15 Comments
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Sara Siegler's avatar

Thanks so much for sharing your water sagas… it’s hard work, but building community through water seems an incredibly profound way to crown the human experience itself… your life support will continue “growing” that community!

John Lovie's avatar

Thank you, Sara, for those kind words.

j.e. moyer, LPC's avatar

I hope these people appreciate what you’re doing for the community. Without water, there’d be no community.

Elizabeth Beggins's avatar

All I can say is: Thank you for your service. :)

Hat tip for this subtle gem: "In November 2024 there was a federal election. You may have heard about it."

John Lovie's avatar

Thank you, Elizabeth, for your kind words.

Lee Nellis's avatar

Greetings from the Wintry Reaches of New England. But at least we aren't drenched like the NW. I am going to use this excellent account of what is involved in getting things done as supporting evidence when I write something about peoples' frustration with projects that go too slow.

John Lovie's avatar

Thank you, Lee. The island has been spared most of the rain and wind, and the king tides this past weekend passed without coastal flooding. It’s the mainland that got hit this time.

Kirie Pedersen's avatar

Boy did this piece resonate, John! Your situation is so complicated, and I love the serendipity at the end after you gifted yourself a three-week break. When I moved from the mainland to my "island" of the Olympic Peninsula, almost immediately several clearcutting projects were proposed adjoining my tiny plot. Someone at a state agency, speaking off the record, whispered "It's the water, Kirie." I hired a hydrogeologist or two, one to document all our area wells (all old) on this tiny sub-peninsula, another to document impacts of the steep slopes behind and above us and would a clearcut might cause. With immense difficulty and legal challenges and community action, we prevailed. So far. I'd like to see the heritage forest that's just a clump of "timber" to clearcutters preserved in perpetuity. My life's mission for the days I have left.

Holly Starley's avatar

Very glad the rumors of your imminent passing were greatly exaggerated. 😉

Inspired by your community building, my friend.

John Lovie's avatar

Thank you Holly!

Katharine Beckett Winship's avatar

John,

Thank you for what you do for water and community. Thank you for translating tough material (and negotiations) into a damn good story. Your role as a water educator is much appreciated!

Only in the last month have I learned about hydrogeology. I’m studying up on the rich layer of saprolite we have in the Blue Ridge Mountains and the effects of Helene. I do need a hydrogeologist or a John Cherry or a John Lovie.

Thanks. Off to restack this extraordinary story.💧💦🩵

John Lovie's avatar

Thank you so much, Katherine.

Although we’ve been spared here on the island, the mainland Washington State is now enduring catastrophic flooding as you have no doubt seen.

Kirie Pedersen's avatar

And even over here on the Olympic, John, we still had torrential rain, which saturates the soil on our steep slopes, and then the trees come tumbling down.

John Lovie's avatar

We've had plenty in total also. Next day time low tide, I'll check out Double Bluff for new slides.