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Old Town Timnath resident says adjudicated wells have gone dry after nearby development
Summary
William Welch told council his adjudicated well and others in Old Town Timnath have gone dry since development of Timnath Lakes; he raised concerns about augmentation plans, offers from developers and potential long-term impacts on trees and springs.
During public comment at the Aug. 26 council meeting, resident William Welch told the council his adjudicated well and several others in Old Town Timnath have gone dry since the Timnath Lakes development began.
Welch, who identified his address and longtime residency in Timnath, said the developer switched local irrigation systems to municipal water and reimbursed owners for irrigation water lost after wells ran dry. He said well drillers told him new wells could only be drilled to bedrock or shale and that there is no water above the shale; he said roughly 17 or more wells in the area have turned up dry.
Welch described losing natural springs along the brow of the hill, said his property has about 54 trees aged 70 to 90 years that are in dire need of water, and said some wells are adjudicated with "first in time" rights. He asked the council what augmentation plans exist and who will provide water to adjudicated well owners once the developer completes construction.
Council acknowledged Welch’s comments and thanked him for raising the matter. The comments were made during the public-comment period; no formal staff response, motion or action occurred during the meeting on the topic.
