HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-06-22 Public Comment - L. & S. Gilliland - Integrated Water Resource Plan and Lyman CreekFrom:City of Bozeman, MT
To:Agenda
Subject:*NEW SUBMISSION* Public Comment Form
Date:Monday, December 5, 2022 10:56:12 PM
Public Comment Form
Submission #:2118575
IP Address:98.97.117.235
Submission Date:12/05/2022 10:56
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Full Name
Siri Gilliland
Email
savelymancreek@gmail.com
Phone
7133928350
Comments
Dear City Commissioners please find attached a few questions regarding the IWRP as will be reviewed at your
December 6th meeting. Respectfully Siri and Lance Gilliland
If you would like to submit additional documents (.pdf, .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .gif, .jpg, .png, .rtf, .txt) along with
your comment, you may alternately address agenda@bozeman.net directly to ensure receipt of all information.
12.5.22 Letter to Commissioners.pdf
Thank you,
City Of Bozeman
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Lyman Creek, LLC
3185 Bridger Canyon Road
Bozeman, MT 59715
SaveLymanCreek@gmail.com
Page 1 of 1
December 5, 2022
Bozeman City Commissioners
121 N Rouse Avenue
Bozeman, MT 59715
RE: City’s IWRP Presentation at December 6, 2022 Commission Meeting
Dear City Commissioners,
Thank you for reviewing the City’s Integrated Water Resource Plan (IWRP) at the December 6, 2022 Commission meeting.
We appreciate the tremendous effort and complexity involved in creating this plan and managing the City’s water resources
amid growing demand. We hope you take the opportunity to address the following questions with the City staff during this
presentation:
1. Why did a City spokesperson state “The city has no plans to de-water Lyman Creek and hurt the fish population” (MT
Free Press, Oct 12, 2022) when the Integrated Water Resource Plan clearly recommends the Lyman Creek Expansion
to meet growing water demand? The Lyman Creek Expansion detailed in the IWRP has the goal of taking as much of
the City’s claimed 5.95 cubic feet per second right that is available in the drainage. Since the Lyman Creek drainage
reliably produces less than half that amount on or close to the surface (IWRP, page 2-2/2-3), this expansion will
destroy the trout spawning grounds and wildlife habitat.
2. As confirmed by the Legal Water Rights Ranking for OS2 Lyman Creek Expansion appended to the IWRP, why was
the destruction of trout spawning grounds and wildlife habitat not considered in the Environmental Criteria scoring? Is
conservation of natural resources and habitat not important to keeping Bozeman “a most livable place”?
3. Please address the City Attorney’s statement at the end of the November 15, 2022 that the City does not have an illegal
diversion at Lyman Creek in light of the documents submitted as public comment on November 21, 2022 in which the
DNRC notifies the City that its 2008 Lyman Creek diversion is not in compliance with Montana Water Law, and the
City’s subsequent acknowledgement of such noncompliance.
At the City’s current level of diversion from Lyman Creek, a commitment to protect the trout spawning grounds and
wildlife habitat will have little to no impact on water available to the City. According to the IWRP, the City’s 2062 total
water demand is projected to range from 17,800 to 28,700 acre feet under the moderate and high population growth
scenarios, respectively. The amount of water to preserve the Lyman Creek fish and wildlife habitat is approximately 1
cubic foot per second, or 724 acre feet per year, plus a little more during spawning periods. The core question for the City
with respect to Lyman Creek is as follows:
Is guaranteeing the protection of a trout spawning fishery identified by both Montana Fish,
Wildlife & Parks and Trout Unlimited as important to the health of the Gallatin River system
worth a cost of little to no impact on today’s diversion of water from Lyman Creek, and between
2% and 4% of total projected water demand in 2062?
Regards,
Lance and Siri Gilliland
Lyman Creek, LLC