscaping materials business providing bark and gravel.
As anyone can see the area as a whole in this photo was pasture for cattle, horses and sheep,
also there were corn field, alfalfa fields, dairies, pumpkin patches and orchards. One must ask then
How is this area "MOST URBAN IN NATURE"? Well, it's not.
However, the county decided to push ahead with this misrepresentation and approve the UGA.
Knowing full well the limitations of the water supply and what would happen if the county
continued to convert farmland supplied by a series of irrigation ditches into residential.
See Drost Report 1983.
UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
IMPACT OF CHANGES IN LAND USE ON THE
GROUND-WATER SYSTEM IN THE SEQUIM-DUNGENESS
PENINSULA, CLALLAM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
By B. W. Drost
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
WATER-RESOURCES INVESTIGATIONS
REPORT 83-4094
Prepared in cooperation with the
STATE OF WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF
ECOLOGY and the BOARD OF CLALLAM
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Tacoma, Washington 1983
IMPACT OF CHANGES IN LAND USE ON THE GROUND-WATER
SYSTEM IN THE SEQUIM-DUNGENESS PENINSULA,
CLALLAM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
By B. W. Drost
ABSTRACT
In the Sequim-Dungeness peninsula, Clallam County, Washington, leakage from irrigation ditches is the most important source of ground-water recharge. Possible future land-use changes could lead to
termination of the irrigation system. This would result in lower heads throughout the ground-water system, that could lead to well failures, increased pumping costs, seawater intrusion, and water-quality degradation.
A digital-computer model was developed to simulate three-dimensional ground-water flow in aquifers underlying the peninsula in order to assess the impact of termination of the irrigation system.
After 10-20 years of no irrigation, the model predicts that the water level in the water-table aquifer would have average declines of about 20 feet, some areas would become completely unsaturated, several hundred wells could go dry or nearly so, and leakage from the Dungeness River would become the major source of ground-water recharge. As of June 1980, ground-water quality in the study area has apparently not been affected by the use of on-site domestic sewage-disposal systems.
INTRODUCTION
Some of the oldest developed areas in western Washington are in Clallam County, but in recent years the pattern of development has undergone a dramatic change. Much of the land, especially in
northeastern Clallam County, that was originally used for irrigated agriculture has been subdivided for residential use. This change in land and water use has caused changes in the stresses on the ground-water and surface-water systems. It has also increased the potential for contamination of the ground-water system by the increased use of on-site domestic sewage-disposal systems.
Description of the Study Area
The Sequim-Dungeness peninsula is an area of about 60 square miles in northwestern Washington (fig. 1). The peninsula extends into the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the north and is bounded on the south by the foothills of the Olympic Mountains. The area has been extensively irrigated since about 1896 with water from the Dungeness River, which originates in the mountains to the south and flows through the middle of the area. Prior to irrigation, the area was sparsely vegetated and was subject to dry and barren summers (Keeting, 1976). As of 1960, the area was used primarily for agriculture and supported a population of about 5,000 people. In the mid-1960's, land use in the area began shifting from agriculture to residential, resulting in population increases to about 7,000 in 1970 and 12,000 in 1980.
Carlsborg resides in the middle of this study area (fig. 1) in the report, north of highway 101,
west of the City of Sequim and the Dungeness River and east of Matriotti Creek.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
1. The digital model described in this report simulated the ground-water flow system within the accuracy of the input data.
2. The model confirms that leakage from the irrigation system is the largest source of recharge to the ground-water system. The leakage occurs primarily from the ditch system, not from water actually applied to fields.
3. Termination of the irrigation system would lead to lower heads throughout the ground-water system. The ground-water levels in the water-table aquifer could have average declines of about 20 feet, and some areas could become completely unsaturated. Several hundred wells could go dry.
4. Ground-water quality, as of June 1980, has apparently not been greatly affected by the use of on-site domestic sewage-disposal systems. The potential for future contamination cannot be assessed with the data presently available.
We the residents of Carlsborg have battled the county on these very issues and yet the county in its COGNITIVE DISSONANCE have sleeved the irrigation ditches and continued to bull doze forward allowing in-fill and piecemeal development with on-site septic systems and insisting that they can "mitigate" the water loss and degradation through purchasing water right from one person and selling the rights to another so that the county can move ahead with rezoning the area from 1 dwelling per 2.4-5 acres to 4-14 dwelling units per acre. Over capitalizing and already over appropriated water supply and generating a greater potential for ground water contamination (Over Carrying Capacity) of the land.
What the area looked like after 15 years of in-fill and piecemeal development
or how to make a rural area look more urban in nature. Notice all the new developments, the grade school, mobile home parks, Costco (now PUD Maint. and storage building), the proposed fire department training facility. Notice the diminishing farmland and open space where the county wants 4-14 dwelling units per acre.
Notice after 16 years how the ground is dry and brown and the county continues to push for more growth and now wants a multimillion dollar sewer system for even greater density.
The county seems to be living in the fantasy bubble of if they build it (the sewer system) they will come. Tell me, who is going to want to come to an area to live where there is not enough water, your lot is 4,400 to 5,000 square feet, your neighbors are on top of you and you can maybe build a 1,300 square foot home, maybe or you can live in a 12 to 14 unit multifamily dwelling? Who is going to want to move out of the cities and suburbs just to live in cramped housing? Grandma and grandpa?
Empty nesters? Singles? Who exactly would move to an area with little job prospects, no manufacturing only service based jobs? Who I ask you who?
According to Clallam County Commissioner Jim McEntire the county population is increasing while "working age" and "school age" population is decreasing reflecting a service based economy. McEntire said, it appears its getting "increasingly harder for the working age population to make it here and that's not conducive for economic growth".
"NOT CONDUCIVE TO ECONOMIC GROWTH" That inspires confidence in building a multimillion dollar sewer system in an economically depressed county where you have to spend $3,000 for an extra 200 gallons per day water "mitigation permit" just to irrigate a 75 foot by 75 foot garden or lawn or $1,000 for 150 gallons of water per day "mitigation permit" for indoor use only plus the monthly usage fee. You might as well stay where you are within walking distance of your local mall.
