Agenda - 09-21-2010 - 4g - Laserfiche WebLink

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i .- ~. =J ,- Anabaena Algae Bloom in Caloosahatchee River at Franklin Lock, June 17. 2008; Photo Courtesy of John Cassani. CLACKAMAS COUNTY, 0R: New Year's Day Flooding Roderick said that, "this bloom (in 2005) was a direct result of surface water discharges from urban and agricultural sources including Lake Okeechobee that turned the normally salt water brackish estuary completely fresh and deposited high nutrient loads of nitrogen and phosphorus into the estuary." Martin and St. Lucie Counties aren't the only Florida counties which have been impacted by blue-green algae. In June 2008, Lee County had to shut down a water treatment plant serving 30,000 Florida residents after a toxic blue-green algae bloom on the Caloosahatchee River threatened the plant's water supply. In a July 31, 2008 story, Fort Myers News-Press reporter Kevin Lollar quoted Lee County resource manager John Cassani explaining that, "[t]here are a bunch of contributing factors for the bloom. The obvious one is the big inflows we've had from recent heavy rain, which brings in a lot of nutrients." Damaging flooding occurred in Estacada, a city in Clackamas County OR, on New Year's Day 2009. After unusually heavy snow over Christmas, warm rains came that added melted snow to the volume of water pouring down Wade Creek. Commissioner Bob Austin reported that flooding of the joint city/county public library in Estacada, along with both the Middle and High Schools, and the Estacada City Wastewater Treatment Plant, was the result. Many washouts also were the result of runoff throughout the eastern portion of the County. Commissioner Austin went on to say that Wade Creek, a headwater stream which runs through Estacada, is channelized through much of its course through the developed community with continuing development in its upper reaches prior to entering the community. With only one very limited outflow point near the library, any significant runoff from parking lots and residential development generally causes the creek to overflow, although never to the degree observed on January 1, 2009. The entire city of Estacada was impacted by the flooding. The victims included homeowners, whose basements flooded, business owners whose shops were harmed, as well as taxpayers needing to foot the clean up bills from the library and schools. The library was inundated with 1.5 feet of water; the waste water treatment plant with 5.33 feet. The Initial Damage Assessments for Public Assistance related work were $1,401,850 for the city and $280,000 for the school district. Many volunteers helped to dig out the library, including Commissioner Austin, who was the former mayor of Estacada. "Heavy rains and melting snow turned Wade Creek into a river that gushed downhill ...flooding the parking lot and front fawn at Estacada High School on Friday. The river of ti~,Jater continued flowing northwest of the high school, flooding the Esta- cada PubNc library with more than 20 inches of water, and left behind a trail of mud and debris. The threat of repeated flooding remains. Development continues, wetlands keep getting filled, more streets get paved. Commissioner Austin said that there are no inexpensive solutions. Those that were considered, he said, were an "additional overflow outlet at the pond, creation of wetland buffers upstream, using pervious surfaces for new development upstream, etc., and as always, no funding available at this time for any significant fixes to avoid future recurrences." Estacada is among several areas in Clackamas "Clackamas County is concerned about the potential County that experienced significant flood damage. for future flooding and we support local governments A section of Highway 224 east of town was closed exploring many different alternatives that would last week after a mudslide, and same roads in provide for improved watershed protection of Estacada were impassable for much of Friday be- riparian areas and wetlands. Full implementation of fore work creavs could divert standing 4vater." the 1972 Clean Water Act can only help us," said Commissioner Austin. Estacada News ~~ -- ~ Bob Austin 4 Clean Water For All: County Leaders Speak Out for Clean Water