City of Kelsey Public Policy

City of Kelsey Parks & Recreation

M E M O R A N D U M To: Public Health; Planning & Zoning; Public Works From: Fritz Roselli, Superintendent – Parks & Recreation Re: Kelsey River Environmental Concerns

Some recent discussions among Parks & Recreation personnel have caused us to review our historical records to see if there were any unexpected trends or adverse environmental effects to the Kelsey River. Two items have piqued our interest:

• After a heavy rainfall, a sheen can sometimes be seen on the surface of the river. • The turbidity of the river changes considerably after periods of significant rainfall.

Conversations with long-term residents indicate that they do not remember these conditions being present when they were younger.

My department is studying whether usage of the river can fully account for these phenomena. We are also concerned about sediment flow into the river. The river is mainly used for recreational purposes—fishing, boating, and rowing—but there is a limited amount of commercial traffic moving up and down the river. We do know that there is hydrological intermingling between the river and the alluvial deposits that include the groundwater aquifer that is a source of drinking water for the City of Kelsey.

Should there be a study to see if any activity in the city may be causing the effects on the river or if uses on the river may be affecting the groundwater and the city’s drinking water?