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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Police Reports Schneider Art Museum installation re-imagines Rivera UPDATED: Two lanes open after I-5 truck crash near Siskiyou Summit 10 things to know for Friday Education New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Why OLLI matters: A personal perspective Southern Oregon University names director of marketing Dianne Williamson: College admissions mania ill-advised Rotary Club of Ashland names Riley O'Sullivan as Student of the Month Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area to host party March 28 Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species Mt. Ashland Ski Area: Low snow closes 'bunny hill' chairlift for beginning skiers With pre-season conditions worst in 25 years, catastrophic wildfires expected in region this summer Business Ride & Drive: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Snow hopes dashed, Mt. Ashland Ski Area hosts season-ending party Saturday Iconic Ashland bookstore to celebrate 35th anniversary on April 19 Test Drive: 2015 Honda Accord Cars We Remember: The original Candymatic Ramchargers Politics and elections Jackson County Commissioners plan no tax on marijuana for first year Grassroots group campaigns for Plaza paver do-over Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Short-term rental restrictions kept in some areas, loosened in others Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US State News Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Nation - World Leonard Nimoy, famous as Mr. Spock on 'Star Trek,' dies Obituaries Death Notices Alicia Applegate Hardy Death Notices Rosalind Dee Death Notices Shareable Sports Latest Stories Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Ashland Rowing Club hires highly touted coach and national-award winning team director to lead expansion Antionette Kerr: Tourney fever gets superstitious Blazers fight back, edge Jazz Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory High school Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Grizzlies rally past GP, to 2-0 start Ashland boys capture another Sato Cup snowboard title at Mt. Bachelor Southern Oregon University Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Ducks enjoy the challenge Oregon bows out Voices Latest Stories Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity Philip Maddocks: GOP plan offers hope for poor once they become rich Matthew T. Mangino: A clearer picture of police shootings begins to emerge Letters to the Editor, March 27 Editorial Our View: Build it; they will play Our View: How it should work Our View: Ashland High principal is the head of her class Our View: Tuition trauma Our View: SOU's economic clout Letters Letters to the Editor, March 27 Letters to the Editor, March 25 Letters to the Editor, March 23 Letters to the Editor, March 20 Letters to the Editor, March 19 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Guest Opinion: Hannah Thomas-Garner's father thanks the Ashland community Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Columns Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity Philip Maddocks: GOP plan offers hope for poor once they become rich Matthew T. Mangino: A clearer picture of police shootings begins to emerge Jeffrey Gillespie: Pax Americana? At what price? Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Top 5 things to do this week Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical 'Long Day's Journey into Night' Community blog: Words, wine and Craig Wright 4 Things To Do This Week Theater Ticket availability Ticket Availability Ashland Contemporary Theatre seeks new artistic director Ticket Availability The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical 'Long Day's Journey into Night' Music Futureshock: Kendrick Lamar release points to road ahead Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park Album reviews: Recent and recommended for March The Farr Side: New format for ‘American Idol’ as show continues a strong run Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Movie review: In ‘Danny Collins,’ Pacino helps us imagine a Lennon story Noah Baumbach talks Ben Stiller, adult comedies and more In 'Timbuktu,' lust for power disturbs peace Movie review: ‘The Gunman’ misses the target Movie listings: March 20-26 Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Ride & Drive: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque App Finder: Best barbecue apps Health Watch: It’s OK to have a cheat day Inner Peace: The good, the bad and the spiritual Antionette Kerr: Tourney fever gets superstitious Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Ashland Calendar: Saturday, March 28 ... Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent ... Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity ... Ashland Calendar: Saturday, March 28 ... Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent ... Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity ... GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Comment By Amy Sager Patton DailyTidings.com By Amy Sager Patton Posted Mar. 11, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Amy Sager Patton Posted Mar. 11, 2015 at 12:01 AM What do you think? --> Have an opinion on this topic? Send a letter to the editor at www.dailytidings.com/sendletter... » Read more X What do you think? Have an opinion on this topic? Send a letter to the editor at www.dailytidings.com/sendletter or email [email protected] . » Social News Of all the water available on Earth, only 1 percent is available for our use. And of the useable 1 percent, 99 percent comes from groundwater. Only 0.86 percent of freshwater is present in lakes, and 0.02 percent is in rivers. These facts, published by the National Groundwater Association, are surprising to those unfamiliar with the vastness of groundwater reservoirs beneath the surface of the earth, reservoirs that are sometimes left out of basin water quality protection efforts. However, with 25 to 50 percent of Oregon’s population depending on groundwater for their drinking water supply, and 3,800 new wells being drilled in Oregon each year, this resource has earned some recognition. Rural residents are familiar with how water from one well might have a sulfur odor, another might contain boron, which kills their plants, and another might contain minerals that create hardness leading to the use of water softening units. But there are other, tasteless and odorless, constituents in groundwater that should also be on our radar here in the Rogue Valley. arsenic and fluoride occur naturally in the groundwater in certain areas. A Department of Environmental Quality study conducted in 2011 detected arsenic in 44 percent of 36 wells tested in Jackson County. Elevated fluoride was detected in 3 percent of wells tested. The Environmental Protection Agency‘s cancer-related health advisory is two micrograms per liter of arsenic, a concentration associated with a 1 in 10,000 cancer probability. Fluoride, commonly viewed as a positive constituent in our diets, is a concern for children when present at concentrations above 2 milligrams per liter (mg/l) — and can cause mottling of teeth. Concentrations above 4 mg/l can cause skeletal fluorosis in adults or increase the likelihood of bone fractures. A total coliform test costs about $40 and should be conducted annually. Often the source of bacterial contamination of a well is localized and can be treated at the source. Nitrate in groundwater is more often present in large areas — related to densely located septic systems, malfunctioning systems, or agricultural practices, past or present. There are many areas of the Rogue Valley with elevated nitrate. Concentrations of 10 mg/l and above can cause “blue baby syndrome” in infants, and affect pregnant or nursing mothers and the elderly. Elevated nitrate is also an indicator that other contaminants may have entered your well. Well safety information is available on the Oregon Health Authority’s Domestic Well Safety Program (DWSP) website at http://healthoregon.org/wells . In addition, DWSP and JSWCD will  host several free nitrate testing events in the coming months. Bring a cold sample of your well water to the April 25 Rogue Valley Earth Day and/or the OSU Master Gardener Spring Fair on May 2-3 and find out about your nitrate concentrations on the spot. Visit www.jswcd.org for additional events yet to be scheduled. To reduce inputs of nitrate to groundwater, technical support for agricultural best management practices is available through Oregon State University and the Jackson Soil & Water Conservation Service. Septic systems ideally should be pumped every two or three years, depending on household size and use. Licensed pumpers can give advice about the need for maintenance. Don’t drive over your septic drainfield and do limit what goes down your drain. Chemicals and excessive chlorine can kill the bacteria that make your system work and can percolate down into the groundwater and perhaps to your well. Great resources are available at http://wellwater.oregonstate.edu . Take action this Groundwater Awareness Week: Test your well water, pump your septic tank and take steps to ensure your fertilizer and irrigation use matches your crop needs. If you don’t have a well or septic system, be grateful that groundwater provides a reservoir that, if kept clean and protected, will be there when we need it. Amy Sager Patton, R.G., is a hydrogeologist with Patton Environmental LLC. She managed the DEQ Groundwater Protection Program for eight years and has worked as an environmental consultant in seven states conducting contaminant assessments, site cleanups and public education events.     By Amy Sager Patton DailyTidings.com By Amy Sager Patton Posted Mar. 11, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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