Update wanted on water permit

On Sept. 10, 2012, the Island County Board of Commissioners wrote a letter to Capt. Johnston of NASWI requesting that the Navy scale back their water right Permit, GI-28658 (in which the DOE granted the pumping of 39 million gallons annually) to the actual historical use of irrigation water for the Gallery Golf Course of about 10 million gallons annually. As a member of Protect Our Whidbey Wells, POWW, I feel the commissioners acted in a reasonable and responsible manner in their letter to Captain Johnston, which protects their Island County constituents’ water rights, along with the need of the Navy to pump water for irrigation of the Gallery Golf Course.

October 12, 2012 7:06 pm

On Sept. 10, 2012, the Island County Board of Commissioners wrote a letter to Capt. Johnston of NASWI requesting that the Navy scale back their water right Permit, GI-28658 (in which the DOE granted the pumping of 39 million gallons annually) to the actual historical use of irrigation water for the Gallery Golf Course of about 10 million gallons annually.

As a member of Protect Our Whidbey Wells, POWW, I feel the commissioners acted in a reasonable and responsible manner in their letter to Captain Johnston, which protects their Island County constituents’ water rights, along with the need of the Navy to pump water for irrigation of the Gallery Golf Course.

The Island County Board of Commissioners letter of Sept. 10, 2012 suggests a win-win solution for irrigating the Gallery Golf Course and to protect the wells of its surrounding property owners.

We wonder if the commissioners have received correspondence from Captain Johnston or anyone else in the Navy as to their request. As a member of POWW, I am seeking an update on this matter.

Catherine Ball
Oak Harbor