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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels August 13, 2004 The Greenies are sure on the wrong side of this issue. The City of Ashland is required to cool the effluent that it discharges into Bear Creek. The current discharge average is 75 degrees and should be cooled to 65 degrees. If the city is to meet that mandate it is going to be very expensive and it will be paid for by the property owners of Ashland. Many of these owners will scream to the high heavens just as they now shriek about the proposed Golf Course. The Billings water swap with Ashland will put Level 4 (high quality) water thru the proposed golf course irrigation and run off system and into Bear Creek and lower the temperature 8 to 10 degrees or more. The effects are enormous. Cleaner, cooler water downstream, and major mitigation of the new costs to the city and onto the residents, to meet the new DEQ water quality requirements. Some of the additional water from the city will be introduced into Wright's Creek, restoring potential fish habitat. For these reasons alone, the county commissioners should approve the lease to Billings family for their golf course. Also, the duck pond in Lithia Park is a disgrace. Every person, in their right mind, knows that you cannot clean up that water without an inflow of good clean cool water and a subsequent outflow. Ashland is not in a position to do that currently because of water quality/temperature issues. Because of the tremendous impact that the Billings swap will have on Bear Creek water, Ashland should be able to introduce a low flow (5 or 10 GPM) into the pond. Even a 5 GPM flow would turn the pond water 2 or 3 times a week which would help immeasurably. The choice is simple. Approve the Billings lease and get colder, cleaner water downstream and maybe get a much improved duck pond. Or don't approve it. Keep the 9.4 acres in blackberries and poisonous hemlock (it will never be an arboretum) and pay much higher taxes to cool Ashland's waste water. This lease and subsequent approval should be a no brainer even for the rabid Greenies. Why isn't the city council more proactive on this issue? Most of the benefits from the water swap and development of the golf course will insure long term benefits to the residents, visitors, property and business owners in Ashland and Jackson County. What a win-win opportunity for our community. Chris Thompson Ashland DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams