Citizens' support sought for stormwater ordinance vote

Next Monday, Nov. 20, the Whitefish City Council will be voting on an ordinance to preserve critical conveyances for stormwater. For most of us not in the construction industry, these words may not mean much, but the protection being requested by the Whitefish Planning Department does.

I am writing to explain why I believe it is critical that citizens support this ordinance. Whitefish is a very wet place. We're at the bottom of a valley that has a high water table (water is just below the surface) combined with a clay-like soil.

Doesn't clay absorb water? Yes, but it can also clump up and not let water through. This means that every area will be different when it comes to building sites.

Does water damage us? Yes, if water that naturally drains through a site isn't allowed to drain in its historical flow pattern, it can cause flooding. The flooding doesn't occur just at a river. It can also occur in your basement, because water diverted away from a natural course will also go laterally.

Another key point is that with the development around the valley, the natural absorption that would occur is being compromised. Every roof, street and driveway built becomes an impermeable surface (water cannot be absorbed by them, so it has to run off and collect whatever it encounters along the way, be it dirt, tar, pesticides, etc., which all runs into the Whitefish River).

That is part of the reason why the 30 percent rule is being presented. If a slope is 10-foot horizontal with a three-foot vertical rise, that's a 30 percent slope (not to be confused with a 30 degree angle).

There are standards in other ski towns with 20, 25 or 30 percent slope limitations, not just to keep folks from completely covering the mountainsides with homes with endless views, but because building on a steeper slope increases the speed of water running off, thereby collecting more sedimentation along the way, and possibly contributing to erosion and contamination at a faster rate.

The five areas being studied by the city of Whitefish for protection are generally undeveloped areas — Monegan Road, Karrow Avenue, State Park Road areas etc. Some of these areas are undeveloped due to zoning (farmland), but others mainly due to water issues.

I would encourage all citizens to give voice on this matter. At the latest meetings, most of the citizens in attendance had a vested interest in construction (Realtors, developers and their attorneys), and it would be great to have a more balanced perspective given to the city council as they go into their final vote.

Is it important to you to preserve our natural water flow? To limit how much sedimentation gets dumped into our river and streams?

If yes, show up Monday night. Or if you can't make it, you can e-mail city councilors with your comments, via Necille Lorang, our city clerk, at nlorang@cityofwhitfish.org. (She makes up the packets for the council on Thursdays, so timeliness of this issue is important.)

Thank you for hearing my opinion, and thank you for your involvement in our beautiful corner of the world.

Rebecca Norton is a resident of Whitefish.