To the editor:

Diking District 1 Commissioner Arnold recently released information on the pump run times over the past 13 months.

The small and large pumps have run 3,099 and 612 hours respectively. Because the small and large pumps dewater the wetlands at rates of 1,400 and 6,750 gallons per minute respectively, Diking District 1 has pumped over 500 million gallons of fresh water into Puget Sound.

Why should we care? Pumping costs money and uses electricity that increases carbon dioxide emissions (carbon footprint) as well as dependence on foreign oil. Pumping fresh water directly into a small salt water estuary (Deer Lagoon) kills marine life adapted to living in salt water. Toxic chemicals in storm water runoff is pumped directly into Deer Lagoon killing sensitive marine life. Lowering the water level destroys their ability of the wetlands to filter, bind and degrade toxins. Reducing the water level decreases the hydrostatic back pressure that slows water depletion from the surrounding aquifer as well as decreasing the rate of fresh water recharge. The wildlife ecology in the wetlands will likely be negatively impacted. The low water level decreases water flow through the outflow pipes that serves to keep them open by preventing sand build up on the beach.

What have been the benefits of draining the wetlands? Commissioners Gabelein and Arnold, H & H Properties and Useless Bay Golf & Country Club now have much drier land with increased value and potential for development.

The pump project has been of no benefit to the residents of Sunlight Beach Road, whose road still floods, and are paying the costs under an illegal (ad valorem) method of taxation.

Diking District 1 is pumping for the benefit of the privileged few to the detriment of the taxpayers and general public good.

John Shepard

Clinton