Citizens Organize to Contest Well

Following up on our May 27 story about the high-capacity well proposed in the Town of Utica, a group of concerned citizens recently formed Save Copper Creek. The organization is exploring a number of options to contest the well, including legal and zoning challenges and contacting the DNR to either stop its approval or include conditions to tightly restrict the purpose, uses, frequency and amount of water withdrawn.

If approved by the DNR, the well could remove up to 500,000 gallons per day from the aquifer near the north branch of Copper Creek. DNR hydrogeologist Larry Lynch, who conducted the environmental analysis (EA), calculated that if used at maximum capacity for two months, the well could reduce the creek's flow by 40%, potentially threatening sensitive trout habitat.

As we reported, landowner Darrell Long and the EA state that the anticipated use is for emergencies and other situations as defined by the owner. The well will cost about $25,000 to build. Long has told reporters he plans to make a profit by selling the water. Commercial bottling is prohibited in the EA, but bottling can be done for “emergencies"—for example, tanks to local fire departments, water utilities, or farming operations, or bottles of water to local residents in times of crisis. No other prohibitions are spelled out in the EA.

More information about the proposed high-capacity well and citizens united in opposing it is available online at Valley Stewardship Network's Save Copper Creek page.