Repair don’t Replace
I urge the City Council to adopt alternative 4 for the canal project. None of the other alternatives are appropriate, all of them cost far too much, and all provide far too little benefit.
Alternative 4 is not to do “nothing,” but to maintain the canal properly. This has clearly not been done in recent years, and is why we are facing this choice today.
The piping will only improve the e. coli entering Ashland Creek from the canal by about 20 percent based upon the latest testing. Reducing e. coli is a laudable goal, but piping is an extremely ineffective way to combat it. Most of the e. coli in the canal originates upstream from this project, and will not be affected.
Evaporation over the two-mile portion of the canal under consideration is minimal, and is not an issue.
Seepage is an important issue, but it should be addressed by ongoing annual maintenance. Most of the seepage can be eliminated by patching at a far lower cost.
The canal is in terrible shape. That is only because adequate maintenance has not been performed for many years. This is a problem of our own making. We can correct this problem easily at low cost. Repair, don’t replace.
Construction will be horribly disruptive to anyone who lives near the canal. And the loss of trees proposed is egregious. The argument that they will all die anyway is bogus. Some will die sooner, some later, but they will not all die immediately. Many will survive, perhaps exhibiting less vigorous growth, but many will adapt.
It is guaranteed that the council will encounter strong pushback from some of the property owners along the canal, and with good reason. The legal defense of this project is another cost that has not been considered.
It was apparent at the last community meeting that the vast majority of attendees were opposed to the piping project. Council members should respect the wishes of their constituents, show fiscal responsibility, choose alternative 4, and direct Public Works to maintain the canal properly!
Dean Silver
Ashland