Records per page:
DateNameCompanyComment
 Angela Henry Hello, I believe that water taken from Grave Creek will not only affect the water from the take out point but also the Rogue River. Considering we have been in a drought for many years this would not be beneficial. Please consider the negative affects not only to the people but to the environment as well.
 Cindy Henry Hello, I am very concerned about water in the creek and tributaries are very low in Grave Creek. We are in a drought and water taken could have a negative affect on the public water ways and the fish. People are concerned about wells. Thank you
 Steve RouseRogue AdvocatesRogue Advocates (RA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting farm and forest resource lands in Jackson and Josephine Counties from inappropriate development. RA has been actively involved in the local land use application process for this parcel and filed a successful LUBA appeal of the County approval. On Oct. 15, 2015 LUBA remanded the decision back to the County on multiple assignments of error. (LUBA 2014-095/096) That remand hearing is yet to be initiated. The Land Use Compatibility Statement accompanying this water right application is incorrect as a result of the LUBA remand: The comprehensive plan/zone map amendment has not been obtained. The comprehensive plan text amendment "significant aggregate site" has not been obtained The aggregate operation approval has not been obtained. These issues were the subject of the LUBA Remand Final Opinion and Order At this time the County remand hearing has not been initiated; these land use approvals are not being actively pursued. There is no reservoir either approved or constructed to store this requested water right. Neither the land use approval or the storage water right have been obtained or authorized per County and OWRD records. The intended use, "mining", has not been approved by Josephine County. Lacking these approvals there is no lawful use or need to grant the requested limited license as a "bridge" until the permanent pending water right is determined by OWRD. This application is not in the public interest in regard to sensitive, threatened, or endangered species. The following comments are from the OWRD denial of application LL1434 for the same parcel. "Peter Samarin of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) commented on September 25, 2012. Grave Creek provides spawning, rearing, and migration habitat for federally threatened Coho salmon, and state sensitive summer steelhead and Pacific lamprey. Grave Creek also ranks as a stream in the highest need of flow restoration, and water use should be allowed only when instream water right flows are met. Heather Tugaw of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) commented on September 25, 2012. Grave Creek has been placed on the 303(d) list, category 3 for several pollutants. In addition, the Rogue River Basin Temperature TMDL has been approved and applies to Grave Creek". We encourage OWRD to deny this application. This requested water right will be detrimental to the Graves Creek natural resource and resource lands in Josephine County. Sincerely, Steve Rouse President Rogue Advocates
 William & Elizabeth Corcoran Dear Mr. Sauter, as you may know, we live directly downstream from Mr. Blech’s properties. We think this LL 1612 application should be denied, but that is not only because of us; we also know from many others in the valley, that they oppose his latest water application. It is not in the public interest. We are living in drought conditions, no matter how much it is raining right now. And even now, Grave Creek is low. There is barely enough water as it is. We looked at this application and we see that nothing fits. The land use statement from Josephine County is wrong because the appeal is not pending but has been decided against Mr. Blech. At this point, he has obtained nothing, maybe in the future. But then he has to file again. Also, his proposal of gravity feeding an uphill pond – that he doesn’t have - can’t work. We could go on, line by line. And finally, is there anything like a bridge to another application that nobody knows how or when or where it will go? Please, Mr. Sauter, deny this application, not only because it is damaging for the land, wildlife and people but because it doesn’t meet the law and it can’t work. Thank you for your time. William and Elizabeth Corcoran
 Ann SmithYesTo Whom It May Concern, I oppose Application LL1612. This is not the first application seeking to take water from everything alive in Sunny Valley, Oregon but it may be the worst. This borrows parts from the previous applications and offers nothing that improves on the former. This years drought has left more residents in the impact area scrambling to borrow water from neighbors than ever before. Please, deny LL1612. Ann Smith
 Gordon LyfordWild Rivers Water RightsApplication for Limited License 1612 Comments The Water Resources Department (WRD) gave public notice of application LL-1612 on October 27, 2015 and the comment period closes November 10, 2015. Application LL-1612 seeks to store 70 acre-feet of water diverted from Grave Creek in a reservoir as a “bridge” for application R-87930 for multi-purpose uses related to mining and fire protection. Application LL-1612 requests that water be stored in reservoir #2 as also proposed in application R-87930. The requested term of use in application LL-1612 is until 2021. There are several flaws in application LL-1612. First, there is no such term as a “bridge” in Oregon water rules that can be used to circumvent the normal water permit application process. Application R-87930 has been placed on administrative hold at the applicants request since March 10, 2014 for land use process reasons. That administrative hold was supposed to be for 180 days, or until September 3, 2014, but it is still ongoing. Apparently the applicant has not yet provided the WRD with a justification to extend the administrative hold period. That should be reason enough to cancel application R-87930. In any case, application LL-1612 should be placed on administrative hold for the same reason, that is to allow the land use process to move forward. The land use form attached to application LL-1612 is invalid. Both the Watermaster’s “Water Availability Statement” and the Josephine County Planning Department’s “Land Use Information Form” refer to the proposed zoning change to allow mining being under appeal with the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA). On October 15, 2015 the LUBA remanded to Josephine County the decision to change the land zoning. Therefore, the WRD should return application LL-1612 to the applicant so that the land use form can be corrected. It was premature for the WRD to process and publicly notice application LL-1612. Application LL-1612 is for storage of water and no companion secondary application has been filed to use water from storage. Therefore, there is no beneficial use for storing water that can only evaporate and seep. It is not in the public interest to approve a water use that would facilitate damaging the quality of life in a well established residential neighborhood. The use of public waters should not harm the interests of the public. For these reasons the WRD should deny application LL-1612. Sincerely, Gordon R. Lyford CWRE #341 P.O. Box 118 O’Brien, Oregon 97534 November 9, 2015
 Robert and Patricia NessPrivate Landowner - 60 acres - Sunny ValleyThis case is not only under the jurisdiction of LUBA, however a private lawsuit over water rights is current. Granting a temporary permit is a waste of government staff time and costs. This is a fish-bearing stream that feeds into the Rogue. Who will supervise the amount of water he reports hauling out of Graves Creek? Too often in Sunny Valley, the supervision falls onto the surrounding landowners. Our lands, even with the recent rains are extremely dry. Our land has 5 ponds and two streams. All but one stream are mostly dry, and it is running at a trickle. Others utilize the valley water sources for our gardens and business uses. I have wondered how much water the multiple pot growing sites are using? We have 5 approved sites within one mile of our property, with many more in Sunny Valley. Until usage is determined for these enterprises, I believe under all of these current situations, this application by Mr. Blech should never be approved. Thank you for reading our comments!
 Steve & Debra Lawwill We moved to Sunny Valley, Oregon in 2014. Previously, we lived in Redding, California near Clear Creek a tributary of the Sacramento River. We witnessed the successful restoration of this critical salmon spawning creek after it had suffered years of destruction from gravel mining and water diversion. The salmon numbers are slowly returning as a result of this costly project. http://www.sacriver.org/aboutwatershed/roadmap/projects/lower-clear-creek-floodway-rehabilitation Grave Creek was once a thriving salmon/steelhead spawning area but has suffered a decline in numbers as a result of many issues. If this temporary permit is granted and water is taken from Grave Creek and put into reservoirs, the already declining numbers of salmon and steelhead fry will become landlocked, furthering the demise to the fish population. We should be looking for ways and resources to bring this class I stream back to a thriving resource.