Guest Commentary by Former Bend Mayor Allan Bruckner The basis for recommending the 30” pipe was the Brown and Caldwell report of October 23, 2009. It recommended a 36” pipe because it would “provide a penstock that will fully support … Continue reading
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 16, 2012 FEDERAL COURT ACTS SWIFTLY TO PREVENT CITY FROM STARTING CONTROVERSIAL TUMALO WATER WITHDRAWAL PROJECT (Eugene, Oregon) Chief Judge Ann Aiken of the Federal District Court of Oregon issued an injunction today preventing the City … Continue reading
In April, the Bend City Council passed a Water Public Facilities Plan which plans for a gradual build out of groundwater infrastructure with a cost of $139 million. That $139 million will get us about 45.2mgd in new groundwater wells, … Continue reading
One of the biggest criticisms of the Environmental Assessment produced by the Forest Service is that it uses the same assumptions that HDR used in its reports. The Forest Service compared the SWIP’s impacts on the creek to only one … Continue reading
SUBTERFUGE AT CITY HALL INTRODUCTION: Many opponents of Bend’s Surface Water Improvement Plan (SWIP) have focused upon invalid / incorrect underlying assumptions utilized by the City to create this grandiose scheme. Others have relied upon a conviction that surface water … Continue reading
The first City Council vote on the project took place on September 16, 2009, prior to the issuance of any reports studying alternatives. Before voting in favor of the project, Councilors Eager, Teator, and Greene voiced concerns that the project … Continue reading
7 Fire Risk in Tumalo Watershed and Water Treatment An important risk for the City’s surface water system is the risk of fire in the Tumalo Watershed. On this topic Mr. Hickmann has this to say: Primarily, however, the filtration … Continue reading
6 Deschutes Groundwater Mitigation Program Mr. Hickmann has this to say about the Deschutes Groundwater Mitigation Program: the Oregon Deschutes Basin Groundwater Mitigation Program limits additional groundwater use and remains controversial {A-3, B-2} Comment. The Groundwater Program limits additional groundwater … Continue reading
5 Financial comparison of SWIP with an All-Well Water Alternative Mr. Hickmann makes the following statement about the financial comparison of SWIP and Groundwater Only alternatives: The cost of power required to run well pumps is expected to exceed the … Continue reading
4.1 City’s Impact on Tumalo Creek Mr. Hickmann goes on to discuss the impact of the City’s diversion on Tumalo Creek, as follows: The hydroelectric facility, if built, would not take additional water from Tumalo Creek. The facility would generate renewable energy from … Continue reading
I wish to state my opposition to the proposed City of Bend's Surface Water Improvement Project (SWIP), which would cost Bend nearly $70 million, reduce flows in Tumalo Creek, and raise rate-payers' bills more than 40% in the near future. I believe this project is misdirected and the process should be reopened for public participation and reassessment of alternatives.
