Water mitigation banking is a concept which enables a development to intrude on wetland habitation and streams by creating an offset by replacing the habitat in another location. Put more succinctly, a development may tear things up in one place by repairing habitat somewhere else or better yet, leaving it undisturbed. If approved by a regulatory agency, mitigation banks may sell credits to developers whose projects may disturb protected habitat. That’s the theory and that is the basis upon which Cam Parry is operating with his proposed water mitigation bank utilizing a water right encompassed in the Johnson Mill Pond.
The original 1950 water right or reservoir permit allows for storage of 491 acre feet of winter flood water and diversion, via electric pump directly from the Coquille River to maintain 491 acre feet on annual basis for the purpose of log sorting. There is no inflow, absent the pumps, and no outflow. In fact the fill right does not in any way allow for the removal of water from the pond and secondary removal rights would be required before any water could be taken from the pond.
If such a water right were to be applied for today I think an argument might be made that diverting water from a wetland stream like the Coquille River to hold in a man made pond might in itself require mitigation offsets. Nevertheless, Parry’s proposal is according to the The World, to find willing buyers to pay the county anywhere from $25 to $2,000 per acre foot if “the county would promise not to draw water from Johnson Mill Pond”. As explained earlier, the county has no right to draw water from the Johnson Mill Pond anyway but why let that little detail get in the way of finding a willing sucker buyer?
PUzzled? There is more. If a water right isn’t used for its granted purpose for a period of five years it goes away. From all accounts, the pumps used to fill the pond during the summer haven’t been fired up in at least a decade nor has the pond been used for log sorting in the last ten years. Does the right even still exist?
Lastly, someone reminded me that as a government agency, the county is not allowed to make a profit so whether it is able to find buyers for 491 acre feet of pond water at $25 or $2,000 per acre foot it is only allowed to charge actual costs unless some complicated fund is established to appropriate the profit to the benefit of the county.
As of the end of November the county had paid $828 in legal fees splashing around in Parry’s puddle not to mention the “extensive” research and the “hard look” Parry claims has gone into this unique “new model” of water banking.
Read the original reservoir permit
We aren’t sure but we think the paper was targeting you with their “jeers” column today for criticizing the Cam’s water bank. “Insistent negativity” they called it.
So I have heard. “insistent negativity”, huh? Well, jeers to The World for its studied incompetence when it comes to analyzing and reporting on the waste of taxpayer money.
Dear Accountability, according to the Parry web site, while working 24 / 7 as a county commissioner and part time radio jockey, he obtained many grants during the year, none for the county. To this day I do not believe that any person has been told the actual background of Allen Campbell Parry. I recall after his appointment some were reporting that he was a former newspaper person.
Cam is a real tool. Can’t say I didn’t warn you. Also Nikki knew she was sick enough to not be able to do her elected job. Just why did she run again.
For perspective, the South Coast produces, on average, 9.5 million acre feet of run off annually. There is demand for about 2.5 million acre feet. So, 491 AF is hardly a salvation, nor, is there much demand for such a small amount. Regardless of Main’s calculations, 491 AF = 491 AF.
Hmm, so the county has a hole that will hold 3/4 million yards of sand. Good grief, in another reality this stuff would be funny. I wonder if the new board can be persuaded to eliminate a few taxing districts, such as the port, before they shutter the doors. At least the local tax payers could get some relief, both monetary and from the repeated insanity.
The Port of Coos Bay could cease to exist as an entity tomorrow and no one outside of the taxing district would even notice. It has no police, issues no permits, most of the fishing services are maintained privately and it produces no jobs despite being a designated economic development agency. I am with you, lets let it retire, quietly and spare the taxpayers the burden of supporting it.
I heard a story where a landowner in Curry County was approached and told if he disturbed the designated wetlands on his property there might be grants available for their rehabilitation. The landowner passed on the idea.
When Nikki agreed with Bob to have Cam be the interim County Commissioner taking Andy Jackson’s place, she did so because of his ability or her perceived idea of his ability to get grants which the county sorely needs. Does anyone know of any grants that Parry helped the county get in the last two years?