Nov. 19, 2010
Public Hearing on Four Pole Creek Watershed Has Citizens Blasting Huntington for Broken Promises
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
Huntington, WV (HNN) - A public meeting to elicit support for the formation of a Fourpole Creek Watershed association had some Huntington residents blasting the state and City of Huntington for flooding issues.
Dustin Johnson, Western Basin Coordinator for the WV DEP Division of Water and Waste Management, revealed that the stream has “high aluminum values related to sediment issues” and a high content of fecal coliform bacteria.
While most of those in attendance appeared ready to jump aboard a Save Our Streams program, flooding dominated the question and answer period.
The angry outbursts began after Jim Ashworth, vice chairman of the Huntington Sanitary Board, that some of the city’s best real estate is “affected by flooding.” He stressed, “We have to build an impediment [near Kinetic Park].
Margaret A. Bird furiously told the group , “We’ve been gang raped twice when they shaved the top off that mountain to build Pathetic [Kinetic] Park and the recent sewer to nowhere [extension on Hal Greer Blvd].” A resident of Enslow Park, the former MU instructor explained, “I’ve lived there for 25 years and there was never any flooding until they started Kinetic Park.”
A member of the Enslow Park Neighborhood Association, she proclaimed that the multiple bureaucracies do not know what the left and right hand are doing. “These local groups are pretty parochial . To some extinct, it’s ignorance.”
Bird complained that Ritter Park receives a lot of positive publicity, but no one considers looking above the headwaters of Four Pole Creek.
Prior to Ashworth’s statement, assistant public works director Kip Anderson had said that the stream suffers from “a lot of erosion issues… from a deluge of water every time it rains.” He supported the watershed concept of installing containment-like devices in the steam to slow the water down.
“That’s what those retention ponds were supposed to do,” Bird reiterated, suggesting that lack of maintenance inhibited them from working.
“As far as I’m concerned, the City of Huntington has let us down.”
She claimed that previous city administration’s broke promises for a new bridge on Wilson Court and properly cleaning the retention devices.
“I was talking to a neighbor [today] and her back yard has about two feet of water in it,” Bird said, adding the yard mentioned is next to the current bridge into Enslow Park.
Although Jessica Bloom complained about health dangers for children playing in Four Pole Creek, she welcomed, “the central organized structure will make an impact” on the issues.
Referring the multitude of Four Pole issues, Dustin Johnson suggested poll taking would reflect that “people don’t want to drink sewage water,” which represents the fecal coliform abundance. “I’ve seen studies; it is detrimental to health.”
Johnson emphasized that in order to tap funding sources mitigation must cover a large portion of the water shed, not simply that portion where people experience flooding. And, the watershed management will help.
“It will help alleviate some flooding but we’re after water quality issues. We’re not concerned with quantity, but getting the stream back to its natural state.”
Although buffers and other methods help, “if you live in a flood plain , you’re bound to get flooded.
The straightening of the creek for Kinetic Park and other developments is a scenario that “will increase the intensity of the flooding by straightening the channel [which amounts to essentially ] intensity velocity and ripping out banks [through erosion].” By restoring the natural state, “we put structures in the stream to make it meander which dissipates energy on its way down [hill]. They keep [flow] directed to the center of the stream.”
Mark Bates, vice chairman of Huntington City Council, told HNN he was “impressed with the turnout” at the public hearing. “That gives us some good energy and we need to capitalize on that energy.”
And, even, Ms. Bird complimented the presentation.
“I’m not sure what they can do, but I will support every effort they make as far as the watershed group is concerned. I’m glad I came tonight,” Bird said.
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Public Hearing on Four Pole Creek Watershed Has Citizens Blasting Huntington for Broken Promises
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
Huntington, WV (HNN) - A public meeting to elicit support for the formation of a Fourpole Creek Watershed association had some Huntington residents blasting the state and City of Huntington for flooding issues.
Dustin Johnson, Western Basin Coordinator for the WV DEP Division of Water and Waste Management, revealed that the stream has “high aluminum values related to sediment issues” and a high content of fecal coliform bacteria.
While most of those in attendance appeared ready to jump aboard a Save Our Streams program, flooding dominated the question and answer period.
The angry outbursts began after Jim Ashworth, vice chairman of the Huntington Sanitary Board, that some of the city’s best real estate is “affected by flooding.” He stressed, “We have to build an impediment [near Kinetic Park].
Margaret A. Bird furiously told the group , “We’ve been gang raped twice when they shaved the top off that mountain to build Pathetic [Kinetic] Park and the recent sewer to nowhere [extension on Hal Greer Blvd].” A resident of Enslow Park, the former MU instructor explained, “I’ve lived there for 25 years and there was never any flooding until they started Kinetic Park.”
A member of the Enslow Park Neighborhood Association, she proclaimed that the multiple bureaucracies do not know what the left and right hand are doing. “These local groups are pretty parochial . To some extinct, it’s ignorance.”
Bird complained that Ritter Park receives a lot of positive publicity, but no one considers looking above the headwaters of Four Pole Creek.
Prior to Ashworth’s statement, assistant public works director Kip Anderson had said that the stream suffers from “a lot of erosion issues… from a deluge of water every time it rains.” He supported the watershed concept of installing containment-like devices in the steam to slow the water down.
“That’s what those retention ponds were supposed to do,” Bird reiterated, suggesting that lack of maintenance inhibited them from working.
“As far as I’m concerned, the City of Huntington has let us down.”
She claimed that previous city administration’s broke promises for a new bridge on Wilson Court and properly cleaning the retention devices.
“I was talking to a neighbor [today] and her back yard has about two feet of water in it,” Bird said, adding the yard mentioned is next to the current bridge into Enslow Park.
Although Jessica Bloom complained about health dangers for children playing in Four Pole Creek, she welcomed, “the central organized structure will make an impact” on the issues.
Referring the multitude of Four Pole issues, Dustin Johnson suggested poll taking would reflect that “people don’t want to drink sewage water,” which represents the fecal coliform abundance. “I’ve seen studies; it is detrimental to health.”
Johnson emphasized that in order to tap funding sources mitigation must cover a large portion of the water shed, not simply that portion where people experience flooding. And, the watershed management will help.
“It will help alleviate some flooding but we’re after water quality issues. We’re not concerned with quantity, but getting the stream back to its natural state.”
Although buffers and other methods help, “if you live in a flood plain , you’re bound to get flooded.
The straightening of the creek for Kinetic Park and other developments is a scenario that “will increase the intensity of the flooding by straightening the channel [which amounts to essentially ] intensity velocity and ripping out banks [through erosion].” By restoring the natural state, “we put structures in the stream to make it meander which dissipates energy on its way down [hill]. They keep [flow] directed to the center of the stream.”
Mark Bates, vice chairman of Huntington City Council, told HNN he was “impressed with the turnout” at the public hearing. “That gives us some good energy and we need to capitalize on that energy.”
And, even, Ms. Bird complimented the presentation.
“I’m not sure what they can do, but I will support every effort they make as far as the watershed group is concerned. I’m glad I came tonight,” Bird said.
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