Orestimba Creek Feasibility Study - Stanislaus County

Economics Appendix – Draft Report - Orestimba Creek Feasibility Study, Stanislaus County, California – September 2012
Last year's disaster (2009) swept pollutants into the Red and its tributaries, although the
sheer volume of water and accelerated flow rate weakened the effect, said David Glatt,
environmental chief for the North Dakota Department of Health. Even as officials were
ready to declare victory in this year's flood fight, Glatt emphasized the importance of
safeguarding drinking water supplies, particularly in rural areas where private wells
may have been submerged.
No large-scale water-quality testing was conducted in 2009, but officials monitored
hospital emergency rooms and found no upswing in visits that would have indicated an
outbreak of flood-related sickness, Glatt said. Officials credited experience and public
education with preventing serious environmental health problems.
"We've had a little familiarity with floods in recent history," Glatt said. "People have had
an opportunity to prepare and minimize the harm."
Cities in the region have reduced their exposure to contaminated water over the years by
elevating wellheads or surrounding them with dikes to keep floodwaters out. But
numerous wastewater treatment systems were overwhelmed during last year's flooding,
forcing officials to dump raw sewage into the rivers. A few have requested permission to
do likewise this year if necessary.
Private well users are particularly vulnerable. State and local agencies have provided
information about protecting residential wells and stand ready to help disinfect
contaminated ones. Fargo-Cass Public Health last week warned owners of submerged
wells not to use the water for drinking or cooking until it can be tested. Agencies also
urged people to secure household and farm chemicals, fuel tanks and other potential
sources of pollution.
Dead livestock is a particular threat in Great Plains ranch country. Some 90,000 head of
cattle were lost during last year's calamity. They're a potential source of pathogens that
can pollute wells and surface waters.
"Even a typically normal, healthy cow has E. coli bacteria in its gut," Bergland said.
"You need to properly dispose of the bodies before they drift away in the water."
State agencies, including the North Dakota National Guard, helped retrieve bloated
carcasses and advised ranchers how to deal with them. It's not as simple as it sounds. If
buried, the bodies must be placed above the water table under at least 4 feet of loamy,
clay soils. If burned, only organic fuels such as wood can be used and a state permit is
required.
Once immediate flood dangers have passed, ecological aftereffects can persist for months
or years.
Phosphorus fertilizers that wash into rivers and lakes can stimulate growth of algae
blooms that reduce oxygen levels and kill fish. Heavy soil erosion along riverbanks
degrades fish habitat and spawning areas, particularly in streams that feed larger rivers
such as the Red.
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