UPDATED 2/11/2022: Observations And History Of Troubled Evans Creek

 

Stormwater run-off pond seeps contaminated water into Evans Creek, 2006, B. Yoder

This blogpost focuses on the pollution of Evans Creek from Redmond's SE industrial district. Evans creek will be relocated and land rezoned as a result. My "Evans Creek Relocation" input was unreported at the Planning Commission Hearing of February 9th, 2022 so I'm trying to catch up here. Hopefully, elected officials will develop a greater understanding and empathy for the industrial district and  health of the creek.  Evans Creek borders north and east of the district. The presence of an aquifer is significant.

In a 2006 hike along northern Evans Creek I stumbled into the rough-and-tumble industrial district. Trucks blew horns; a few pushed me into narrow dirt shoulders. Clearly, they wanted no part of me. Curious, I sneaked back often, specifically looking for the creek and sniffing around the oil trucks.  Below, is some of the damage I found: 

• All Wood Recycling (now DTG) recycles or did recycle piles of toxic chemically treated wood and polluting concrete. Alarmingly, a shallow, high value aquifer lies  six feet below the surface.  Large chunks of concrete spill into the north eastern riparian, possibly the  creek. 
• An unmaintained, filthy, clogged stormwater pond with a sheen of oil and log-jammed debris has a natural connection to the creek about 30 - 40 yards away. The pond is a tell-tale sign of how little the industries and our jurisdiction cared about the salmon and and aquifer back then. Just a modicum of care would have made a  big difference but the City buried its head. 
• Some of the oil trucks never moved off the buffer, slowly dripping toxic fluids.

I reported the environmental abuses to Redmond's Code Enforcement Officer, Carl McCarty. He called in 5 agencies, violations were identified, fines were paid. Mr. McCarty recorded the outcome somewhere in his files.

No question, today staff is fully aware of the aquifer, the underground streams and general hydrology.  They will be prepared for a healthy transition to commercial zoning.

Some history: At least 20 years ago Mayor Rosemarie Ives hired Jon Spangler as Natural Resource Manager. Jon mapped the  Evans Creek Relocation plan; primarily he managed stormwater run-off. Redmond is now proudly one of the regional leaders in stormwater management. Mayor Ives may have also hired Cathy Beam.  She's the environmental principle planner for development. Ms. Beam is called upon to evaluate the influence of development on the environment. As I remember, she wasn't exposed in a big way to the early industrial issues of Evans Creek. However, I ran into her on-site once. 

Attention elected officials:  For values of preserving the aquifer and protecting our fish, I urge the City to expedite the transition from industrial  to commercial. I'm confident Mayor Birney will make certain the stormwater facilities are upgraded and toxins monitored, as needed.  (It doesn't hurt the Mayor is a Biologist.) We are extremely fortunate Council values so highly our environment - including protection and restoration of our streams, clean water, fish, riparian trees and varied habitats.

Note: I'm not sure of the operating status of the industries so at times erroneously switch the present with the past.  Dates are approximate and inaccurate.

-- Bob Yoder, Opinion, 2/10/2022