Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Supply topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mosier engineer warns Well #4 has been declining for decades; further study possible
Summary
City Engineer John Grim told the council that Well #4 has declined about 4 feet per year since 1971 and that recent repairs to Well #3 may not have solved system problems, according to state (OWRD) indicators.
City Engineer John Grim presented a water‑use study to Mosier City Council highlighting long‑term declines in the municipal system and potential next steps on July 3.
Grim said water‑use fluctuations are normal but flagged a long‑term concern: “Well #4 levels have been dropping since 1971 about 4’ a year,” he told the council, adding that Well #4 is the lowest well in the watershed and would be the last to go dry. Grim said Well #3 (Priest Rapids Aquifer) repair work is nearly finished but that the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) does not believe the recent repair was successful because the monitoring indicator (Ken Hudson’s Pomona Aquifer well) did not respond as it did after previous repairs.
Grim said the city may be asked to conduct additional repairs or studies but expressed uncertainty about whether the leak is in the Well #3 borehole. He cautioned that further remedial work could be required but that there are limits on what the city can do without additional study or external assistance.
Council did not take action at the meeting beyond receiving the report; staff follow‑up was implied if further repairs or monitoring are requested.
